Message from the President
Dear PBEA Members:
In our last newsletter, we discussed how the pandemic has begun to change everything we are accustomed to in our everyday life. Now it is January 2021, and I am reflecting on how this past year has changed the way we educate our students and the many challenges that teachers and families are still facing. Zoom and Google Classroom has become our new best friends. PBEA was able to persevere and host our first ever virtual conference in November.
BCIT teachers have become more important than ever since all of America and the world had to adjust to new income levels, unemployment, foreclosures, and learning how to create a budget and save like never before. Many teachers are treading in unchartered territories since they have never been trained to teach remotely. The lack of technology for students was a huge problem. Safety and care are supposed to be at the forefront all the time in education. So, if virtually doing education is the way for us to protect everyone during this time, that is what we should be doing. People say, “Teachers aren’t working.” We all that know is not true, we are all working harder than ever.
As the pandemic progresses, teachers should receive support and education regarding work-life balance so that teacher burnout can be avoided. Roles and responsibilities should be clearly delineated, and mentors and administrators should support teachers.
So, as we start a new year of 2021, we have to look ahead at the blank slate in front of us and stay positive. Staying positive does not mean being happy all the time. It means that even on hard days, you know that better days are coming.
Stay well and safe.
Nancy Waters
PBEA President
2020 PBEA SCHOLARSHIP WINNER -
I am Nathaniel Newberry from Biglerville Pennsylvania, which is 10 minutes north of Gettysburg. I completed my undergraduate program at Bloomsburg University majoring in Finance and Economics. During my time at Bloomsburg University I was a four year starter for the Huskies wrestling team. I was awarded the PSAC Scholar-Athelete award all four years and won the PSAC wrestling tournament in the 2018-2019 season.
I eventually decided I wanted to be a teacher to give back to my community. Business education allows me to use both my business degrees and upbringing in entrepreneurship through my parents hardware store. I am completing my last semester of classes in the Business Education Graduate Program at Bloomsburg University. My final semester will consist of student teaching at Southern Columbia High School while coaching their middle school wrestling team.
THEME: Good Things Are On The Horizon
Nov 18 – 19, 2021
PBEA 2021 Virtual Conference Registration Form TBA
Registration Must Be RECEIVED BY October 31, 2021
PBEA 2021 Conference Schedule At a Glance TBA
Jane Brooker, Ph.D., MBA
Jane Brooker earned a B.A. in Business Administration and Business Education from Cedarville University, an M.B.A. from University of Findlay, and was awarded a Ph.D. in Workforce Education with an emphasis in Human Resource Development/Organization Development and Cooperative Education this May from Pennsylvania State University. Her research includes interpersonal competencies, emotional intelligence, and mindfulness. Jane has over 20 years of teaching in K-12 business and technology classes. She has taught educational strategies and professional development to Career and Technology educators at Pennsylvania State University. Jane has taught freshman level classes of Introduction to Business and Foundations of Business; upper class Business Communications; Instructional Strategies, Field Experience and Business Education Seminar to Business Education majors; business internships; PACES class to students on academic probation; and was faculty advisor for a Learning Community for new freshman in the College of Business.
Stephanie J. Adam, M.S., D.B.A., SHRM-SCP
Dr. Stephanie J. Adam is an Associate Professor of Management, focusing on Human Resource Management, as well as the MBA Program Coordinator for California University of Pennsylvania. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Hospitality Management from Mercyhurst University, her Master of Science degree in Human Resource Management from La Roche University and her Doctorate in Business Administration – Human Resource Management emphasis, from Northcentral University. Prior to joining the full-time faculty at Cal U in the fall of 2016, Dr. Adam taught for several universities both online and in person as an adjunct faculty member. She worked for seven years in Human Resources for a small manufacturing company in Western PA while attending graduate school prior to that. Her research interests include: innovation in MBA design, service learning, and small business-education alliances in the classroom.
