Meet Our Teachers: 

Valerie Koch, Education & Behavioral Science


CRTC programs are a blend of rigorous academics and applied learning that provide students

with the opportunity to explore their interests, talents and career ambitions. The lynchpin in

these programs is the unique character of the CRTC teacher, who typically has years of industry

experience before making the transition to the classroom. 


Learn a little more about our Education & Behavioral Science teacher, Val Koch, by reading this

month’s CRTC Teacher Q & A.


How long have you been a Career and Technical Education teacher?

I have been teaching at the CRTC for 20 years. In fact, I am an alumni of the CRTC Education

program!


What industry experience did you bring into the classroom with you?

I was a part-time preschool teacher during college, and a special education teacher for three

years at MVHS before I began teaching for the CRTC almost twenty years ago. 


What excites you about being a CTE teacher?

One of the most exciting aspects of teaching CTE is that the program and curriculum is

 constantly evolving to meet the needs and interests of our students. For example, my program

used to only focus on training future teachers. When we saw a shift in student interest, I

expanded the program to include behavioral science. This has created a wonderful challenge

for me to learn more about counseling and psychology and to implement new content. Another

program improvement driven by students is expanding our field work program. First and second

year students are able to customize their field work experiences so that they can work with

children of various ages and in many different settings twice per week. 


What part of your job gives you the most satisfaction?

I feel so lucky to be able to be a part of my students' professional journey. When I meet them as

first year students, they have a strong desire to make a positive impact on children's lives, but

they may not know exactly what that will look like. I get to help them refine their interests and

solidify their plans over the two years in the EBS program. I am able to witness their success as

they move on to college and get their first professional jobs. It is truly a gift to teach the EBS

program!


What would you tell a student or parent about the benefits of a CRTC education?

CRTC programs give students unique advantages and opportunities. There are so many

benefits of joining the Education & Behavioral Science program. Students can complete the

EBS program with 16 college credits from SNHU at a greatly reduced cost. The field work

opportunities and involvement in the Educators Rising NH organization give students

confidence, high level practical skills, deep understanding of theory, and help achieving their

plans for the future.  


What do you do when you’re not teaching Education & Behavioral Science?

I love musical theater and take tap dance classes as often as I can. I also love to read, spend 

time with my family and friends, and travel. 


Click Here to learn more about the CRTC Education & Behavioral Science program.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Image
  April is Admissions Month at CRTC Over the past several weeks CRTC staff has had to make some pretty tough decisions as they’ve sifted through applications to determine the make up September’s Year I classes, and have carefully reviewed each first year student’s SPUR assessments to decide who would be invited back to complete their second year. Year I students and new applicants already should have received notification letters or emails that inform them of their status and provide instructions for next steps. Any student who has not yet received notification should talk to their CRTC teacher or call the CRTC office. Each year we have more qualified students than we have open seats in our programs, so it’s necessary to make some difficult decisions. Some students who are not outright accepted or invited back have been placed on a waitlist for any available openings before the next school year, or have been asked to sign a conditional contract, which outlines a number of steps student
Read more
Image
  Meet Our Teachers:  Gail Beaudoin, Criminal Justice CRTC programs are a blend of rigorous academics and applied learning that provide students with the opportunity to explore their interests, talents and career ambitions. The lynchpin in these programs is the unique character of the CRTC teacher, who typically has years of industry experience before making the transition to the classroom.  The CRTC Criminal Justice teacher, Gail Beaudoin, has over three decades of law enforcement experience, including 11 years as a Criminal Bureau detective, and was the first female in the Chelmsford, MA, Police Department to attain the rank of Lieutenant. She holds a master’s degree in Criminal Justice from UMass, and spent 15 years as an adjunct professor in Criminal Justice at UMass, Lowell. Learn a little more about our Criminal Justice teacher by reading this month’s CRTC Teacher Q & A . How long have you been a Career and Technical Education teacher? I’ve been teaching Criminal Justice at t
Read more
Image
  Pre-Apprenticeship Program Helps CRTC Students Connect to Employers and Jumpstart Their Careers For most of April, Construction Trades student Nick White has been traveling to Manchester each Wednesday to spend five hours working at Longchamps Electric as part of a pre-apprenticeship program designed to give him a head start on both a job and a career. In May he’ll begin an 80-hour paid internship that will transition into a registered apprenticeship and employment with Longchamps. “I think this is the best step I could have taken as far as having a future as an electrician,” the Bow High School junior said. “It helps me to both start earning hours toward my electrical apprenticeship and get my foot in the door for a job with Longchamps.” Nick is the first CRTC student to enter the recently launched state high school pre-apprenticeship program, which is managed by ApprenticeshipNH and funded through a three-year federal grant. The program is an attempt to help students get a head st
Read more