Featuring Erich Lascek '93

 Position: Vocal Music Teacher
School: Gateway High School
Location: Monroeville, PA
Graduate School: Penn State University

Graduate Program: Master of Education in Music Education

Information about Erich's graduate school experience

♦  How did you connect with this job opportunity?

♦  What attracted you to this position?

♦  What are the most gratifying aspects of your job?

♦  What has been/was your biggest challenge as a first-year teacher?

♦  How did your time at GCC prepare you for the teaching field?

♦  What advice would you give to a current pre-service teacher in order to better prepare for his or her future classroom?

♦  What job search tips would you give to GCC students?

♦  What influenced your decision to go to graduate school?
♦  How did you explore graduate schools?

How did you connect with this job opportunity?

I sent out over 150 cover letters and resumes to school districts in Pennsylvania during the spring semester of my senior year.  This was before PA educator.net

What attracted you to this position?

At the time I was unsure whether I wanted to teach high school band or chorus, and the Palmyra job allowed me to do both.

What are the most gratifying aspects of your job?

I teach most of my students for all four years of high school.  It is rewarding to see them grow as musicians, and, more importantly, as people.

What has been/was your biggest challenge as a first-year teacher?

The biggest challenge in a high school setting was only being four years older than your students.  It is difficult to find the balance between "authority figure" and "older brother."

How did your time at GCC prepare you for the teaching field?

The best part of GCC was that without a graduate program, GCC juniors and seniors often get to do what other school's graduate students would do.  The ensemble conducting I was able to do at GCC prepared me to teach better than anything else.

What advice would you give to a current pre-service teacher in order to better prepare for his or her future classroom?

Get out and observe as much as possible.  Constantly analyze what your teachers and professors are doing and ask yourself  "Why is this working (or not working) and why?"

What job search tips would you give to GCC students?

You must be willing to move.  You cannot limit yourself to searching for a teaching job in a five-school-district area.  In today's current climate here in Pennsylvania, you may need to move out of the state.  

What influenced your decision to go to graduate school?

With the amount of credits that must be obtained to get the level II certification in PA, it would be foolish not to just go and get the advanced degree.

How did you explore graduate school?

Because of the evening commitments at the time, I had to find a school that offered a summers-only program.