Hello out there. My name is John Kuckens, and I am delighted to be your graduate admissions blogger for the 2013-2014 school year at Bank Street College.
Many of you are brought to the blog because you are curious about applying to Bank Street, or you are new students. I think you will see through posts on the blog that Bank Street is a wonderful and supportive environment for those who decide to attend. I’m sure you have many questions and let’s face it, fears, associated with applying and attending (I did too it’s OK), what classes are like, and what financial aid is like. I’ll do my best to answer and alleviate these concerns in the posts, and also try to respond to questions in the comments section (in between classes and readings, if I can!).
As for me, I grew up on Long Island and in Connecticut, went to Wheaton College in Massachusetts for my undergrad, and began teaching right after that. I didn’t have a certification and it was hard to find just the right place to do it. I was always so inspired by the work of literacy intervention teams in the schools I had worked in, and felt it would be a good avenue for me since reading was always something I struggled with. I moved to NYC and was lucky enough to discover Bank Street. Now I am working towards my Masters in the Teaching Literacy and Childhood Education program. The courses here have certainly helped me find my voice as a teacher and harness my own interests for the purpose of helping and teaching others.