Dr. McConnell has been part of the Pitt-Johnstown community since 2011. She coordinates the special education program and oversees field placements, including student teaching opportunities in New Zealand and Bolivia. She teaches upper-level special education methods courses that focus on classroom management, social-emotional learning, and culturally responsive teaching. Still, she spends much of her time out in schools working alongside pre-service and student teachers. She especially enjoys helping future educators set wellness goals, create engaging lessons, and learn how to “work well with others” as professionals. Her experiences in the classroom inspired her to create this interactive workbook to help student teachers reflect, grow, and track their progress for their lifelong goals of teaching. She is married to her high school sweetheart, Doug. They are raising their teenagers, Derek and Amelia, and she is still making progress on work-life balance and using humor in both teaching and parenting.