When Alexandra K. Trenfor said; “The best Teachers are those who show you where to look, but don’t tell you what to see.” she must have had Smithtown High School Teacher, Christina Cone in mind. The history teacher at Smithtown West has coordinated a Holocaust Remembrance and Genocide Awareness Day; featured on the Today Show, which is held annually for the entire tenth grade class going on 15 years now. Christina Cone regularly searches for scholarship and essay contests for her students in hopes of instilling motivation, aspiration and confidence in her classroom. She has helped to mentor countless students, including 2015 second place Writing for Peace recipient, Hannah Rosenthal and DAR Good Citizenship second place recipient, Emily Durcan. We sat down with the effervescent teacher, mother, competitive cyclist and perpetual student of life for a glimpse of a day in the life of Smithtown Today’s Teacher of the Year.
Q: Tell us a little about how you came to be a teacher of History
I had good high school history teachers who were passionate about the subject matter and infused that to students. One in particular, Mr. Rood, would jump up on desks and really get your attention! I went to Stony Brook University and majored in History with a minor in Women’s Studies. However, before my semester of student teaching, I graduated and accepted a position at Atlantic Records. I had been interning there and working at the university radio station as well. After rising through the ranks, I wound up directing the College Marketing department which involved coordinating a staff of college interns across the country. My role, or my interpretation of that role, was to get these students who were on the ground to help promote our developing artists but also to teach them about the music industry. In that capacity, I was reminded of my love for teaching. After five years in business, I returned to Stony Brook to student teach and get myself in the classroom where the sole focus was not about selling records, but rather educating students in the field of history and life.
Q: What was your proudest moment as a teacher? The moment you knew that this was what you were born to do?
Each year I coordinate a Holocaust Remembrance and Genocide Awareness Day for the entire tenth grade class. When I began, 15 years ago, it was a whole new undertaking and myself and my colleagues devoted a lot of time and effort into planning a day for 400 students where they cycled through various activities. They heard from a Holocaust survivor, they saw a play put on by Theatre Three, they learned from images in a photo museum set up in the library and more. Well, as that first year’s event unfolded, I was distraught by the poor behavior of some students. I went home dejected, thinking all my hard work was for nothing. I did feel better after debriefing with students in class the next day and did continue on, but again, I was somewhat let down. Fast forward a year to when the Today Show came to our campus. We brought in a Holocaust survivor and a Rwandan genocide survivor to speak and the Today Show came to film it and do a story. They asked me for some students to interview. As I sat in the room as one student was interviewed, he was explaining how we, as a District, have “this thing called Holocaust Remembrance Day.” He said how at the end of that day one student came up to him and apologized for having made anti-Semitic comments. Well, I burst out crying in the back of room completely moved by the fact that the day did make a difference. If we reach even one person and cause them to think about their actions toward others and make a change than it is worth it. I tell myself that each year now as I coordinate the event. We may not reach everyone, but it does have an impact.
Q. How do you find academic essay contests and scholarship opportunities for your students?
I actively search out academic essay contests and scholarships for the students. At this point, there are some organizations that I know each year will offer contests and I search online for others. I also ask the students to inform me of any that they may come across. I use my own experience as a model for the students. I share with them that many people have the misconception that there is not a chance of winning any of the contests and therefore don’t even try. I tell them how I have traveled to Japan, India, China, Germany, Barbados, and this summer will be going to South Korea all through applying for scholarships and fellowships offered to teachers. Have I ever been denied? Yes. However, I have been selected many times so I am proof that it is possible.
Q. Do you use online apps or social media to network with colleagues outside of the district or in the classroom itself to stay in sync with the latest teaching strategies, lesson planning or classroom management?
I definitely take advantage of social media to network with colleagues across the country. There is a great Facebook group consisting of AP World History teachers who share their insights and lessons. I also subscribe to feeds like Accomplished Teacher by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards to stay abreast of news about teaching and education.
Q. What common obstacles do you or your fellow teachers face on a routine basis; be it from problems with students, parents, the common core curriculum, overcrowding, potential drug abuse or cyber bullying?
The incessant emphasis on testing is a common obstacle and I sincerely hope that it will lessen over time. That being said, myself and my colleagues continue to educate our students to the best of our ability, staying in touch with the current trends and requirements, but also not losing sight of the greater focus which I believe is working to instill a love of learning and the ability to think critically and understand multiple perspectives. To also encourage students to be able to push themselves and believe in themselves and have integrity and compassion.
Q: Each year, you send off your students with a great contribution in education, which they will take with them along their journey through life. How do you say goodbye at the end of the year? And is it difficult especially when you invest so much of yourself into these aspiring young adults?
I am fortunate in that I teach mainly sophomores, so at the end of the year I don’t have to say goodbye for good as I know I will continue seeing them in the halls! Ultimately though they do move on and I am happy that they are heading out to make their mark. I love when they come back and visit, email, share with me places they have traveled to, foreign films that they have watched, and organizations that they have gotten involved in to do their part to make the world a better place. The reward is in knowing that I have done my best to foster empathy and compassion, encourage good moral decision-making practices, and to overall help to build character.
Q: If you could have coffee with a famous person in history, who would they be? What would you ask them or talk about?
To begin, I would choose tea as I am not a coffee drinker!!! That being said, as cliché as it might sound I would have to choose Gandhi. Gandhi has been such an inspirational leader in the world. While spending time in India, I was able to spend some time in the town of Pune and visit a museum which was the site of where he was imprisoned for some time. There is also a monument where some of his ashes have been laid to rest. I can honestly say that I have never been that moved to be in the presence of the personal items, memories, and being of a person. I would most likely be a bumbling mess seeing the man in person! I would of course speak with him about his strength of character and his belief in love conquering all. I would probably seek advice as well. While I believe I practice a lot of what Gandhi preached, I struggle with leading a stress-free life. I would love tips on how to live more simply and as had said, “give your stress wings and let it fly away.”
Q: If you could be a famous historic person… who would you see yourself as?
I see Samantha Power, perhaps. I admire much of what she has done but I don’t always see eye to eye with her. The same could be said for Aung San Suu Kyi. She is passionate about her beliefs and has been a spokesperson for democracy and human rights. Why I don’t fully identify with her either is that she made those choices at the expense of her two sons. I cannot imagine leaving my son for anything. I also have not been happy about her silence regarding the current situation regarding the treatment of the Rohingya people and I feel let down by her in that regard.
Q: Do you have a favorite quote or inspirational statement you live each day with in mind?
Character is doing the right thing when nobody’s looking. – JC Watts
Q: What is your favorite way to spend a day off?
Bicycling! I am an avid cyclist and race competitively. I adhere to a training plan that keeps me quite busy outside of school.
Q: If you could have three wishes granted, what would they be?
The end to all wars and violence
I would love to see more women in government. More of an equal representation to represent the population.
I would wish that no one would eat animals (I am a vegan)
Q. Finally, what advice would you give to a young teacher about how to work the Christina Cone magic in the classroom?
I think the most important mindset to keep at the forefront is to demonstrate respect for all students. I truly value their insights and understand that oftentimes they are coming to the classroom with a myriad of issues that distract them from academics. I work to provide timely and helpful feedback to students and push myself to read their work closely and in a timely fashion. If students are expected to follow deadlines, I too feel that I need to uphold my end of the deal. I see that as respecting their efforts and demonstrating that I value their work and want them to learn from it. That also helps to assess the students who are struggling. By reading/evaluating their work carefully and often it can help to pinpoint where weaknesses may be. I also am an advocate of reaching out to parents/guardians. Oftentimes, calling home to discuss a concern can help the student realize that everyone wants to work together to ensure their success. It can also provide insight into why a student might be demonstrating difficulty in class. Along those same lines encouragement and acknowledgement of effort and growth go far. I call home quite often just to share that a particular student is really working hard, is focused, is respectful, etc. Parents are often shocked to get a “good” phone call but, as a parent myself, I know I would want to hear that my child was doing the right thing. Oftentimes, recognition is not given where and when it is due and I see that as important. It all comes back around to making sure that students realize that they are appreciated and respected. Furthermore, making connections with students, hooking them into a lesson with something that is relevant to their lives, or knowing their interests and weaving them into the class can help to get participation going. At the beginning of this year, I had one class that seemed a bit challenging behaviorally. It got to the point where I wasn’t comfortable with the atmosphere in the room and I did not want to continue in that fashion. Knowing that a lot of the students in the class were hockey players, I decided to take a break one day and show the class scenes from the movie “Miracle.” I highlighted the lessons of perseverance in the face of difficulty – yes social studies might not be everyone’s strong suit but you do your best and push forward. The coach in the film talks about how he is tired of hearing about how great the other team is and I equated that with the mindset that some students have that they are not as smart as others and worked to instill the idea that that attitude serves to keep people down. No more excuses, have confidence and work hard and that will be rewarded. I also used the movie to stress the value of teamwork – that in the classroom we are a team and we need to work together to ensure success, and ultimately character, “Win, lose, or tie – play like champions.”
If that were not enough, I also think modeling the fact that I am constantly learning and pushing myself is invaluable. I have my masters as well as my post-masters resulting in receiving my Administrative License, yet, I did not stop there. A few years ago I went through the process of becoming Nationally Board Certified. I attend workshops and I share my findings with the students. I am also continually reflecting on my practice. I am not afraid to try new strategies and activities and make revisions when something is not working right. I am constantly thinking about how to improve.
In the Presence of Greatness:
Smithtown Today believes in recognizing those members of the community who pay it forward on a daily basis. If you know someone who you believe is an everyday hero, we’d love to learn more about them. Email us at editor@SmithtownTodayNews.com with a brief description of the person and how we can reach them and you may just read about them in our next Community Spotlight feature.