Leslie Craigo
Assistant Professor
Teacher Education
EMAIL: lcraigo@bmcc.cuny.edu
Office: S-616 A
Office Hours: subject to change each semester
Phone: +1 (212) 220-1218
As an assistant professor here at BMCC, I bring my experience of working with young children to my daily interactions with students. Before teaching here, I worked in early intervention, providing educational services to children under three who have disabilities. I visited their homes and also worked with them in centers. Being part of an evaluative team enabled me to implement programs and services that benefited the families and the children. In addition I worked as a teacher from preschool to high school with children who have a range of abilities and disabilities. My work with children nourishes and informs my practice with students here at BMCC.
I am committed to helping our BMCC college students succeed. Issues of social justice and equity inform my pedagogy and my interactions with all members of the BMCC community.
Expertise
Gender Sensitive Teaching, Educational Policy, Early Childhood Education , Cultural Diversity, Community Colleges, Children with Special Needs, Child Development and Learning, Bilingual Education, Autism, Adult Education, Access to Education,
Degrees
- M.S. College of Staten Island, Special Education,1994
- M.A. Gradiate Center. City University of New York, Educational Psychology,2010
- Ph.D. Gradiate Center. City University of New York, Educational Psychology,2015
Courses Taught
- This course provides an overview of the social context of early care and education. It focuses on the historical, philosophical, sociological, and political foundations of programs for young children, birth to eight years. The following topics will be explored in depth: Historical and contemporary theories of early childhood education, multicultural and social ecological factors in early care and schooling, particularly for diverse urban settings; early childhood programming; family and community involvement; advocacy, trends and current issues in early childhood practice. This course requires 30 hours of fieldwork. Prerequisite: Grade of C or better in ECE 110
- This capstone fieldwork course is designed to (1) reflect a strength-based stance toward children and families and affirm the identities and cultural and linguistic diversity of all learners, (2) develop practical and evidence-based knowledge for supporting language and literacy acquisition and development, and (3) enable students to demonstrate their competencies teaching infants and toddlers. It requires supervised participation in an early childhood education setting (Birth- thirty-six months) and participation in a weekly seminar. Students will explore principles, methods, and materials, informed by current research, for supporting young children’s language and literacy acquisition and development. Students will utilize practical classroom experiences to make connections between theory and practice, develop professional behaviors around working with infants, toddlers, families, and build a comprehensive understanding of the role of language and literacy in an integrated curriculum. Students will design, implement, and evaluate learning experiences that integrate language and literacy learning for infants and toddlers with diverse learning styles and needs, with strong emphasis on child centered, play-oriented, and culturally responsive approaches to teaching, learning and assessment, as well as knowledge that is integrated across the curriculum. Students spend a minimum of 90 hours in the field.
Prerequisite: Grade of C or better in ECE 308 and ECE 309 - This course focuses on children's physical, cognitive, linguistic and socio-emotional development, and the related implications for learning. Within the context of race, class and culture, the following topics are explored in depth: the nature of intelligence, gender identity, attachment and other psychosocial attributes (typical and atypical). Students participate in a minimum of 15 hours of course-related fieldwork.
Prerequisites: PSY 100
Course Syllabus
Research and Projects
- Advocating for teacher candidates from community colleges
This projects examines the transfer experience and success of preservice teachers from community college students as they transfer to senior colleges. The writing skills, course grades and college experience is investigated as a function of point of college entry: community college or four year college. Preliminary results indicate that students who start at community colleges perform as well as students on start at 4 year colleges on writing tasks, and overall course grade. Additionally, students who start at community colleges describe a more positive college experience during their first two years than students who start at 4 year colleges. The support that community college students receive, tutors, writing center, help from professors may be what enables them to become proficient enough to succeed as well as 4 year college students. One concern noted is that transfer was challenging for most community college students, they had difficulty enrolling in needed courses, needed to go to many offices to obtain needed information and felt that professors were not as available for help. - Preservice teachers’ attitudes toward disability and inclusion
This research is investigating the effects of a special education course on the attitudes of preservice teachers toward disability and inclusion.
Publications
- Teaching community college students strategies for learning unknown words as they read expository text. Higher Research Learning Communication,Higher Research and Learning Communication
- Classroom modification workshop: For students with ASD and other communication disorders. ,BMCC Inquirer
- Early childhood education: Learning together. Contributing editor,McGraw Hill
Honors, Awards and Affiliations
- Psychology Program Award for the Outstanding Psychology Major
An award to one student each year at the College of Staten Island’s Psychology Department. - Williamson Scholarship for Academic Excellence
This was a competitive scholarship based upon academic achievement. - S.I. Council of Negro Women Scholarship for Academic Excellence and Community Service
This was a competitive scholarship based upon academic achievement and service to the community. - NYC Childcare Resource and Referral Consortium Appreciation Award
This award was given in appreciation for my presentation at the 14 Annual Infant Toddler Conference, a conference that I have been part of since its inception. - NYC Childcare Resource and Referral Consortium Appreciation Award
This award was given in appreciation for my presentation at the 14 Annual Infant Toddler Conference, a conference that I have been part of since its inception. - Faculty Leadership Fellows
The Borough of Manhattan Community College designed and implemented its Faculty Leadership Fellows Program to strengthen faculty leadership from multiple perspectives, including positive organizational development, support for teaching and learning, equity, and governance—not assuming preparation for administration but engaging faculty in their current role(s). The program includes an intensive week-long seminar featuring nationally-recognized experts on major challenges facing community colleges. Five follow up sessions were provided in Spring semster on issues of mentoring, leadership communications, using data to inform decision-making, and developing an identity as a leader.
Criteria
Faculty Leadership Fellows were nominated by their department chairs or by administrators (deans, vice presidents). Nominated faculty applied with statements of their understanding of leadership and their experiences as faculty leaders. Fourteen faculty were chosen for the program.
