d'mensions/the d'youville college Journal summer 2oo6

Dr. Christina Woyshner ’87
’87engaged. It’s being able to engage students over time.”
“Teaching is a joyful but rigorous process.”
Christina often says, “Just don’t call it fun.
Fun is cotton candy. But to me, being joyful is being
Lofty goals for this dedicated professor! She grew up in a blue-collar
family in Lackawanna, obtaining her early education in the local public
schools. Then it was on the path that would eventually take her to a
classroom at Temple University in Philadelphia where she teaches and
inspires graduate students to be the very best teachers. Her parents, though
without the privilege of higher education, viewed education as vital and,
equally so, a social responsibility. They were active in many social causes
and encouraged participation by their children.
After she matriculated at D’Youville, where she followed in the footsteps
of her sister Michelle, a 1978 nursing graduate, she was then on to Buffalo
State College for a master’s degree. But that was not enough. Her thirst
to know more took her to the Harvard School of Education,
where she experienced the vitality of noted educator,
Vito Perrone. There she earned her doctoral degree. She
remarked, “at first the Harvard experience was quite
intimidating but in time I grew quite comfortable with it.”
Her experience teaching second and third grade in
Lackawanna raised her awareness of her own expectations
as a classroom teacher. She is eager to engage her students
and she takes whatever time that requires. As she constantly
moves about, she comments and encourages. She wants
participation just as she expects these soon-to-be teachers
will engage their own students. She believes in “ so much
more than spewing out facts and then having students
regurgitating them back.” She continued, “We want kids
to do projects, write papers, think in new ways.” Those
who have observed Christine in her classroom describe
it as exciting. She mentioned that she thoroughly enjoys
her students at Temple. “They are great. They are bright,
talented and socially responsible.” She elaborated on the fact
that they know the problems that exist especially in urban
schools and really want to help address those problems.
She is now a tenured professor, a previous goal; her new
goal is to finish her book, The History of the PTA, which is
an expansion of her dissertation. She is also working on a
second book dealing with the educational work of women’s
associations. Her long-term goal is to totally, solely run
the teacher education program. Clearly, she has a score of
ideas not yet incorporated into her current program of education within
the history department.
She and her husband recently added another dimension to their household.
They are rearing eight-year-old Jason, a foster child. Just as her dad was a
role model for her, encouraging sports and outdoor activity, she in turn is
setting the pace for young Jason who now plays on a baseball team.
In addition to being a professor in the department of curriculum, instruction
and technology in education, she is an affiliated faculty member in urban
education and women’s studies.
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