By:Elizabeth Sagarin
Assistant Fenter to succeed D'Arrigo in middle school
Robert Fenter didn't have to look very far for inspiration when deciding what to do when he grew up.
As the son of two teachers and a member of a family of teachers,Fenter and his three older brothers benefited from educators in almost every aspect of their lives. Therefore, it wasn't hard for him to realize that teaching is a good job, a job he wanted to do.
Doing well at it was also something he wanted to do, and he did.
He was a very innovative, popular teacher,said Bob Sullivan, former chair of the Social Studies department at Oceanside High School.
Fenter taught under Sullivan for six years during the early part of his teaching career, starting in the late 1980s, and cites Sullivan as a mentor. He was the consummate gentleman. He knew how to treat people and how to preserve the dignity of others,Fenter said.
Since Sullivan's retirement seven years ago, Fenter has gone from a leading high school social studies teacher to the assistant principal of Oceanside Middle School, with a six-year term as social studies supervisor at the middle school in between. He will officially replace current Principal Enid D'Arrigo come September, and she couldn't feel more comfortable about handing over reins she has held for 16 years, she said. He has in his heart the middle-level philosophy. He is someone that believes that the school fit the needs of the kids rather than the kids fit the school.
She and Sullivan are eager to point out Fenter's technological skills as being an asset to the school. Fenter is about a year away from finishing his doctoral thesis in Educational Leadership and Technology at Dowling College.
He, like many educators today, understands how powerful a tool technology is to amplify learning. In part, that is why he is willing to forgo the strongest bond in the educational dynamic, which he feels is between a teacher and student. The ability to impact a greater number of students is better achieved in an administrative role,he said. I cam impact program and lead curriculum. By incorporating all that is available to administrators and teachers, Fenter hopes to create a culture and environment which celebrates the talents and abilities of all students.
What will be particularly helpful, he said , in his pursuit to create a climate for all students to excel in, is the use of statistical data collected from surveys distributed to the student population. By using a computer program to analyze the information collected, Fenter hopes to better understand the minds of the 12- and 13-year-olds walking the halls.
He already has laid a foundation in which to use the information he plans to learn in a constructive dialogue with the students, according to three seventh-graders. He treats us like equals instead of like children. He gives us room to grow,Alex Mednick said. He respects everyone and lets everyone talk,Cisco Guasp said. He's so nice. He helps us out when we need him,David Block said.
For the two years children attend middle school, Fenter plans to be highly visible and very approachable. I'm not going to be someone that always works in the office,he said.
He likened getting his new position to winning an Oscar and looks forward to involving as many people from the community in decisions that affect the school. You need a collective vision if you are going to proceed as a successful organization.
