Rider grad making name as middle school teacher

Emily Cappiello

Although Emily Wikoff Cappiello of Allentown is in her first year as a teacher at Timberlane Middle School in Pennington, she felt well prepared for the transition from academe.

Cappiello is a graduate of Manalapan High School and is the daughter of James and Maryann Wikoff.

She graduated from Rider University in May 2006 and is among the seven Rider students who have benefited from a two-year New Jersey Project for the Advancement of Clinical Educa-tion for Teacher Preparation (NJPACE) $150,000 grant awarded to the School of Edu-cation by the New Jersey Department of Education.

Carol Brown, associate dean of the College of Liberal Arts, Education and Sciences, authored the grant proposal. The grant recipients, selected based upon their interest in teaching at the middle school level, completed the mentoring/professional development program last spring, according to a press release from the university.

Cappiello is a seventh-grade social studies teacher at Timberlane. According to Dave Oliver, chair of the department of teacher education and director of the School of Education's field placement office at Rider University, her principal, Patricia Coats, views her as "way ahead of the curve in preparation for becoming fine middle school teachers."

"Emily came to Timberlane with a strong background from Rider, and the NJPACE program was an excellent way to provide them with intensive training in middle school education," said Coats, Timberlane's principal. "I am pleased to have been a part of her transition from pre-service to first-year teacher, and she has had an outstanding first year with us. She is a dedicated, professional, caring teacher who has already become a part of the Timberlane family."

Rider's School of Education places students at primary and secondary schools during their sophomore year, a year earlier than most university teaching institutions.

Cappiello believes her intense preparation has paid off.

"I learned so much about expectations because I was in the schools so much," said Cappiello. "Attending Rider has been the best thing in my life. I learned all about what I need to succeed in the profession."

For Cappiello, a lover of history, becoming a teacher was an easy decision since she loves working with children.

"I have a deep appreciation for each and every student and the things they go through in life," said Cappiello, who recently married. "They are funny and innocent young people. It is a pleasure to watch them grow over a year."

While at Rider, Capppiello was a recipient of the Emanuel Levine History Award and certificates of excellence from the Education Department. She also served as vice president and later president of the Rider chapter of the Student Education Association. Graduating summa cum laude, Cappiello was a member of Phi Alpha Theta, the National History Honors Society.