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School of Social and Behavioral Sciences

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Dr. Jan Stivers

Professor, Special Education

Office Location: Dyson 388J
Phone: (845) 575-3000 ext. 2980
Email: Jan.Stivers@Marist.edu

Degrees Held:

Ph.D. Educational Psychology and Statistics, State University of New York at Albany
M.A. Psychology and Counseling, Assumption College
B.A. English Literature, Mount Saint Mary College

Certifications:

New York State Teacher Certification in Elementary Education, N - 6
New York State Teacher Certification in Special Education, K -12
New York State Teacher Certification in Mental Retardation, 3 - 21

Bio:

I've been teaching at Marist since 1980, and continue to feel blessed to be a part of this vibrant community whose values mirror and have shaped mine. I derive great pleasure from my work in the teacher education program, collaborating with wonderful colleagues to help our students identify their strengths and nurture them, and guiding our students as they develop into teachers who will make a difference in children's lives.

Awards & Honors:

Marist College Social and Behavioral Sciences Faculty of the Year, 1996

Marist College Social and Behavioral Sciences Faculty of the Year, 2002

Marist College Social and Behavioral Sciences Faculty of the Year, 2008

Marist College Social and Behavioral Sciences Faculty of the Year, 2010

Marist College Social and Behavioral Sciences Faculty of the Year, 2014

Marist College Board of Trustees Distinguished Teaching Award, 1997

Marist College Faculty Recognition Award for Distinguished Scholarship, 2009

Publications:

Crispi, E. L., & Stivers, J.  (2015). The syllabus re-imagined: From paper to website. Syllabus: 4 (2), 1-11. 

Stivers, J. & Cramer, S.F. (2015) New metaphors for teacher/paraeducator relationships. In D. Chambers, (Ed.) Working with Teaching Assistants and Other Support Staff for Inclusive Education; Volume 4 of International Perspectives on Inclusive Education. West Yorkshire, UK: Emerald.  

Stivers, J., & Cramer, S.F. (2013). Academic writing partnerships:  The DIY version.  The Journal of Faculty Development, 27,(3), 30 – 35.

Stivers, J., & Cramer, S. F. (2013). Academic writing partnerships. In E. Neal & D. Dollar (Eds.), Academic Writing:  Individual and Collaborative Strategies for Success.  Stillwater, OK:  New Forums Press

Stivers, J. & Cramer, S. F., & Riordan, K. (2012). Involuntary teacher transfer in special education: Concepts and strategies for teachers facing new assignments. Journal of the American Academy of Special Education Professionals, Spring-Summer 2012, 176-184.

Stivers, J. & Cramer, S. F. (2009). A Teacher's Guide to Change: Understanding, Navigating, and Leading the Process . Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press

Stivers, J. (2008). Strengthen your co-teaching relationship. Intervention in School and Clinic, 44(2), 121-125.

Stivers, J., Francis-Cropper, L. & Straus, M. (2008). Educating families about inclusive education: A month-by-month guide for teachers of inclusive classes. Intervention in School and Clinic, 44(1), 10-17.

Cramer, S., & Stivers, J. (2007). Don't give up! Practical strategies for challenging collaborations. Teaching Exceptional Children, 39(6), 6-11.

Stivers, J. & Garrity, N.B. (2004). Catalyst for change: A case report of a campus-wide student information system software implementation project. College and University, 80(1), 3-12

Stivers, J. (1996). The writing partners project. Phi Delta Kappan, 77(10), 694.

I have also published several teaching cases that are used in teacher education programs across the US and Canada. These are included in case collections published by McGraw-Hill, the MacDougall Collection of the Harvard Graduate School of Education, and The Electronic Hallway.

Research Interests:

Change management for teachers; collaboration and co-teaching;  teacher supervision of paraprofessionals; teacher leadership; teaching strategies for the inclusive classrooms; special education at the middle and high school levels.

Conferences & Workshops:

Workshops for teams of middle and high school teachers who are collaborating to teach special needs students in general education classes, and for teams of special education teachers and paraeducators. Area workshops include Cairo-Durham Central Schools, Coxsackie-Athens Central Schools, Farnsworth Middle School in Guilderland, Lakeland Central Schools, Hunter-Tannersville Schools, Rondout Valley Central Schools, Scotia-Glenville Middle School, and Connecticut State Department of Education.