BC3 opens Paserba teacher’s lab to future teachers
BUTLER TWP — Robert Paserba first began teaching at Lyndora Elementary School in 1964. Sixty-one years later, he is proud his legacy is represented by “a place of beginning” for Butler County Community College students working to be future teachers.
The Dr. Robert L. Paserba Teaching and Learning Lab’s opening was celebrated Wednesday, April 16, with a ceremony and tours of the new learning space for early childhood education students.
The lab, located in the college’s humanities and education building, has been in the works for several years. BC3’s president, Megan Coval, said in addition to the Paserba family’s $200,000 contribution toward the lab, 80 other donations went to the project.
“Every once in a while, in this line of work, a project comes along that is just the right fit,” Coval said. “The right idea, the right partners, the right team and the right time. And this is one of those moments for BC3. The vision was clear, the purpose was strong, and collaboration between our education faculty and the Paserba family, and the team here brought this project to life.”
In multiple parts of the lab, the slogan “A great beginning lasts a lifetime” is displayed. Paserba, who has always taken this phrase to heart, said during the ceremony that the lab has an important role serving students in community that want to become teachers, and impact future generations.
“Growing up in Butler County, we were all privileged to have great teachers, and we were inspired by great coaches,” Paserba said. “If you have read ‘The Giving Tree,’ it’s about a simple tree, giving it all to make a small boy happy. That’s what we do as parents, what we do as grandparents, and yes, especially as teachers and coaches of all kinds, all ages, all walks of life.”
The new lab consists of three main spaces. One is a college classroom area, where students learn regular course work, as well as areas like theory around teaching methods, and can communicate with teachers.
Another part of the lab includes an area where students can work on preparing lessons for students. The final, main area is a “collabortorium,” a space for students to plan together, collaborate together, work on coming up with lessons together.
“The vision is that students who leave here are ready to go into the world, and be wonderful teachers,” Annie Lindsay, an associate professor at BC3’s education and behavioral sciences division, said. “It’s about preparation, innovation and creativity.”
Lindsay said an important aspect of the lab is to prepare students for challenges they may face in the classroom, ranging from teaching basic mathematics and learning, to dealing with any struggle a student is dealing with.
The lab is meant to give BC3’s early childhood education students preparation, rather than going into a student teacher role where they’ve never practiced things like creating a class activities for their students.
“Kids are told to student teach. OK, but they’ve never set up a classroom. That classroom has already been decided for them,” Lindsay said. “So what we want is for our kids to say, ‘Hey, let’s go do this,’ and we’re giving them the most up-to-date technology, a collaboration center, all of this goes to that.”
College leadership was on board with the project from day one. Gail Paserba, a member of the board of trustees and Robert Paserba’s sister-in-law, said when the learning lab project was initially presented to the board, she kept thinking, “this is what my brother-in-law Rob does, this is how Rob thinks.”
“When the presentation ended, I went up to Megan (Coval) and I said ‘Megan, this room has to honor my brother-in-law, because of his commitment to education in Western Pennsylvania,’” Gail Paserba said.
The lab, in addition to reading and math supplies to help BC3 education students plan their classes, also includes upgraded technology such as an interactive whiteboard and a 3D printer.
While giving a tour of the new teaching and learning lab, BC3 students presented new, creative ways they’re integrating into future teaching plans, such as using “sensory art” to stimulate a child’s senses, encourage creativity and improve fine motor skills.
With the new lab completed, BC3’s education students are also taking the slogan “A great beginning lasts a lifetime,” to heart, utilizing their new facility to learn how to better future generations they will teach.
“It resonated so deeply with me, not just as a student, but as an aspiring teacher. It reminded me of the incredible responsibility and privilege we have as educators,” Natalie Volek, a BC3 early education student, said during the opening ceremony.
For as important as teaching children and serving the community is to Robert Paserba, the new lab is a perfect new resource.
“When I began 60 years ago, having grown up in Butler, and seeing BC3 become a community college, I never dreamed that, what I could dream then, would ever be,” he said of the learning lab.
