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Celebrating Success!

A teacher reading a book to a grade school classroom of children


J. Hampton Moore is a spectacular elementary school nestled within the School District of Philadelphia. For the past 15 years, Principal Tim Glynn has led with innovation, passion, and excellence. Glynn has hired a few of Holy Family University’s recent School of Education graduates. They are Madeline Curran (2nd grade), Jaclyn Sauer (4th grade) and Taylor Wilson (4th grade).

As one of their professors, I knew right away that these educators were going to Change the World! When I heard they were all currently teaching at Moore, I reached out to my former colleague Glynn and let him know how smart he was in hiring these gems. Glynn responded that they were thriving and they were also eager to learn and grow with his instructional team through his unique coaching model that layers demonstration lessons from expert teachers, co-teaching opportunities, intentional observations with authentic feedback, peer observations, and engagement in Professional Learning Communities (PLC). All of these experiences create the conditions for excellence that is evidenced is the school’s exceptional academic, climate and attendance data.

Glynn shared, “My job first and foremost is to create a safe and happy environment for students, parents, staff, and the community at large. After that my soul purpose is to ensure teachers are pursuing greatness for themselves and I make that happen by providing a coaching model where ALL teachers have expert colleagues supporting them individually based off of WIN - What I Need mentality. When teachers remain vulnerable and humble the harmony of growth happens… WINNING Happens.”

Glynn invited me to visit. Upon entering one can feel the positive climate and culture coupled with warm smiles and “hellos” from students and staff. We toured the campus and it was vibrant, authentic, and warm. We then popped into some classrooms.

Visiting Ms. Curran’s classroom made my heart sing. She was reading a book to her class with joy and expression and all of her students were actively engaged with their connections and responses. I wish I had videoed this lesson so that it could be shared with our HFU Aspiring Educators and I think I will be back in the future to do just that! Ms. Curran shared that she was grateful for  the amazing teachers at Holy Family University and that she was given the knowledge and tools to lead a successful classroom each  and every day and she also shared how she loves being at Moore as it’s the perfect fit for her instructional practice.

Teacher at smartboard instructing her classroom of students

Ms. Sauer and Ms. Wilson are housed across the hall from each other and their positive energy is contagious. During our time together Ms. Wilson was using her Smart Board to actively engage students in a math lesson with 100% student engagement. After the visit Glynn shared with me that Ms. Wilson is a powerful student advocate making sure that every student receives all that they deserve and more and she expressed, “My HFU professors showed real-world techniques and gave practical tools that I could use in my own classroom. Their approach to teaching was much more than just teaching the content. They inspired me to connect all of my learning to the real world with care and compassion and my supports at Moore just continue to make this happen.”

We entered Ms. Sauer’s room while the students were working on an independent learning activity. Ms. Sauer provided one to one connections and support. All the students were engaged and smiling while they worked on their tasks. There was a calm and joyful feeling in the room.

Teacher walking between the desks in a classroom full of children

When asked about her experience at HFU, Ms. Sauer stated, “My teachers at Holy Family University and are the reason that I am having such a successful first year as a teacher because they gave me real world advice along with teaching us how to have a successful classroom environment.” She too continued to express here gratitude at Moore’s leadership support. 

I came to visit our recent alums and as we walked around and engaged in conversations with other educators we found more HFU alums and they are Robert Endy, Chrissie Jannotta, Danielle Morris Gaydosh and Jennifer Maldonado… Go Tigers! All three of the recent alums we talked shared that they plan on furthering their education and they will be most certainly looking at our HFU degrees and endorsement programs.

Geraldine Fitzpatrick-Doria
Associate Professor

Education | School of Education

Headshot of Geraldine Fitzpatrick-Doria

Dr. Geraldine Fitzpatrick-Doria brings more than 35 years of instructional and leadership experience to this work of educating students and supporting communities. Dr. Doria has served in a variety of educational and administrative capacities, including elementary and middle school teacher, academic coach, elementary school administrator, staff development specialist, and director of instruction. As an educational leader, Dr. Doria’s primary responsibilities included: curriculum coordination and implementation, program development in support of student learning, and adult learning opportunities strategically aligned to instructional practices and student achievement.

Currently Dr. Doria is an Associate Professor at Holy Family University teaching undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral students. She is passionate in her work supporting Holy Family University's Aspiring Educators. Dr. Doria's research focuses on Self-Care Strategies for Educators, Culturally Relevant Teaching, and Student Engagement.

Dr. Doria received her Bachelor of Science in Education from Holy Family University. She holds three post-graduate degrees, including a Master’s Degree in Education & Reading from East Texas State University, a Master’s Degree in Educational Administration from Gwynedd Mercy University, a Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership & Administration from Capella University, and a Superintendent’s Letter of Eligibility from Saint Joseph’s University, along with several other certifications. Dr. Doria is a lifelong learner and she is committed to the work of supporting all those she serves.