Mentorship
A key component towards a Jaffe Fellow's success in their classroom is their monthly mentoring sessions. Strong and supportive mentoring is directly correlated with new teacher retention.
Jaffe Fellows, both in their first and second year, are mentored by experienced practitioners. Our program mentors are committed to their work in education, communicate effectively, and offer in-depth knowledge of their specific content areas.
PCFP mentors are passionate about the professional development and growth of the Jaffe Fellows. Through the two year mentoring relationship, Fellows are offered individualized support and assistance with establishing instructional priorities, implementing curriculum mandates, and setting clear and realistic expectations for themselves as well as the students they serve. Mentors provide invaluable feedback that serves as an inspiration for the Jaffe Fellows to progress and excel.
Our Current Mentors
Information about some of our current mentors is accessible below. Click on a profile to learn more about a mentor's field of expertise and experiences.
Annabell Burrell
Annabell Burrell is an educator who has had many roles in shaping the lives of young people and partnering with teachers to deliver professional development for over 27 years. With a focus on English language learners and early childhood education, she has supported schools as a teacher, staff developer, assistant principal and principal in NYC. Annabell obtained her Masters in Bilingual Education from Adelphi University.
Annabell has been working with Teachers College as a clinical field supervisor since 2019 supporting the Elementary Inclusive Program and has mentored teachers in the Teacher Opportunity Corps II Program at TC, a program designed to affirm, support, and sustain aspiring teachers from backgrounds that are currently under-represented in the New York State teaching force. She believes that the most important work happening in schools is taking place in the classroom. Annabell says that classrooms are her "happy place."
Philip Dituri
Philip Dituri, Ph.D., has taught and inspired educators and children for over 20 years. He is currently an educational consultant to various schools, districts, and organizations, and the Director of Education at the not for profit, Financial Life Cycle Education. He served as a Visiting Professor at Fordham University, and was a teacher, mathematics instructional coach, and chairperson of the mathematics department at New Design High School in Manhattan. While in public school, he was a three-time Math for America Master Teacher and a Big Apple Award finalist. Phil has a B.A. in Mathematics from NYU and a Ph.D. in Mathematics Education from Columbia University. His research interests include proof and reasoning, problem solving, collaborative learning, personal finance and remote learning.
Amy Proulx
Amy is an English Language Development (ELD) Coach and Educational Consultant. She currently works with several school districts across the country to support educators and empower ALL (academic language learner) students. Previously, Amy co-taught third grade at Bushwick Lower Ascend Charter School and oversaw the English as a New Language (ENL) program at DREAM Charter School in East Harlem. She has over a decade of experience working with English language learners and outside of New York, has taught a myriad of diverse learners at the high school and university levels in Boston, Italy, and the People’s Republic of China. In addition to mentoring Jaffe Peace Corps Fellows, she also supervises student teachers in the TESOL PK-12 Program at Teachers College. Amy earned her Bachelor of Arts from Skidmore College and her Master of Arts degree in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) from Teachers College, Columbia University. Outside of the classroom, she enjoys traveling, playing basketball, and practicing yoga.
Mishka Anderson
Dr. Anderson, a current adjunct professor and field consultant at Teachers College, Columbia University, has an extensive background and career in education, spanning over 20 years as a K-20 National and International General/Special Educator. They are an expert in inclusive practices, co-teaching models, special education, curriculum development, universal design for learning, differentiated instruction, literacy instruction, antiracism, culturally relevant teaching, and gender dynamics/identities. Dr. Anderson has taught over 40 undergraduate and graduate courses on differentiating instruction in classrooms, adolescent literacy, the multicultural learner, human exceptionality, and childhood development. Their robust experience includes coaching and teaching over 1000 preservice and inservice teachers and conducting observations of over 2000 lessons in various states and countries.