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    Paul Smith's College

    4.7 (3 reviews)
    Open 8:00 am - 4:30 pm

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    State University of New York College At Potsdam

    State University of New York College At Potsdam

    3.2(13 reviews)
    38.9 mi

    A 3.98 GPA, 3.5 Years of Dedication -- and How SUNY Potsdam Failed a Student Teacher…read more I am in my final semester of SUNY Potsdam's Bachelor's Elementary Education program after completing a 2+2 pathway with SUNY Jefferson. I graduate with a 3.98 GPA. For over 3.5 years, I was fortunate to learn from outstanding professors and alongside dedicated future educators. I worked with three different mentor teachers and consistently received good to excellent evaluations. Until this semester, I never had a single issue with staff or peers. My final placement, however, left me in shock and disbelief. During a lesson observation with university supervisor Lynette Emrich, I felt I was treated in a way that was unprofessional, demeaning, and deeply discouraging. I was laughed at, talked down to, and dismissed while calmly attempting to clarify my instructional choices. At one point, she stated that I told a student they "did not have to complete an assignment if they didn't want to." Any educator knows this is simply not something that happens. When I tried to explain, I was shut down with, "I'm not going to argue with you," despite remaining respectful and non-confrontational. I was also told that my phonics lesson on soft "g" and hard "g" was unrelated to literacy and was merely an "audible" skill -- despite current educational science recognizing phonemic awareness as a core component of literacy instruction. Feedback is necessary in teacher preparation, but it should be grounded in current research and delivered professionally. Facial expressions such as laughing, smirking, or visible disbelief have no place in supervision. I want to be absolutely clear: I have no reason to lie about this experience -- can anyone truly fathom one? Speaking up has only cost me. I now have to transfer colleges and pay additional fees because of this sudden change. I am a high-achieving student with years of strong evaluations and a long history of professionalism. I later learned that other student teachers have felt talked down to as well, but many younger students were afraid to speak up. I am not. I will always stand up when I see mistreatment -- whether toward students or toward myself. After this incident, I reached out repeatedly for support and requested not to meet again with the same supervisor. I was only told that a meeting could be arranged. After 3.5+ years of commitment to this institution, I felt deeply discouraged that SUNY Potsdam failed to support me when it mattered most. I remain grateful for many excellent professors and peers. However, I strongly advise student teachers to research regional and national reviews, meet supervisors in advance, and seriously consider alternative colleges. In my experience, SUNY Potsdam is failing student teachers -- not because of its professors, but because administrative systems did not act when a dedicated student needed support the most.

    I hate this place so much. Please, If you're considering enrolling here, find somewhere else. My…read moredegree program is so much weaker than I was lead to believe. The people here are so self-obsessed that you won't make any connections. The workers are so obviously depressed and underpaid. Even my professors are looking for other universities.

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    State University of New York College At Potsdam
    State University of New York College At Potsdam
    State University of New York College At Potsdam

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    Paul Smith's College - collegeuniv - Updated May 2026

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