Todd S. Cole

I teach two sessions of Educational Psychology each semester and two sessions of Music 185 each semester.  Presently, I am co-chair of The Little Library which serves as a collaborative effort to create half hour Storytimes with the School of Communications on our college cable station.  I am on a committee that serves as an outreach to our college and our community by creating workshops on educational topics such as Book Banning and Creating/Sustaining Peace in our schools.  I have assisted with community projects through my classes that serve students in our neighboring elementary schools by having our college students teach young ones how to draw the pigeon from Mo Willems' books and Arthur the Aardvark from Marc Brown's collection.  My classes have also constructed "reading bubbles" that young children can read in for enjoyment.  

I am a lover of chidlren's literature.  I am WFMJ-TV of Youngstown's Educational Contributor.  I speak to viewers on books that relate to topics such as Black History, International Peace Day, and Holidays.  I am also featured on our college cable station with half hour segments with Dave Barner's County Corner on Sunday Mornings.  We talk about "all things education" to assist viewers in raisning their children.  I have written at least four editorials each year for local papers on educational issues.  

I have written a children's book, You Are A Masterpiece with illustrations by Shelly Dobi.  I have written two books on "advice" for teachers entitled 50 Shades of Teaching and 50 More Shades of Teaching.  Each of these books provides the college student, the novice teacher, the experieinced teacher, and the retired teacher with 50 pieces of advice from an elementary school teacher of 34 years.  The second of these two books has also been written in Spanish.  

I am currently the president of our local Rotary Club.  We are working with The School of Education to promote a Peace in our Neighborhood Day on May 4, 2024.  This will be a celebration of working together in our community to promote PEACE.  There will be activities for chidlren and adults thoughout the day with a night time celebration of our Community Person of the Year.  Our college students will be involved with reading and craft activities for our children in the community.  

I am the chairperson for the Preschool Board at New Wilmington Presbyterian Church.  This also allows our college students to observe, volunteer and have internships with the preschool located across the street from Old Main.  Within my church, I am an elder, and a member of the Praise Team and Chancel Choir.  I frequently deliver the Children's Sermon (monthly basis).  

I am a board member for a non-profit cancer organization, Yellow Brick Place, that services cancer patients and their families in the Western PA and Eastern Ohio area.

It is an honor to be teaching future teachers on the same hallway that I traveled from 1979-83 as an undergrad and then from 1983 to 1991 as a graduate student.  Westminster provided me with an excellent education to teach children, not the curriculum.  I can't think of a better way to "give back" to my alma mater..