Diane Tutin
Associate Teaching Professor in Education
Experienced educator with interests in children's literature, literacy learning, fostering communities of learners, and special education.
My interests are in how children learn to read, write, and speak and how teachers learn to effectively teach them. As a classroom teacher for eighteen years, I taught both urban and suburban students. I was a teacher of children with emotional, behavioral, and learning differences as well as a teacher of first and third grade. I began my teaching career in an alternative school for boys with social and emotional challenges whose needs were not met in the Boston Public Schools. I worked in special education for seven years. During that time, I learned an enormous amount about individual learning styles, growth mindset, and the importance of connecting with students through strong connections with them, their families, and communities. I taught first and third grade in the Wellesley Public Schools for eleven years and completed my graduate studies in language and literacy.
My association with Wellesley College began as a placement for student teachers. I became a member of the team that teaches the methods course for Elementary Education student teachers over fifteen years ago. I currently teach EDUC 310 Child Literacy and the Teaching of Reading as well as EDUC 325 Educating English Language Learners. I continue to participate frequently in professional institutes and workshops in the field of literacy. I am passionate about children’s literature and find great joy in helping students learn to teach literacy skills and strategies by anchoring them to quality and diverse children’s literature. I’m currently certified in Massachusetts to teach Elementary Education in grades 1-6, Moderate Special Needs from preschool to grade 9, and Reading in grades K-12. I’m a member of the International Literacy Association, the Massachusetts Reading Association, MATSOL - Massachusetts Teachers of English Learners, and Alpha Upsilon Alpha, the International Literacy Association's honor society.
I am a wife as well as a mother to an adolescent daughter. I enjoy seeing the world through her eyes. Books are an important part of our home life. I enjoy talking about books and finding out what others are reading. I also love to sing. I am a soprano who has performed on stage in many musicals at regional, stock, and community theaters. I currently sing in my synagogue's choir.
Education
- B.A., Clark University
- M.Ed., Framingham State College
Current and upcoming courses
Pre-Practicum Field Experience
EDUC398H
This course is designed to allow students enrolled in Wellesley’s teacher certification program to begin their pre-practicum placement in a public school classroom. Students must complete a minimum of three hours each week in their public school field placement and participate in weekly seminar meetings. Students will learn the early stages of inquiry-based design with a focus on child study research that is centered on classroom observations. The seminar will also introduce students to the yearlong requirements of the Teacher Scholars Program as well as the Candidate Assessment of Performance, which defines and evaluates effective teaching practices for teacher candidates in Massachusetts. The course requires simultaneous enrollment in EDUC 300.
-
Teaching and Curriculum in Middle School and High School
EDUC300
This seminar engages students directly with the exciting work of teaching, curriculum development, and working with youth in middle and high school classrooms. Explorations of vital areas of education are joined with discussions of important contemporary issues facing youth, teachers, and our school systems in compliance with Massachusetts Department of Secondary Education Teaching and Professional standards. This course is accompanied by registration in EDUC 398H which includes working with youth in middle school and high school classrooms. This course is designed for seniors in the Wellesley Secondary Teacher Education Program.