Estella Chizhik
In the heart of my educational journey lies a fervent commitment to shatter the barriers that hinder the dreams of aspiring educators, especially those from underrepresented communities. This passion ignited when I met my first Black teacher in 7th grade, a moment that forever changed the trajectory of my life. Without her guidance, I might have never envisioned a future as a teacher educator at Cal State Long Beach.
Early in my teacher-education career at San Diego State University, I took on the task of illuminating the intricate world of educational psychology for credential, master's, and doctoral students. My aim was to impart a deep understanding of how research shapes our understanding of how students learn and what drives their motivation. While delving into the realm of lesson design, I observed a common struggle among teacher candidates in implementing these concepts during their student teaching experiences. It became evident that we needed to focus on enhancing the quality of these crucial training periods.
This realization steered my research toward the strategic design of robust support systems for teacher candidates during their student teaching journey. Collaborating with a dedicated group of faculty, we scrutinized the support mechanisms provided by university supervisors and mentor teachers. This exploration led us to the invaluable addition of video-based coaching that amplifies the impact of supervision. Together, we reimagined the evaluation tools to better reflect the needs and growth potential of teacher candidates.
I consider it a great honor to have guided numerous cohorts of teacher candidates through the credential program. The courses that I taught at SDSU include educational psychology, classroom management, and a specialized offering to bolster candidates in navigating the teaching performance assessment. Additionally, I led the Liberal Studies program, where I facilitated an undergraduate program that prepared students for careers in education. In that role, I extended tailored support to the first group of bilingual and multiple-subject ITEP students.
Additionally, because of my deep concern regarding systemic barriers that often deter individuals of color from entering the teaching profession, I co-created SDSU’s CABWARE, a safe and inclusive space to explore research focusing on Black students. Through collaboration with esteemed colleagues, we delve into research projects addressing the vital realm of Black education.
In my unwavering pursuit to democratize education, I am committed to working with others in breaking down barriers, fostering inclusivity, and empowering a new generation of educators.
Bachelor of Arts, Psychology, University of California, Riverside, 1988
Master of Fine Arts, Screenwriting, Chapman University, 2009
PhD, Educational Psychology, UCLA, 1996
Chizhik, W, E., & Brandon, R. R. (2020). Making Virtual Co-Teaching Work in a Covid-19 Environment. Issues in Teacher Education, 29(1 and 2), 142-149.
Brandon, R., & Chizhik, E. W. (2020). The Garden PLOT: Examining teacher-candidates’ attitudes and efficacy after a University-District intervention. Building Bridges IV - 2020 Proceedings.
Chizhik, E. W., & Chizhik, A. W. (2018). Value of feedback to teacher candidates through annotation of video-recorded lessons. Journal of Technology and Teacher Education, 26(4). 527-552.
Chizhik, E. W., Chizhik, A. W., Close, C., & Gallego, M. (2018). Developing student teachers’ teaching self-efficacy through Shared Mentoring in Learning Environments (SMILE). International Journal of Mentoring and Coaching in Education, 7(1), 1-20.
Chizhik, E. W., & Chizhik, A. W. (2018). Using activity theory to examine how teachers’ lesson plans meet students’ learning needs. The Teacher Educator, 53(1), 67-85.
Chizhik, E. W., Chizhik, A. W., Close, C., & Gallego, M. (2017). SMILE (Shared Mentoring in Instructional Learning Environments): effectiveness of a lesson-study approach to student-teaching supervision on a teacher-education performance assessment. Teacher Education Quarterly, 44(2), 27-47.
During my time at San Diego State University, I taught a range of courses focused on both preparing future teachers and supporting the ongoing professional growth of current educators. In every course, I strive to foster an equity-minded learning environment that affirms and supports all students. These courses include:
Liberal Studies Capstone Course
Undergraduate students majoring in Liberal Studies were required to complete this course before graduating with a bachelor’s degree. Many students went on to enroll in the Multiple Subject Credential Program, while others pursued graduate studies or careers in fields such as educational technology, behavior intervention, and information science. With that in mind, I invited guest speakers from various professions to share with students the many pathways available to them with a Liberal Studies degree. In addition, I provided opportunities for students to design interdisciplinary lessons for K–8 students. Through this multifaceted group assignment, students developed four to five interdisciplinary lessons around a central theme, built a webpage to showcase their work, and produced a video-based commercial to promote it.
Educational Psychology for Elementary Teachers
In this course, I use socio-cultural learning theory as a framework to help teacher candidates understand lesson design, culturally responsive teaching, child development, learning processes, academic language, and how to shape a positive classroom culture.
Student Teaching Seminar for Elementary Teachers
In this course, I support teacher candidates throughout their student teaching experience. I outline expectations for professional dispositions with both their classroom teachers and university supervisors. I assist candidates in addressing student behavior issues and guide them through the teaching performance assessment (EdTPA) by establishing clear timelines, facilitating peer-review sessions, reviewing assessment rubrics, and examining past exemplars. Because candidates worked closely with me and each other for an entire academic year, I fostered community within the class by forming four peer teams of four to five candidates each. Each team had a role that supported the well-being of the whole group. For example, one team focused on academic success by creating a shared assignment calendar, while another centered on social justice by finding ways for the group to give back to students and families in the school community.
In addition, I served as a university supervisor for elementary student teachers. In this role, building strong relationships with teacher candidates and their cooperating teachers was essential. To maintain these relationships, I held frequent triad meetings and weekly check-ins. I supported candidates by reviewing lesson plans before classroom observations and following up afterward with a balance of supportive feedback, constructive suggestions, and additional resources.
Advanced Educational Psychology (Master’s Program)
I have also taught in the master’s program, where I taught Advanced Educational Psychology. This course dives deeper into learning theory by examining different branches of socio-cultural learning theory (e.g., situated cognition, legitimate peripheral participation). In addition, I provided opportunities for teachers to consider how critical race theory can inform and reframe traditional learning theory constructs.
Advanced Studies in Learning and Motivational Theory (Joint Doctoral Program)
I have also contributed to the Joint Doctoral Program, where I taught an advanced Educational Psychology course in Learning and Motivational Theory. The goal of this course is to support students in designing action research projects grounded in socio-cultural theory.
In alignment with my commitment to strengthening how we support teacher candidates, I have worked collaboratively with colleagues in Teacher Education and across other departments in the Cal State Long Beach College of Education to establish a partnership with Long Beach Unified School District for the development of the Long Beach Teacher Residency. This exciting initiative is supported by a grant of nearly $5 million over five years from the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing.
I am also launching a data-driven research study examining the increase in anti-racist publications across education-related fields since 2020, with the goal of informing how we prepare equity-minded educators.
Lastly, building on my experience with video-based coaching to support teacher candidates at San Diego State University, I am eager to expand this impactful work at CSULB. Specifically, I plan to investigate the types of feedback candidates receive on their videos and how this feedback influences their professional growth.
