Get to Know Our New Manager of Clinical Placements (Q&A)

Tim Fausnaught coordinates student teaching placements and clearances across the School of Education

Over the summer, Tim Fausnaught joined the School of Education as manager of clinical placements after more than 30 years in K-12 education as an elementary and middle school teacher and, most recently, principal of Lycoming Valley Intermediate School in the Williamsport Area School District. He holds a BS in elementary education from Mansfield University and an MEd in K-12 school administration from Duquesne University.

We sat down with Tim to talk about his winding road to Pitt, his guiding principles as an educator, and why his old school’s name is tattooed on his arm.

So, what brought you to Pitt?

My family and I were sitting at home one night deciding what I was going to do, and my daughter Maddy goes, “Since I’m going to Pitt, you should apply for a job there.” Later that night my wife says, “You know, she’s right,’ but for many reasons.” 

Pittsburgh was already a place we wouldn’t mind living someday. Our oldest daughter graduated from here, we’d gone back and forth to the city a lot when our youngest daughter needed a kidney transplant, and my sister and brother-in-law had just moved here, too. So, it all kind of fell into place. As for the job itself — it has to do with student teaching, which I’ve dealt with as a principal and a teacher. I’ve worked with advisors and the people managing them for years. We thought it’d be a good fit.

You are the manager of clinical placements. Walk us through what your day-to-day looks like.

It entails making sure all students have their clearances done correctly. At certain times of the year, it’s putting students in the right placements for their pre-student teaching and student teaching, plus undergrads for their observations. It involves knowing where students live, so you can give them placements they can actually get to. It’s a big responsibility. And then I get to talk with students. That’s the best part. How can I help them? What can I do for them?  

You’ve been a teacher, a principal, a coach — what’s the common thread?

I taught 4th grade for 6 years, then 7th and 8th grade life science for 4 more years. I became principal of that same middle school. I coached baseball, too. My original goal was to be a college baseball coach. I had a chance to go do that, but I had a son, so I faced this choice: Do I take care of my kid or go be on the road coaching? I chose to stay. So, I’d say the common thread is being present with your students.

Is there a student who’s stuck with you over the years?

There’s a kid — I’ll call him Brian — from about six or seven years ago. Before I got him, a principal called and said, ‘This is the worst kid I’ve ever had.’ Instead of worrying about it, I said, ‘We’re gonna make this kid feel welcome. We’re gonna do whatever we can.” He ended up being one of my favorite kids.

We started a relationship — met every day, had lunch together. In the middle of that, he witnessed his father get murdered. So, we had to deal with all of that. One of my counselors and I went to the family home. We taught him strategies, and by the time he was in sixth grade, he was using those same strategies to help other kids who had issues. Years later, a high school counselor reached out and said some of her students spoke about the strategies we taught Brian at our school. That’s why we knew what we did mattered.

Okay, we have to ask about the tattoo.

When I first started as principal, they asked, “What’s your stake in the ground? What’s your message?” And what I came up with was, we’re going to  treat people the way we want to be treated. That’s what’s tattooed on my arm now, with our school’s mascot and the initials of the school, LVIS. It gave me huge street cred, too. The older kids would gawk and say, “Our school’s on your arm.” It really helped me connect with them.

What’s the one thing you wish every new teacher understood?

It’s a relationship, right? It means I know you, I care about you [the student], I know what’s happening with you. But you also need instructional strategies, like how you’re going to engage kids so it’s relevant to them and not boring. That’s the biggest thing I see young teachers missing when they come out of college: routines and action. Kids need to see their expectations, not just hear them. At my school, if you weren’t with the whole class, you had to have a visual posted: what to do, what to do when you’re done, etc. Kids don’t like not knowing what’s going to happen. Once teachers have relationships and routines down, they can keep kids engaged, and engaged kids don’t give you discipline problems.

How has the profession changed since you started?

Now you’ve got breakfast and lunch programs, after-school programming — some kids are getting all three meals at school. The pandemic really brought a spike in mental health issues. We’re dealing with so much more of that now than we did before. You can’t fully help a kid who isn’t regulated — if they haven’t eaten or if there was turmoil at home, for instance — you have to help get them regulated before anything else. That’s something I understand a lot more now than when I was younger and just focused on teaching skills like reading and writing.

What do you do when you’re not at work?

I love going to football games. I’m a big Penn State football guy (sorry, not sorry!). I love to work out with my wife, go for hikes, and stay active. Playing golf. I like hitting things. I played baseball in college. If I could still play baseball, I would. I’ll take a bat and some wiffle balls out to a field just to hit them around.

Finally, what advice do you have for Pitt students?

Take what you do very seriously, but don’t take yourself very seriously. You’re replaceable — but there’s really only one you. Always ask yourself, “How am I going to get better at my craft?” Because you never stay the same. You’re either getting better or getting worse. There’s no middle.