Austin Stout, Special Education

Published in ConnectED Newsletter - Volume 8 - Issue 1 - September 2024

Austin Stout has been an Adjunct Professor in the Special Education program since 2015. He holds a B.S. in English literature and an M.S.Ed. in secondary education from the University of Bridgeport, as well as an M.S.Ed. in educational leadership from Bank Street. He also holds New York State permanent certification in English 7-12 and school building leader. In addition to working as an educator, he has worked for the Fresh Air Fund and Sponsors for Educational Opportunity.

Prof. Stout has been passionate about learning and evolving in academic spaces for as long as he can remember. “Supporting a diversity of teachers reach their instructional potential, while supporting in the development of their emotional intelligence, has profoundly impacted my own practice as an educator; it is an honor to serve,” he explains. In his opinion, teaching at the graduate level has allowed him to share best pedagogical practices that he has methodically incorporated into his work while serving as a teacher and administrator. “As an adjunct professor, I have witnessed the gradual transformation of CUNY students from relying solely on a pedagogical approach to embracing their NYCDOE students holistically,” he adds. He credits and thanks a number of CCNY colleagues who have proven invaluable over the years: Prof. Hazel Carter, Prof. Christopher Yawn, Prof. Yvel Crevecoeur, Prof. Sayi Figueroa, and Prof. Nicole Lorenzetti. “They have been forces of good and instrumental in my growth and development as an instructional leader,” he points out.

SPED 3701K (Reading and Writing Instruction for Students with Disabilities in Adolescent Education II) is Prof. Stout’s favorite course to teach. Reflecting on his own experience as a learner, he says, “Beyond the mechanics of writing, and as an adolescent trying to navigate my way through high school, I invested a great deal of time reading literary classics. Those readings, alongside the diversity of music from the 1980's, helped solidify my decision to become a teacher.” He shares this passion with his students every semester.