Christine Havens-Hafer

Summer Faculty, Department of Education
Phone: 607-274-1487
Office: Phillips Hall 194B, Ithaca, NY 14850
Specialty: Secondary Education, Pedagogy and Practice for the English Teacher, Educational Psychology, Young Adult Literature, Literacy Collaborative Education

Christine R. Havens-Hafer, Assistant Professor of Education, received her Bachelor of Arts in English degree from Pennsylvania State University. She initially worked as an editor in the publishing industry in Washington, D.C. and then returned to upstate New York to complete her Masters of Arts in Teaching degree and PhD at Binghamton University. She spent several years teaching secondary English in the public school system before embarking on a career in the Teacher Education program at Ithaca College.

Research Interests

Mindful Interdisciplinary Qualitative Resources for Educators: This research focuses on developing collaborative research objectives of inclusivity and sociocultural literacy in the classroom into concrete research. Sharing the value of educators’ experiences of mutual mentoring process and how it facilitates and nurtures a bonding relationship of mid-career women with young children who share similar research interests and the opportunity to carry on with discussions of critical pedagogy, qualitative research methods, and work-life balance. It also focuses on creating a collection of resources in various formats (articles, books, podcasts etc.) that promote inclusivity and sociocultural literacy in the classroom and how the mutual mentoring process itself helps to facilitate partnership and how educators can channel/harness experience and ideas by making a meaningful contribution to their students, their workplace, and their respective fields.   

Exploring Dispositions of Teaching Candidates: This research examines teaching candidates’ dispositions about teaching and analyzing changes on beliefs and dispositions during the candidates’ time in the Teacher Education program. Students’ writing samples about their expectations as teachers prior to student teaching were analyzed and then compared to writing samples they completed after their experience ended. Questions students are asked to consider and address focused on how they, as public-school teachers, can create a safe, motivational learning environment in which diverse learners can achieve their fullest potential. Candidates were asked to consider students of varied races, ethnicities, linguistic resources, socioeconomic status, religious affiliations, gender identities, sexual orientation, and with identified exceptionalities and geographical area backgrounds. Candidates were asked to support their responses with references to course work and personal experiences as an observer, participant, and learner in classrooms.

Transdisciplinary Collaboration to Support Undergraduate Equity and Access to Educational Research and Inquiry: This research examines the challenges many first-generation college students, low-income students, and racially and linguistically diverse students face as they navigate their experiences as undergraduates. In particular, the recognition that the opportunity gap that persists in the K-12 context follows many of these students into their college experience is addressed. To provide more inclusive learning opportunities for undergraduates engaged in Education Department coursework - including those students pursuing teacher preparation, students in our Education minor, and other students interested in the field of education - we formed a group for mutual mentoring, the Interdisciplinary Qualitative Resource Group, in Fall 2017 to share and create knowledge that focused on how we worked with our undergraduate students in Education courses, and in collaboration with Library Instructional Services, by considering best practices for developing culturally relevant and inclusive information literacy pedagogical practices in undergraduate teaching to support equity and access to rigorous research and inquiry opportunities.

Community Service

Christine is also an involved community leader who has served for several years on the Board of Directors for local arts councils such as Ti-Ahwaga Community Players and is the originator and current Race Director for the annual Owego Strawberry 5K. She is the liaison to various local youth wellness groups and with over 1000 participants in this race, has successfully raised funds to benefit many programs.