MAEEE Alumni Highlights: Mario Tiberi - Lerner

Mario Tiberi, an economics teacher at St. Georges Technical High School, is a 2017 graduate of the Lerner College’s Master of Arts in Economics and Entrepreneurship for Educators (MAEEE) program whose career highlights the impact of economics education. Through MAEEE, he strengthened his teaching and leadership skills, expanding his influence from the classroom into curriculum leadership and higher education instruction. Tiberi credits the program’s rigorous training, strong community and dedicated faculty for helping him empower others through economic and financial literacy.

What is your job title and name of school, district, or organization?

Economics Teacher at St. Georges Technical High School

What exciting news or accomplishments have you been a part of?

I was lucky enough to coach four teams from Smyrna High School which won the Delaware Personal Finance Challenge and competed at the national competition.

Why is this news valuable to your colleagues or educators considering the MAEEE program?

This competition is just one of many exciting events and activities that the DE Center for Economic Education develops for teachers and students to further their economics and financial literacy education and skills.

What did you learn through your MAEEE experience that you wouldn’t have learned anywhere else?

The MAEEE program elevated my teaching and confidence to a level I never thought possible. Receiving content training from the best minds in microeconomics, macroeconomics and pedagogy challenged me to improve in all aspects of teaching and learning. To struggle through high level concepts as a student also helped me to generate the empathy needed to reach all levels and types of learners. Outside of the classroom I immersed myself in the online learning, which became the basis of my inquiry and allowed me to engage in class discussions and ask the right questions.

This program is designed by educators for educators. Utilizing the professional development time that teachers are granted over the summer months and reinforcing the learning throughout the school year with implementation projects allowed me to continue growth over the course of the two-year program. I realized immediately that I was becoming a better teacher and better learner. I was more connected with my students and the content by using lessons and tips provided in the program. Most importantly, I had become part of a support community that, nine years after graduation, is still so much a part of my life.

Lastly, the idea that Dr. Asarta and his team work tirelessly to make this opportunity available to teachers of all backgrounds and from around the globe is truly remarkable. The cost of attending a grad program in any major university is almost impossible on a teacher’s salary, and very difficult given the time constraints of the profession. The MAEEE program has literally laid all of the groundwork to make a top notch master’s program accessible and affordable for anyone willing to better themselves in the teaching profession.

Describe an important connection you have made through your graduate program (personal, professional, peers, mentors, professors, etc.)

I can’t say enough about the connections I made at the MAEEE program and the University of Delaware Center for Economic Education and Entrepreneurship. My life was changed, and continues to be positively impacted by these great people. Dr. Carlos Asarta, Mrs. Barbara Emery (c/o 1983), Dr. Bonnie Meszaros, Dr. Scott Bacon (c/o 2011) and Dr. Jim Butkiewicz are amongst the most influential and brilliant minds in economic education in the nation. Gaining a professional connection to any of these people is enough to take a teacher from good to great. This program opened the door to learning from all of them.

What other opportunities has the MAEEE degree provided you?

Because of the MAEEE program I was able to expand my impact from the classroom to a leadership position in a large district in Delaware. The confidence and skills that I developed helped me to obtain the district Social Studies Curriculum Coordinator role for grades 6-12 impacting students in four middle schools and three high schools.

My proudest accomplishment was in obtaining a teaching position in the University of Delaware Associate in Arts Program. For the past nine years I have been fortunate enough to work with freshmen and sophomores on the Dover, Del. campus in the Introduction to Microeconomics and Macroeconomics courses. It is so special to be able to give to others what the MAEEE program gave to me.

If you were to describe your classmates in one word, what would that be?

Driven – you very quickly realize at the start of this course that you will be challenged and a community is necessary for success. Every individual comes to the program with different adversities and goals. The rigorous coursework can be quite daunting. If it were not for my classmates, many of whom I still consider to be friends, I don’t know that I could have made it through.

Fill in this sentence: “The MAEEE graduate program helped me become…”

The best version of me that I could ever dream to be. Prior to the MAEEE program I doubted my content knowledge, my pedagogical practices and even my impact on the students in my classroom. I feel like the program was a bootcamp for great economics education.

What piece(s) of advice would you give to current MAEEE students or prospective applicants?

When you feel like you are mentally, emotionally and physically broken, know that you were chosen because the people in the program believe in you and the impact you can have on the world. Buckle down and give 110%, and in return you will gain access to a life you didn’t know you could have.