Diplomas/DegreesEd.D., Columbia University (1975)
M.S., Hunter College (1968)
B.S., Long island University (1965)
Recent CoursesAspects Of Human Sexuality
Mind/Body Dimensions In Health
Teaching Human Sexuality
Personal StatementTEACHING PHILOSOPHY
Each individual human being is endowed with the capacity for growth toward maturity, self-realization and contributing to the common good. The teaching-learning process involves the systematic encouragement and development of this individual potential. I use the word process because there is an educational transaction involving dynamic interrelationships, including relationships among learners and between teacher and learner(s), all having a great deal to do with the ultimate learning. Knowledge of the teaching-learning process and understanding the transaction between teacher and learner is as important as knowledge of subject matter to effective teaching.
Since I began my career as an educator in 1965, I have been cognizant of the importance of the planning, implementation and evaluation of educational experiences, in order to provide educational opportunities that would prove most effective in fostering student growth in the cognitive, affective and behavioral domains. A teacher must be able to establish a climate which fosters optimum student growth, based on assessed goals and objectives pertaining to students' needs and interests. Therefore education must be student centered and not driven by factors unrelated to students' needs and interests. Too often educators are concerned solely with intellectual development which represents only partial development of the human mind and human potential. Social-emotional processes are at least as important as intellectual skills and may underlie and enhance cognitive processes. The "humanistic" or "confluent" approach to learning involves the flowing together of the affective and cognitive elements in learning. These elements should be integrated and not compartmentalized so that learning becomes a process that can continue throughout life. A student may then continuously reorganize, remake and relate what is learned, with his/her internal and external world.
I believe a confluent approach to learning is best accomplished with experiential methods, when affective and or behavioral techniques become the learning base and are processed into the cognitive by actively involving students. In this way students become active learners instead of passive recipients of information. With this approach the teacher becomes a facilitator of learning, helping students discover insights and information, draw inferences, solve problems or identity feelings. In addition, when considering educational strategies, educators must examine the traditional knowledge-attitude-behavior paradigm of learning. It is not necessarily so that knowledge will impact on attitudes which then affect behavior. This is especially true in the field of health education. An alternative may be for a teacher to use strategies that motivate attitude change regarding a specific issue, which can stimulate an increased desire for knowledge, which may in turn affect behavior (a-k-b), or a teacher may offer a reward to induce behavior change, which may bring about an attitude adjustment and result in a desire for information (b-a-k). This points out once again that education is a dynamic process.
As a matter of course teachers should emphasize process and not fact. To learn the process of decision-making is crucial for an enlightened society that is constantly being bombarded by mixed messages from media, peers, schools and family. To memorize and present a speech can be useful but it is much more important to learn the processes of effective communication. In the area of health education the process of behavioral change may be the most process of all. Healthy living is a skill involving the integration of the mental, social, emotional, cognitive and spiritual domains of wellness. This may be accomplished by providing systematic opportunities that offer acquisition of knowledge, but also provide learning opportunities in basic life skills such as decision-making or effective communication, along with promoting understanding of self and others.
Meaningful communication is essential to the process of education. It is most important that educational communication be "two way," that is for teachers to understand that learners are not solely recipients of information, but are actively involved in giving feedback to the teacher, through verbal and nonverbal cues. The teacher in turn must evaluate the feedback and if necessary adjust the communication to provide meaningful educational experiences. Though teachers are essentially involved in a group process, ideally each student should be reached as if there is one to one teaching taking place.
I believe that this educational philosophy has worked successfully for my students and me. I teach students about health and also prepare future professionals in community and school health education. In all cases I have made every effort to incorporate the above philosophy of teaching to create optimum conditions for learning and growth.
Teaching Specializations/InterestsHuman Sexuality and Sexuality Education
Stress and Health
Psychosocial Health
Professional Preparation School and Community Health Educators
Research InterestsSexuality Education
Conference Presentations/PapersSnegroff, S. (2007). "Stress and Time Management". In Mental health Association of Nassau County. Hempstead, NY.
Snegroff, S., Zarco, E. (2007). “Mind-Body Health Theory and Methods for Reducing Performance Anxiety,”. In American Association for Health Education at the Annual Convention of the American Association of Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance, Baltimore,. Baltimore, MD.
Snegroff, Stanley (2004). "Stress Management: Using Our Time Wisely". In Case Management Workers Conference, Mental Health Association of Nassau County. Hempstead, NY..
Snegroff, Whalen, Zarco (2004). "Death Dying and Bereavement Education". In American Association for Health Education, Annual Convention. Boston.
Snegroff (2002). "Cognitive Reappraisal Techniques to Overcome Stressors". In 65th Annual Conference of the New York State Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance. Callicoon, New york.
Snegroff (2000). "Innovative Techniques in Sexuality Education, and Creative Teaching Strategies in Health Education". In 63rd Annual Conference of the New York State Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance. Kerhonkson, NY.
Snegroff, S. (1999). "Unhealthy Commercial Media Messages: Education to Neutralize Their Persuasive Effects". In American Association for Health Education Annual Convention. Boston.
Other Scholarly/Artistic WorkManual And Guide For the Abortion Attitude Scale And Knowledge Inventory, Family Life Publications, Inc. Saluda, N.C., 1978.
Revised and reprinted in:
-Greenberg, et al., Exploring the Dimensions of Human Sexuality,
Jones and Bartlett Publishing, Boston, MA, 2004.
-Davis, (eds.), et al. Handbook of Sexuality-Related Measures
Sage Publications, Inc., Thousand Oaks, CA 1997.
-Beere, C., (Ed.) Gender Issues: A Handbook of Tests and Measurements, Greenwood Press, Des Plaines, Il 1990.
-Davis, C.M. Yarber W.L. and Davis, S.L., (Eds.), Sexuality Related Measures: A Compendium,
Graphic Publishing Co., Lake Mills, IA 1988.
"No Sexuality Education Is Sexuality Education," Family Planning Perspectives, The Alan Guttmacher Institute, September/October 2000.
"Communicating About Sexuality: A School/Community Program for Parents and Children," Journal of Health Education, Vol.26, No.1, January/February, 1995.
Honors and AccomplishmentsMember Eta Sigma Gamma, National Health Science Honorary
Professional ActivitiesAmerican Association for Health Education, Reviewer for the AAHE Research Coordinating Board of
research proposals for national conference, 1995-present.
Reviewed and edited four chapters in Healthy Sexuality, by Blonna J., and Levitan, D., Brooks/Cole Thomson Learning, 2004.
Reviewed: Exploring the Dimensions of Human Sexuality, by Greenberg, et al., Jones and Bartlett, 2002.
Advisory Board Member, 00/01 edition of Annual Editions: Dying, Death and Bereavement 00/01, Dushkin/McGraw-Hill Publishers.
Invited participant, National Human Sexuality Expert Panel, The Alan Guttmacher Institute, New York, May 2000.
Reviewed: Mind/Body Health: The Effects of Attitudes, Emotions & Relationships by Hafen, et al., Allyn and Bacon Publishers, July 1999.
Scientific Review Committee for the Annual Conference of the Eastern District for the Society for the Scientific Study of Sexuality, December 1999.
Community and Corporate LeadershipBoard member: Ethical Culture Society of Westchester County, 2003-04
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