About Me
I am the director of and teach in two graduate education programs at Ferrum College: a Master of Education (MEd) in Curriculum & Instruction and an Education Specialist Degree (EdS) in Teacher Leadership & Coaching.
I built the MEd in Curriculum & Instruction program at Ferrum College from the ground up to focus on inquiry-based learning as a means of professional development for teachers and as a way of student-centered learning to be implemented in teachers’ professional practice in the classroom.
My current teaching practice is on inquiry-based teaching and learning, curriculum and instructional design, and teacher leadership and coaching in schools. I also have extensive experience teaching and supporting pre- and in-service teachers at the elementary and secondary levels with curriculum and instructional alignment and development, teaching methods, technology integration, assessment, and student interventions.
I received my PhD in Curriculum Studies from DePaul University. My dissertation focused on the reconceptualizing of world history curriculum in a globalized society. My Master’s in Education is also from DePaul, and I received my Bachelor of Arts in History from Bellarmine University.
In my former life, I was a high school history teacher at Chicago Public Schools. I taught at Lane Tech College Prep for eight years: regular to Advanced Placement (AP) US History and inclusion, regular, and honors World Studies. I also piloted and taught AP Seminar and Research. Before Lane, I was at Excel Academy for four years, where I taught AP US Government & Politics, AP European History, US History, World Studies, and music history. My first year of teaching was 6-8th grade reading at a Chicago area parochial school.