Program Overview
The Department of Teaching and Learning in the Darden College of Education and Professional Studies received funding in 2018 from the Virginia Department of Education to support growth for clinical faculty and teachers working in schools with teacher candidates.
Since 2018, we have conducted training biannually in January and August for approximately 200 clinical faculty across the Commonwealth of Virginia due to ongoing support through this competition. This training is now offered as an adapted version of Jim Knight's Instructional Coaching Group model.
Training Outline
The training is segmented into two parts and takes a total of 18 hours. We've found that flexible delivery via video conferencing software works best for our participants. The training is offered through six 2.5 hour mini-sessions with two follow-up 1.5 hour webinars structured around the problems of practice of our participnts; reading on instructional coaching (Knight, 2007) is assigned leading up to these webinars.
Focus on having better conversations (Knight, 2016) including the 6 beliefs and 10 habits
The instructional coaching cycle (Knight, 2007)
You receive a stipend, free professional development, skills for instructional coaching of teacher candidates or peers, gain a networks of clinical faculty, free books on instructional coaching from Jim Knight, and 20 continuing education units (CEUs).
Focus on having better conversations (Knight, 2016) including the 6 beliefs and 10 habits
The instructional coaching cycle (Knight, 2007)
You receive a stipend, free professional development, skills for instructional coaching of teacher candidates or peers, gain a networks of clinical faculty, free books on instructional coaching from Jim Knight, and 20 continuing education units (CEUs).
Participating School Divisions
We are proud to have served clinical faculty in six out of eight of Virginia's Superintendent's Regions. The Norfolk Public Schools-Old Dominion University School-University Partnership Committee also honors two clinical faculty members annually for their service. You can browse current and previous awardees here.
- Chesterfield County Public Schools
- Dinwiddie County Public Schools
- Hanover Public Schools
- Chesapeake Public Schools
- Hampton City Schools
- Isle of Wight County Schools
- Newport News Public Schools
- Norfolk Public Schools
- Poquoson City Public Schools
- Portsmouth Public Schools
- Virginia Beach City Public Schools
- Williamsburg/James City County Public Schools
- York County Public Schools
- Northumberland County Public Schools
- Stafford County Public Schools
- Arlington Public Schools
- Fairfax County Public Schools
- Loudoun County Public Schools
- Prince William County Public Schools
- Warren County Public Schools
- Augusta County Public Schools
- Staunton City Schools
- Grayson County Public Schools
Clinical Faculty Participants
- Stephanie Smith
- Matt Barker
- Chanel R. Davis-Mitchell, M.A.Ed.
- Jessica Fitzgerald-Stevenson
- Karen E. Gray, Ed. S., NBCT
- Christin Griffin, M.Ed
- Traci Herrera
- Sherry Keough
- Ms. LaToya D. Lawrence
- Staci Perks, MSEd.
- Laura Peeno
- Christy Schonrock
- Tracy Simmons
- Ashley Tuthill
- J. Kristen Walter
- Dr. Michelle Waters
- Megan S. Brittain
- Tabitha Burchett
- Ashton Cross
- Mrs. Ashley Virgin
- Felecia B. Walker
- Esther Cross
- Catherine Garnett
- Saundra Smith, Ed.S.
- Kelly L. Thomas
- Rita Bell
- Michelle Best
- Demorrow Bond-Lee
- Catrina Cuffee
- Ms. Kelly Denham
- Michelle G. Hackworth
- Tameka R. Hatcher
- Mrs. Allison Hazzard
- Kimberly N. Jackson, M.S. Ed.
- Tracey Mazell
- Joshua Stone
- Cynthia A Quesenberry
- Nikki Buse
- Megan Campbell
- Rosemarie Caraballo
- Ebony S. Cherry
- Lisa M. Dasen
- Kerstin Devlin
- Jessica Epps
- Sarah Fagan
- V. Marie Finnegan-Copen
- Kasey Haddock
- Charlina Roberts Hadi
- Adrienne Jimerson, MAEd.
- Alyssa Kelley
- Chelsea Lamb
- Jessica P. Lessmann
- S. Manning
- Connie Szymanski, M.Ed., NBCT
- Wendy Tate
- Ebonē Taylor
- Jason Tomik
- Kenny White
- Dr. Charlene D. Winley
- Fernanda Zegers
- Danielle Christian
- Holly Nisco, NBCT
- Nivvi Tareen, NBCT
- Derra Banks
- Sara Kenney
Program Faculty
Dr. Jori Beck is an Associate Professor of Secondary Education and also serves as the Graduate Program Director for the Secondary Education Program at ODU and the co-chair of the Norfolk Public Schools-Old Dominion University School-University Partnership Committee. In her career so far as a teacher educator, Dr. Beck has been awarded over $1 million in external funding and has published in journals such as Teacher Education Quarterly, The Teacher Educator, and the Journal of Teacher Education. Her work focuses on clinically rich teacher education broadly including foci in Third Space theory, use of data and evidence, teacher leadership, and school-university partnerships with an underlying theme of equity. Dr. Beck primarily specializes in qualitative methods, including case study.
Dr. Kala Burrell-Craft currently serves as the Director of Teacher Residencies for the Darden College of Education and Professional Studies at Old Dominion University. She provides leadership for a graduate level teacher preparation residency program where she maintains effective relationships and partnerships with school districts in the Hampton Roads area. Dr. Burrell-Craft also leads college-wide initiatives centered on DEI as the co-director of the All Inclusive for Equity & Diversity (ALLIED) Committee. She also serves as the college's appointed Bold and Inclusive Conversations facilitator.
Dr. Burrell-Craft's areas of research center identity development, educational spaces (urban and rural), anti-racist teacher preparation, critical literacies, and social justice. Dr. Burrell-Craft earned her B.A. degree in English from Bowie State University, M.A. degree in Special Education from the University of Phoenix, a Postgraduate degree in Educational Leadership from Towson University, an Educational Specialist degree from Louisiana State University, and a Ph.D. in Educational Leadership and Research with an emphasis on Higher Education Administration and Urban Education from Louisiana State University.
Dr. Brandon Butler is an associate professor of social studies education in the Department of Teaching and Learning. He received a B.S. in History and M.A. in Teaching from Georgia College and State University. After teaching middle grades social studies in the Atlanta area, he earned his Ph.D. in Social Studies Education from the University of Georgia in 2011. He teaches an array of courses at ODU, including elementary social studies methods and foundations of education for teacher candidates, and advanced graduate coursework on practitioner inquiry, teacher leadership, curriculum and instruction, teacher education, and qualitative research. Dr. Butler currently serves as the co-Graduate Program Director of the Ph.D. program in Curriculum and Instruction, and as coordinator of the Graduate Certificate in Teacher Leadership.
His research agenda focuses on the spaces in which teachers and teacher educators learn to teach, such as methods course instruction and learning, teacher candidate supervision and mentoring, and doctoral coursework and informal learning experiences that support the transition from the teacher to teacher educator. Dr. Butler's recent scholarship has centered on understanding the learning of self-study research methods by teacher educators and non-teacher educators alike.
Dr. Kristie Gutierrez received her B.S. in Biology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2001, M.Ed. in Secondary Science Education in 2005 from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington, and Ph.D. in Science Education in 2016 from North Carolina State University. Dr. Gutierrez is currently serving as an Assistant Professor of Science Education in the Department of Teaching & Learning at Old Dominion University. She teaches elementary science methods and secondary science and mathematics methods courses with emphasis on multicultural education and equity pedagogies. Her research interests include both formal and informal STEM education, with specialization in the integration of engineering and computer science into science education through preservice and inservice educator development.
Professor Jody Sommerfeldt is a Senior Lecturer in the Teaching & Learning Department at Old Dominion University, with special emphasis in Instructional Technology and Elementary Education. She also served as the Director of the Office of Clinical Experiences at the Darden College of Education and Professional Studies at Old Dominion University, where she was responsible for all field experiences preparing all future teachers, and others going into educational professions. She holds Bachelor's degrees in Psychology and Elementary Education from the College of William & Mary, along with a Master's Degree in Curriculum & Instruction, Educational Technology and an Educational Specialist degree in Educational Leadership and Administration at ODU, where she was recognized as the Outstanding Student in Educational Leadership. She is passionate about preparing future-ready teachers, public education, effective leadership, and the integration of technology and innovative practice as a way to engage students and support higher level thinking.
Jody has served several public school systems in the Hampton Roads Area both as a classroom teacher and a Technology Curriculum Integration Specialist, and continues to serve surrounding school divisions through collaboration and support on grants. During her time in the classroom, she was recognized as an Apple Distinguished Educator, Reading Teacher of the Year, Teacher of the Year, and the Sallie Mae First Year Teacher of the Year. While in Newport News, her school received the VA Department of Education Technology Program of the Year Award. She has conducted many workshops and presented at local, state, and national conferences on Project-Based Learning, Technology Integration, and 21st century skills, online teaching, and how to effectively teach in a 1:1 environment.
Dr. Jori Beck is an Associate Professor of Secondary Education and also serves as the Graduate Program Director for the Secondary Education Program at ODU and the co-chair of the Norfolk Public Schools-Old Dominion University School-University Partnership Committee. In her career so far as a teacher educator, Dr. Beck has been awarded over $1 million in external funding and has published in journals such as Teacher Education Quarterly, The Teacher Educator, and the Journal of Teacher Education. Her work focuses on clinically rich teacher education broadly including foci in Third Space theory, use of data and evidence, teacher leadership, and school-university partnerships with an underlying theme of equity. Dr. Beck primarily specializes in qualitative methods, including case study.
Dr. Kala Burrell-Craft currently serves as the Director of Teacher Residencies for the Darden College of Education and Professional Studies at Old Dominion University. She provides leadership for a graduate level teacher preparation residency program where she maintains effective relationships and partnerships with school districts in the Hampton Roads area. Dr. Burrell-Craft also leads college-wide initiatives centered on DEI as the co-director of the All Inclusive for Equity & Diversity (ALLIED) Committee. She also serves as the college's appointed Bold and Inclusive Conversations facilitator.
Dr. Burrell-Craft's areas of research center identity development, educational spaces (urban and rural), anti-racist teacher preparation, critical literacies, and social justice. Dr. Burrell-Craft earned her B.A. degree in English from Bowie State University, M.A. degree in Special Education from the University of Phoenix, a Postgraduate degree in Educational Leadership from Towson University, an Educational Specialist degree from Louisiana State University, and a Ph.D. in Educational Leadership and Research with an emphasis on Higher Education Administration and Urban Education from Louisiana State University.
Dr. Brandon Butler is an associate professor of social studies education in the Department of Teaching and Learning. He received a B.S. in History and M.A. in Teaching from Georgia College and State University. After teaching middle grades social studies in the Atlanta area, he earned his Ph.D. in Social Studies Education from the University of Georgia in 2011. He teaches an array of courses at ODU, including elementary social studies methods and foundations of education for teacher candidates, and advanced graduate coursework on practitioner inquiry, teacher leadership, curriculum and instruction, teacher education, and qualitative research. Dr. Butler currently serves as the co-Graduate Program Director of the Ph.D. program in Curriculum and Instruction, and as coordinator of the Graduate Certificate in Teacher Leadership.
His research agenda focuses on the spaces in which teachers and teacher educators learn to teach, such as methods course instruction and learning, teacher candidate supervision and mentoring, and doctoral coursework and informal learning experiences that support the transition from the teacher to teacher educator. Dr. Butler's recent scholarship has centered on understanding the learning of self-study research methods by teacher educators and non-teacher educators alike.
Dr. Kristie Gutierrez received her B.S. in Biology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2001, M.Ed. in Secondary Science Education in 2005 from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington, and Ph.D. in Science Education in 2016 from North Carolina State University. Dr. Gutierrez is currently serving as an Assistant Professor of Science Education in the Department of Teaching & Learning at Old Dominion University. She teaches elementary science methods and secondary science and mathematics methods courses with emphasis on multicultural education and equity pedagogies. Her research interests include both formal and informal STEM education, with specialization in the integration of engineering and computer science into science education through preservice and inservice educator development.
Professor Jody Sommerfeldt is a Senior Lecturer in the Teaching & Learning Department at Old Dominion University, with special emphasis in Instructional Technology and Elementary Education. She also served as the Director of the Office of Clinical Experiences at the Darden College of Education and Professional Studies at Old Dominion University, where she was responsible for all field experiences preparing all future teachers, and others going into educational professions. She holds Bachelor's degrees in Psychology and Elementary Education from the College of William & Mary, along with a Master's Degree in Curriculum & Instruction, Educational Technology and an Educational Specialist degree in Educational Leadership and Administration at ODU, where she was recognized as the Outstanding Student in Educational Leadership. She is passionate about preparing future-ready teachers, public education, effective leadership, and the integration of technology and innovative practice as a way to engage students and support higher level thinking.
Jody has served several public school systems in the Hampton Roads Area both as a classroom teacher and a Technology Curriculum Integration Specialist, and continues to serve surrounding school divisions through collaboration and support on grants. During her time in the classroom, she was recognized as an Apple Distinguished Educator, Reading Teacher of the Year, Teacher of the Year, and the Sallie Mae First Year Teacher of the Year. While in Newport News, her school received the VA Department of Education Technology Program of the Year Award. She has conducted many workshops and presented at local, state, and national conferences on Project-Based Learning, Technology Integration, and 21st century skills, online teaching, and how to effectively teach in a 1:1 environment.