Assistant Professor
Coordinator of Curriculum & Instruction Master’s Degree Online Program
Education
- Doctor of Education, Curriculum & Instruction, Illinois State University, 2013
- Master of Education, Educational Leadership, University of Georgia, 2000
- Bachelor of Science in Secondary Education, English Education, University of Illinois, 1991
Courses Taught
- Undergraduate:
- Introduction to Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment
- Positive Communication in an Inclusive Classroom
- Developmental Foundations of Adolescent Literacy
- Professional Learning Community (I, II and III)
- Ecology and Developmental Foundations of Teaching
- Graduate:
- Practicum for a Guaranteed and Viable Curriculum
- Instructional School Leadership
- Trends and Issues in Education
- Leading in the Digital Age
- Practicum in School Leadership: K-12 Capstone
- Feedback and Goal-Setting
- Capstone Seminar
- Culture and Student Engagement
Academic Interests
- All aspects teaching and learning
- Social justice through education
- Compassion in education
Scholarly Activity
Peer-Reviewed Publications (pending)
- Singleton, E., Dimmitt, T., Schairer-Kessler, C., Gray Smith, L. Communities of practice in the development of teacher education students’ cultural responsiveness has been submitted and is under review for the journal Educational Renaissance.
SCHOLARLY PRESENTATIONS
- Dimmitt, T., Singleton, E., Schairer-Kessler, C., Gray Smith, L., Fullbright, R. (2021, October). Using agility to stay current in challenging times: how we are adapting our learning, teaching, and leading in teacher preparation in the COVID-19 era. Presented at Teacher Education Council of State Colleges and Universities Annual Meeting. Virtual.
- Dimmitt, T., Singleton, E., Schairer-Kessler, C., Gray Smith, L., Fullbright, R. (2021, October). Reimagining teacher preparation in and after COVID-19. Presented at Missouri Association of Colleges for Teacher Education. Virtual.
- Gray Smith, L., Singleton, E., Dimmitt, T., Schairer-Kessler, C., Wall, T., Dixon, C. (2021, February). Intersectionality and compassion infused into teacher preparation program: here’s how. Presented at American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education Annual Meeting. Virtual.
- Singleton, E., Gray Smith, L., Schairer-Kessler, C., Dimmitt T., Wall, T., Dixon, C. (2020, October). Building compassionate teachers: using intersectionality to infuse justice and inclusivity into course content and field experiences. Presented at Teacher Education Council of State Colleges and Universities Annual Meeting. Virtual.
- Singleton, E., Dimmitt, T., Gray Smith, L., Schairer-Kessler, C. (2020, October). The value of compassionate teachers: using intersectionality to cultivate justice and inclusivity into coursework. Presented at the Missouri Association for Colleges of Teacher Education Fall Meeting. Virtual.
- Schairer-Kessler, C. (2020, November). Using Google Forms to create an exit ticket for class, but an entry ticket into community. Presented at Faculty Insights Workshop at Northwest Missouri State University. Virtual.
- Schairer-Kessler, C. (2018, March). A quality afterschool program for underprivileged elementary school children: what we did and how we did it. Presented at Critical Questions in Education Conference, Portland, OR.
- Crumpler, T. & Schairer-Kessler, C. (2006, May). Portfolios as performance assessment: explorations into the nature of representation through technology. Presented at Research Consortium, Urbana, IL
Student Group Advisement
- Living and Learning Community, Education
- Kind Individuals Dedicated to Students (K.I.D.S.)
Other Professional Experiences
- Currently serving as Secretary on the Board of Directors for Missouri Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (M.A.C.T.E.)
- Previously served:
- University Supervisor, University of Illinois-Springfield, IL
- Rater, Pearson Educative Teacher Performance Assessment (edTPA), IL
- Director of Children and Family Ministries, FUMC Peoria, IL
- Assistant Professor, Remedial Writing, Illinois Central College, East Peoria, IL
- Graduate Assistant, Secondary Methods course, Illinois State University, IL
- Language Arts Teacher, Brookwood High School, Lawrenceville, GA
- Teacher/Liaison, Adult Literacy Program, Gwinnett Technical Institute, GA
- Language Arts Teacher, Indian River High School, Dagsboro, DE
