"It is the supreme art of the teacher to awaken joy in creative expression and knowledge." - Albert Einstein

Welcome to the Department of Curriculum and Instruction!

On behalf of our faculty and staff, I want to welcome you to our department and let you know we are here to assist you any way we can.  The primary mission of our department is to provide instruction for teacher education candidates majoring in Early Childhood Education, Elementary Education, and/or Collaborative Education at the undergraduate level and Elementary Education, and Early Childhood Education and Collaborative Education at the Master's and Educational Specialist's levels. We also offer Reading Specialist (RDG) courses, which can lead to a Master's degree or certification at the Master's level.

All of our existing programs are currently accredited by the Alabama State Department of Education, Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, and National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education. Each program is evaluated and updated on a regular basis to enable you to become a creative decision maker. Current literature and innovative practices are also implemented to assure that our programs are of the highest quality. In addition, we have carefully created opportunities for you and our other teacher education candidates to implement knowledge gained from coursework in your major through practica and internship experiences. This combination of experiences in the university classroom and opportunities in the real world will prepare you to be an effective classroom teacher, giving you the knowledge, skills, and dispositions needed for successful employment upon completion of your program of study.

Again, welcome to our department!  If you have any questions, feel free to browse our site and/or contact me, Dr. Jordan Barkley, Acting Department Head, or Mrs. Janis Sides, Departmental Secretary.  Biographical and contact information may also be found for all of our faculty members by clicking the Faculty and Staff link on this page.  Please let us know how we can help you be the teacher you want to be!

Best Wishes,

Dr. Jordan Barkley