Meet the passionate Dr. Jason Reeves, Former Dean of Education, Education Department Faculty Member of Educational Leadership and Administration, Teacher Leadership, Curriculum and Instruction Programs.
What programs do you teach at Georgetown College? What drew you to this field of study? What keeps you excited about it?
I teach primarily within the Educational Leadership and Teacher Leadership programs. I’ve always been interested in examining, implementing, and then assessing effective leadership models within the P-16 educational realm. This interest has greatly influenced my experiences as a P-16 administrator.
Education is a constantly changing field, driven by research-based practices and innovations. This is exciting for me because I’m always curious about how things can evolve into their best versions- especially with P-16 student achievement.
How will your programs better prepare/equip educators for the current climate they are facing? How will it help them tackle today’s education challenges?
I feel that all of Georgetown’s education programs have two very important underpinnings: the ability to apply what is learned into a student’s classroom immediately, and the use of proven, research-based practices to support student achievement. This underpinning dramatically enhances the ability of educators to face the challenges and opportunities of teaching in today’s society.
What attracted you to teach at Georgetown College? What sets them apart?
Certainly the mission and vision of Georgetown College align with my professional and personal views points on what effective teaching and learning should be. The small class sizes and focus on reaching each student each time were also very appealing. As a professional educator, the support and acknowledgment I have received by Georgetown College has been unlike any I have received previously.
What is your professional background as an educator? Tell us a little about yourself. Why did you become interested in education?
Alongside P-16 administration and leadership, I have been heavily involved in educator preparation at the state and national levels for the last 15 years. This work has truly been some of my most rewarding in that I learn just as much as I provide guidance to educator preparation programs across the nation. I am also a school board member and have started to become active at the state level in connecting the work of school boards to other parts of P-16 education.
Without a doubt, my life would be completely different had it not been for access to public education and especially public school educators. They fought for me every day and ensured I had as much opportunity through equitable practices as they could provide. The fact that I now support public schools in their efforts to empower all students through an accessible education is the best part of my work.
What would you tell prospective students considering your programs about yourself?
My approach to teaching at the graduate level is very much reflective of the facilitator of learning model. I take the student learning objectives of each course I teach and try to bring them to the student’s individual level of need or goals for the course.
I want to provide guided learning experiences that can then be used in a student’s own classroom or school for immediate implementation and assessment of effectiveness. Even if something doesn’t “work,” a student can still dissect the experience to see what did and what could work. I don’t enjoy nor give “busy work.”
What’s something that students and colleagues should know about you?
I try to find the humor in most situations, even if that means turning to a dad joke to get a laugh! Seriously, life is hard, and educators’ work is never-ending and can be extremely difficult at times. Humor and realizing its power to provide clarity and direction is something all of us can benefit from.