About Dr. Jones

I earned my undergraduate degree from Franklin & Marshall College, where I was a member of the varsity basketball team (one of the winningest Division III programs in the country). During this time studying history at F&M and volunteering as a tutor to underprivileged students in Lancaster, PA, I decided to make improving education my lifelong pursuit.

 

As a young social studies teacher, I spent a considerable amount of time reflecting on my practice and searching for methods to enhance my profession. It wasn’t until I started teaching Advanced Placement Psychology that I found what is missing. The course includes units on the cognitive sciences, and the information from this field has demonstrated to me that scholars have a great deal of knowledge about the mind, memory, thinking, and problem-solving. However, educators do not typically apply to the scientific findings in the classroom. The explosion of neuroscientific research over the last two decades, which has added significant evidence about the biological basis of the mind, inspired me to explore ways to integrate these two fields to improve education.

 

This love of learning about cognitive neuroscience and its educational applications led me to pursue a Doctor of Education degree from Johns Hopkins University with a specialization in Mind, Brain, and Teaching. Having the opportunity to learn from scholars in education, neuroscience, research methods, and the cognitive sciences influences almost every lesson I teach, the assessments I design, and the curriculum I write.

 

My research at JHU aimed to understand the cognitive differences of students with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), and it included an applied research study designed to improve accommodations for Individualized Education Plans (IEP). I continue to apply my expertise in special education, working memory, executive function, and mixed-methods research to all aspects of my career.

I have gained valuable experience and expertise over the course of my more than 20 years of teaching, coaching, and studying. I have taught nearly 20,000 lessons to students of all academic levels. I write curriculum for the school district and teach various classes, including entirely in-person, blended, and fully cyber. Beyond the time spent in schools, gyms, and athletic fields, one of the key traits of a superior learner is the ability to practice metacognition, or thinking about one’s own thinking. It is this thoughtful reflection about each lesson I teach that enabled my growth to become a master teacher.