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Assistant Professor

Lori Caudle

Theory & Prac-Teacher Ed

Orcid identifier0000-0002-3735-5994
  • Theory & Prac-Teacher Ed
  • 865-236-1188 (Work)
  • The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Child and Family Studies, 1215 W. Cumberland Ave. 115 JHB, Knoxville, TN, 37996-1912, United States

BIO

Lori Caudle is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Theory and Practice in Teacher Education at The University of Tennessee, Knoxville.  In this position, she teaches undergraduates and graduates seeking teacher certifications in Birth-Kindergarten and PreK-3rd grade. She also mentors and supervises masters and doctoral students who specialize in early childhood STEAM, social-emotional development and learning, and other interdisciplinary components of early care and education. She currently holds a PhD in Child and Family Studies and worked as an assistant/associate professor at Western Carolina University in the Birth-Kindergarten program for nine years before joining UTK. In that position, Dr. Caudle taught and partnered with early childhood educators working in public schools, community-based centers, and Head Start centers across North Carolina. At UTK, she facilitates community-engaged projects that support early childhood educators in the implementation of trauma-informed, culturally-relevant interactions and practices through play-based learning, STEAM-focused lessons and activities, responsive caregiving, and proactive classroom management within Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS). She also works to develop and faciltate pathways for continuing education that prioritize post-traditional learners who are employed in early care and education settings. In her work, Dr. Caudle identifies preservice teachers as those who are actively seeking degrees and/or teacher certification, but are not employed in early childhood education positions. Inservice teachers include all educators who are working in the field within community-based or faith-based centers, family childcare, and public schools. These educators include teachers and educational assistants that are both certified and non-certified. Dr. Caudle has an inclusive approach to her scholarship, teaching, and service that counters the extreme inequities that exist in early childhood educators’ access to high-quality, effective education and professional development. These inequities are increased for educators from diverse ethnic, cultural, and linguistic backgrounds as well as those with low SES.

ACADEMIC POSITIONS

  • Assistant Professor
    University of Tennessee at Knoxville, Theory and Practice in Teacher Education, Knoxville, United States1 Aug 2024
  • Assistant Professor
    University of Tennessee at Knoxville, Child and Family Studies, Early Childhood Education, Knoxville, United States1 Aug 2019 - 31 Jul 2024
  • Associate Professor
    Western Carolina University, Human Services, Birth-Kindergarten Program, Cullowhee, United States1 Aug 2016 - 31 Jul 2019
  • Assistant Professor
    Western Carolina University, Human Services, Birth-Kindergarten Program, Cullowhee, United States1 Aug 2010 - 31 Jul 2016

DEGREES

  • PhD
    The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, United States2010

CERTIFICATIONS

  • Practitioner Teacher License (PreK-K and K-5 Endorsements)
    Tennessee Department of Education, Nashville, United States
  • Professional Educator's License (Birth-K and K-6 Endorsements)
    State of North Carolina

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