Shelley Thomas

Shelley Thomas

Assistant Department Chair and Associate Professor
Department of Elementary, Middle & Secondary Teacher Education
Room 273 - College of Education and Human Development
502-852-8090
shelley.thomas @ louisville.edu

Dr. Thomas' curriculum vitae [PDF]

Educational Background

  • EdD, Curriculum and Teaching, Teachers College, Columbia University, New York, NY
  • MAT, Social Studies, University of Louisville
  • BA, Psychology, University of Louisville

Teaching Areas

  • Cross-cultural competence
  • Public Schools in America
  • Social studies methods

Research Interests

  • Trauma-informed teacher preparation
  • Transdisciplinary approaches to teacher education
  • Culturally responsive & sustaining pedagogies
  • Clinical teacher preparation
  • Social justice perspectives in teaching/preparation

Methodology

  • Qualtitative
  • Teaching- trauma-informed
  • Teaching: I have expertise in working with students who are typically underserved

Professional Activities

  • Program Chair, Division K (Teaching and Teacher Education) Section 3, 2012 American Educational Research Association
  • 2012 Division K Dissertation Award Committee, American Educational Research Association
  • Diversity Committee, College of Education and Human Development
  • Anne Braden Institute for Social Justice Research faculty affiliate, ex-officio
  • Crane House the Asia Institute, Inc., Education Board

Honors and Awards

  • 2012 Nystrand Center Offutt Scholar
  • Nominee, President's Exemplary Multicultural Teaching Award, University of Louisville, Faculty Favorite
  • 1998 Jefferson County Public Schools Outstanding Staff Award
  • 1993 Louisville Community Foundation Grant for African-American Festival

Professional Organizations

  • American Educational Research Association (AERA)
  • National Association for Multicultural Education (NAME)
  • Louisville Chapter, National Association for Multicultural Education
  • National Council for the Social Studies
  • Kentucky Council for the Social Studies

Selected Publications

  • Howell, P., Thomas, S., & Ardasheva, Y., Holman, T. (2011). Talk in the classroom: Meeting the developmental, academic, and cultural needs of middle school students. Middle Grades Research Journal, 6(1), 47-63.
  • Han, H. S., & Thomas, S. (2010). No Child Misunderstood: Enhancing Early Childhood Teachers’ Multicultural Responsiveness in the Area of Children’s Social Competence, 37(6), 469-476. Early Childhood Education Journal.
  • Howell, P., Thomas, S. & Kaputska, K. (2010). Why, where, and by whom: A Social justice imperative for teacher preparation and practice. Teacher Education and Practice, 23(4), 466-470.
  • Clayton, C.D., Howell, P., Kapustka, K. M., Thomas, S., & Vanderhaar, J. E. (2010). Understanding the scope of social justice in teacher education: The incidence of social justice in accreditation documents. Teacher Education and Practice, 22 (3), 302-322.
  • Kapustka, K., Howell, P., Clayton, C., & Thomas, S. (2009). Social justice in teacher education: A qualitative content analysis of NCATE Conceptual Frameworks. Equity and Excellence in Education, 42(4), 489-505.
  • Thomas, M.S., & Vanderhaar, J. (2008) Negotiating Resistance to Multiculturalism in a Teacher Education Curriculum: A Case Study. The Teacher Educator (in press).
  • Thomas, M.S. (2006).Building the culturally relevant standards-based social studies classroom. Southern Social Studies Journal. 31(2), 47-61.