Paige Hendricks joins W&M Curriculum & Instruction faculty
New Faculty: Paige Hendricks joins the faculty this fall as a visiting assistant professor of secondary social studies education.
This fall, the School of Education welcomes four new faculty members. Today, we introduce Paige Hendricks, who is joining our Curriculum & Instruction faculty.
Tell us a little about your background and what brought you to W&M.
I came to William & Mary to pursue a Ph.D. in Educational Policy, Planning and Leadership after being a classroom teacher, working for an educational non-for-profit, and serving in administration for a public school system. I felt I had many different angles in which I understood various aspects of the education system but nothing, so far, that had brought these pieces together. Completing the Ph.D. program at W&M helped me to accomplish that task. I took a variety of classes that added to my existing knowledge base and filled in the gaps with new understandings that I could use to complete the educational “picture.”
What’s your area of research and what question are you most passionate about answering right now?
My research interests include diversity, heterogeneity, and cultures of teachers and students in school settings and curriculum and instructional writing, design, development, and best practices. I enjoy understanding better how teachers view themselves culturally and how those beliefs, attitudes, and values translate into their teaching and learning practices in the classroom of students they work with each day. As the current professor of social studies, I enjoy teaching about social studies topics and how students can use these topics to create compelling, innovative, and inclusive curriculum for their students. I have two questions I am passionate about right now. First, how do we (in higher education) best elicit and support pre-service teachers in understanding their own cultural backgrounds to support the teaching and learning practices they use with their students? Second, how can current and future educators ensure that social studies instruction remains an active, engaging, and purposeful learning process for students today?
Which class are you most looking forward to teaching?
I currently teach Elementary and Secondary Social Studies Methods and I love them both!
What else are you hoping to get involved with on campus or in the community?
I want to continue working with the amazing people at the School of Education to ensure our programs are high-quality options for future educators. I also want to continue to work with students and faculty on main campus and others in the community to help them learn more about what we do and how we can help students become extraordinary future educators.
Anything else you’d like to share?
I love working at William & Mary — being a part of such a wonderful institution makes my job as professor an easy one!
