Margaret Dotson

Associate Professor of Child and Family Studies
Emery, Room 305

CPO 2034

Office Hours: By appointment

Phone: 859-985-3749
Fax: 859-985-3932
E-Mail: margaret_dotson@berea.edu

At Berea College since 2003

Degrees

• B.S., Wright State University, 1968
• M.A., Wright State University, 1970
• Ph.D., Ohio State University, 2000

Special Interests

My professional interests center on teaching, learning, curriculum development, teacher thinking, learning to teach, and motivation. My outside interests include spending time with family, reading, listening to music, enjoying nature, and thinking about teaching.

Biography

I am a native West Virginian who enjoys the tranquility and beauty of the mountains. As a child I had difficulty learning to read, but once I learned I became an avid reader and a student who loved to learn. As a college student I loved taking a variety of courses just because they were interesting and challenging. As an undergraduate, I often joked that I would like to be a professional student, and teaching has permitted me to be that student. To teach is to learn and to teach one has to be constantly learning. Teaching provides a wonderful opportunity for exploring the teaching and learning process in all of its many permutations and combinations. During my career I have been a children’s librarian, an elementary school teacher, a curriculum consultant, and a college teacher. At the college level, I have taught courses in pedagogy, curriculum development, child development, mathematics, and I have supervised student teachers.