Susan R. Merrifield
Professional Title: Professor of English Education
Areas of Academic Focus and Expertise:
English Education
Area of Work and Concentration at Lesley: Literacy learning, literature in the classroom, preK-college, poverty and literacy
Representative List of Recent Courses Taught:
Literacy Learning, Literature for Children and Young Adults, Teaching Language Arts, Providing Accessible Instruction for Struggling Readers and Writers, Teaching High School English
Education: BA, University of Massachusetts; MA, Goddard College; MEd, University of Maine; EdD, Harvard University
Representative List of Recent Publications / Exhibitions:
- Readin’ and Writin’ for the Hard-Hat Crowd: Curriculum Policy at an Urban University (Peter Lang Press)
- “Why ‘Particularly Good’ Principals Don’t Quit” (Journal of School Leadership)
- “Setting the Table: Guiding Future Teachers to an Understanding of Literate Environments” (The Reading Teacher)
Fun Facts: - Active writer of poetry and short stories
- Recently received a 3 sentence flattering rejection from The New Yorker for a short story
- Working on a collection of poetry entitled Dialogue With A Dead Man
I am currently engaged in on-going research with a former Lesley student on nature of instruction for struggling readers.