Dr. Deborah Schussler

Deborah Schussler is a Professor of Education in the Educational Leadership program at Penn State. She is also an Affiliate at the Prevention Research Center and Rock Ethics Institute. She was a high school English teacher for 5 years before becoming a teacher educator. Deborah’s research interests include exploring how prospective teachers acquire the necessary dispositions to meet the needs of all learners. Specifically, Deborah has examined the epistemological nature of dispositions and how teacher education fosters awareness of dispositions to enhance prospective teachers' knowledge, skills, and moral sensibilities. Teachers who are reflective and mindful of their intended aims and how they achieve them in their practice are better prepared to nurture their learners' academic and social-emotional development. Therefore, Deborah's recent work has strategically focused on mindfulness-based programs designed to enhance teachers’ social-emotional competencies and communication skills.