School of Teaching & Learning Faculty & Staff

Special Education Graduate Program, Coordinator

Student Teaching or Field Experience Paperwork, Background Screening, Liability Insurance, SARTE, Diary, and TK20

Dr. Caitlin Johnson (Dr. J.) is an Assistant Professor of Educational Leadership at Minnes...

Dr. Caitlin Johnson (Dr. J.) is an Assistant Professor of Educational Leadership at Minnesota State University Moorhead (MSUM). Caitlin has a B.S. in English, M.P.M. in Business Project Management, and M.Ed. in Curriculum, Instruction, & Assessment. In Spring 2021, she graduated with a Ph.D. in Adult & Community Education from North Dakota State University. She is an enrolled member of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians and grew up on her home reservation. She started her career in education at the Turtle Mountain Community College where she taught various English courses, before transitioning to secondary education. She taught high school English for two years at the Turtle Mountain Community High School and served as English Department Chair. She transitioned to alternative education after moving to the Fargo-Moorhead area where she taught for three years. Caitlin’s research interests are multicultural education, indigenous education methods, culture as medicine, alternative education, and decolonizing methodologies.

Shirley Johnson, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor of Special Education and The Undergradu...

Shirley Johnson, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor of Special Education and The Undergraduate Coordinator of the Academic Behavior Strategist (ABS) program at Minnesota State University Moorhead. Dr. Johnson holds a BA, MS, And Ph.D. in education and has several decades of experience in the special education classroom including elementary, middle, high school, and higher education. Her license areas of Special Education include specific learning disabilities, emotional and behavioral disorders, autism spectrum disorders, and developmental cognitive disabilities. Her scholarly interests include the implementation of evidence-based and High-Leverage Practices (HLPs), the use of positive behavioral supports, promoting interprofessional collaboration and co-teaching, Universal Design for Learning (UDL), and utilizing technology for instruction, collaboration, and data. She also consults with area schools with beginning teacher induction and mentoring program.

Research: problems in special education (e.g., teacher preparation, moral development, and basic psychological needs/motivation) and higher education (e.g., academic misconduct and online learning)

Student teaching and practicum experiences, Student Teaching Out of the Area & Student Teaching Abroad, Selective Admittance and Retention in Teacher Education (SARTE)

Education: Bemidji State University, Bemidji, Bachelor of Science, Elementary Education, ...

Education: Bemidji State University, Bemidji, Bachelor of Science, Elementary Education, 1993 St. Cloud State University, St. Cloud, Sixth Year in Educational Administration, 1997 St. Cloud State University – St. Cloud, St. Cloud, Masters of Education in Educational Administration, 1997 University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, Doctorate of Education, Educational Leadership and Administration, 2010 Professional experience: 1993-1997: ISD 777: Elementary Classroom Teaching 1997-2000: ISD 564: Middle School Principal 2000-2020: ISD 2856: Superintendent/Elementary Principal 2011-2020: Minnesota State University-Moorhead: Adjunct/Fixed Term Professor 2013-2018: Saint Mary’s University: Adjunct Professor

Elementary or Early Childhood Student Teaching, Embedded Field Experiences, and edTPA

Academic Advisor for students majoring in teacher education