Department of Learning, Teaching and Curriculum

Dr. Thornton has been in middle level education both as a classroom teacher and professor for nearly 40 years. Her experience, research and professional knowledge base has led her to multiple state and national leadership roles with the goal of strengthening the support for and understanding of developmentally responsive learning to meet all young adolescent learner needs and cultivate democracy in the classroom.

She has published multiple articles focusing on current challenges in middle level education and teacher leadership. In 2018, she authored the book, The It Factor: What Makes a Teacher Great, which focused on the correlation between dispositions in action, teacher effectiveness and depth of student learning.

Her research areas focus on teacher dispositions, professional development schools, teacher quality, and teacher and student voice.

Dr. Thornton has held multiple leadership positions, including AMLE executive board, past president of the national organization of professors of middle level education, and past president of the Reynoldsburg Education Association. She also helped develop standards for middle level education with North Carolina DPI and Georgia standards board.

She is a national board certified teacher and has served as a NCATE examiner.