Faculty Profile: Ken Brighton
A middle school teacher for two decades, Ken Brighton came to college-level teaching almost by accident. For a change of pace, he applied to be a teacher-in-residence at Indiana State University. He was accepted for the year-long program, took a leave of absence from his school and fully intended to return to the classroom after the year was up. But, as Ken puts it, he "fell in love with college teaching." He was invited to enroll in the PhD program at ISU and went on to earn his doctorate in curriculum and instruction. And while he is quick to let his students know that he still loves middle school teaching, his work at the college level has been very satisfying.
The small size of JSC (and of Vermont) gives him opportunities he wouldn't get at a larger college, Ken says. He frequently runs into former students and JSC graduates. In fact, three of his sons' teachers got degrees from JSC. One of the things he likes best about being at Johnson is that he is able to see first hand the impact he is having on student's lives.
Ken retired from full-time teaching at JSC, after serving as department chair for the last two years of his tenure, but will continue to teach on a part-time basis.
Publications & Awards
Recent Publications
- (2007) Coming of Age: The Education and Development of Young Adolescents. National Middle School Association. Westerville, Ohio.
- (2001) with Dr. Marvin Henry) Supervising Student Teachers The Professional Way. Sycamore Press, Terre Haute, Indiana.
Recent Honors
- (June 2007) Chris Stevenson Award for Outstanding Service to Vermont Middle Schools
- (June 2007) Keynote speaker at the Vermont Middle Level Scholar-Leader Awards Banquet
