Cathy Smeltzer Erb

Dr. Cathy Smeltzer Erb earned a Ph.D. in curriculum, teaching, and learning from the University of Toronto, a M.Ed. in education from the University of Toronto, and a B.S. in vocational home economics education from EMU. Her dissertation explored the emotional dimension of beginning teachers’ work within a secondary school context. Cathy spent over 15 years as a family studies teacher and guidance counselor in middle/secondary schools and adult education prior to research and teaching in higher education. She has presented at national and international conferences. Her published and continued research interests include emotions, beginning teachers, teacher development, action research, and teacher induction. As recipient of the AILACTE Scholar Award 2004, Cathy continues to research the highly emotional context of beginning student teachers and the moral and ethical decisions of beginning teachers as they learn to teach.

• Ph.D., University of Toronto, 2004
• M.Ed., University of Toronto, 1999
• B.S., Eastern Mennonite University, 1985

• Hannay, L., Smeltzer Erb, C., & Ross, J. (2001a). To the barricades: The relationship between secondary school organizational structures and the implementation of policy initiatives. International Journal of Leadership in Education: Theory and Practice, 4(2), 97-113.
• Hannay, L., Smeltzer Erb, C., & Ross, J. (2001b). Building change capacity within secondary schools through goal driven and living organizations. School Leadership & Management, 21(3), 269-284.
• Smeltzer Erb, C. (2004). The emotional experiences of beginning teacher learning. Research in Ontario Secondary Schools: A Series of Brief Reports, 9(3). Retrieved August 12, 2004 from http://www.oise.utoronto.ca/field-centres/rossindx.htm
• Smeltzer Erb, C. (1998). Improving the motivation of a general level student. Orbit, 29(3), 44-45.

• Smeltzer Erb, C., Brownscombe, S., & Flanagan, T. (2008). Documentation of Student Learning: The Proof’s in the Project. Presentation at the Annual Meeting of the Association of Independent Liberal Arts Colleges for Teacher Education, New Orleans, LA.
• Smeltzer Erb, C., & Wessner, D. (2007). Assessing Inter-Cultural Communicative Competence (IC3) through action research. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association, Chicago, IL.
• Smeltzer Erb, C. (2007). An action research study examines inter-cultural communicative competence. Presentation at the Annual Meeting of the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education, New York City, NY.
• Smeltzer Erb, C. (2006). Intersecting the emotional, moral, and ethical dimensions of beginning teacher development. Presentation at the Annual Meeting of the Association of Independent Liberal Arts Colleges for Teacher Education, San Diego, CA.
• Smeltzer Erb, C., & Brownscombe, S. L. (2005). Attending to the affective domain in teacher education: Placing caring and emotional knowledge at the center. Presentation at the Annual Meeting of the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education, Washington, D.C.
• Smeltzer Erb, C. (2004). The emotions of learning to teach. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association, San Diego, CA.
• Smeltzer Erb, C. (2002). The emotional whirlpool of beginning teachers’ work. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the Canadian Society for the Study of Education, Toronto, ON.
• Smeltzer Erb, C. (2002). Realms of beginning teachers’ emotional work in a secondary school. Paper presented at the 2nd Annual Student Research Conference, OISE/UT, Toronto, ON.
• Hannay, L., Ross, J., & Smeltzer Erb, C. (2002). The influence of system alignment on secondary school restructuring and change capacity. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Education Research Association, New Orleans, LA.
• Hannay, L., Seller, W., Ross, J., & Smeltzer Erb, C. (2002). Clashing cultures, clashing paradigms: Lessons from district research on secondary school restructuring. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Education Research Association, New Orleans, LA.

• Presented “Curriculum Mapping” Workshop, Mennonite Educators Conference, Pittsburgh, PA, February 1, 2008.
• Presented “Best Practices in Assessment” Workshop, Mennonite Educators Conference, Pittsburgh, PA, February 1, 2008.
• Presented “Living the Emotions of Teaching,” Professional Development Conference for Student Teachers, James Madison University, Harrisonburg, VA, October 18, 2007. Invited.
• Presented “Developmental and Emotional Stages of Beginning Teachers,” ED441 Reflective Teaching Seminar, October 16, 2007. Invited.
• Presented “What Mentor Teachers Should Know About the Emotions of Beginning Teaching,” MidValley Consortium Workshop, Mentor Teacher Training, Mary Baldwin College, August 6, 2007. Invited.
• Baccalaureate Message, “Reach for the Extraordinary,” Eastern Mennonite High School, June 2, 2007.
• Discussion Group Leader, “Enhancing Collegiality in the Department,” The Council of Independent Colleges 2007 Workshops for Department and Division Chairs: Essential Tools for Leading the Academic Department, Philadelphia, PA, May 30-June 1, 2007.
• Presented “Emotional Experiences of Beginning Teachers,” ED442 Reflective Practice Seminar, April 17, 2007.
• Presented “Emotional Care of Teachers” at the Future Educators Association Leadership Conference for Rockingham and Shenandoah Counties, Bridgewater College, March 30, 2007.
• Educating Clergy. Presented to seminary faculty about pedagogical practices of effective teachers. September 25, 2006 and October 30, 2006.
• Mentor for EMU Honors student, 2006-2007.
• National Honor Society Induction Speaker, Eastern Mennonite High School, March 27, 2006.
• Presented “Teacher Self-Care and Emotional Lives of Teachers” workshop to Broadway High School Future Educators Association, February 23, 2006.
• Search Committees for three Teacher Education faculty, 2006.
• Facilitated “Bridge Building Activity,” Future Educators Association 2005 Leadership Conference, November 9, 2005.
• Wrote NCATE Standard 5: Faculty Qualifications Report, 2005.
• Reviewed 14 Phi Delta Kappa scholarship applications, 2005.
• State Accreditation Review Team Member, University of Virginia’s College at Wise, November 7-10, 2004.
• Facilitated Curriculum Mapping In-service to Eastern Mennonite High School faculty, Harrisonburg, VA, February 26, 2004.
• Blind, peer-reviewed 23 paper proposals for the Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association, San Diego, CA, 2003.

• EMU Scholarship/Practice Research, Assessing Inter-Cultural Communicative Competence (IC3) Through Action Research, 2006-2007.
• EMU Scholarship/Practice Research, Exploring the emotions of student teaching, Phase II, 2005-2006.
• EMU Scholarship/Practice Research, Exploring the emotions of student teaching, 2004-2005.
• EMU Scholarship/Practice Research, Exploring the emotional experiences of beginning teacher development, 2003-2004.
• AILACTE (Association of Independent Liberal Arts Colleges for Teacher Education) Scholar Award, Moral emotions of beginning teaching. 2004.
• EMU Quality Service Award, 2004.
• Lilly Faculty Pilot Project Grant, Eastern Mennonite University, Teaching as Vocational Call, 2003.
• Ontario Graduate Scholarship, Ontario Institute for Studies in Education of the University of Toronto, Ontario, 2001-2003.

• Virginia Postgraduate Professional License: Work and Family Studies-Home Economics, valid until 2010.

• American Educational Research Association (AERA)
  AERA Division B: Curriculum Studies
  AERA Division K: Teaching and Teacher Education
  Action Research Special Interest Group
• Phi Delta Kappa (PDK)
• American Association of Colleges of Teacher Education (AACTE)
• Association of Independent Liberal Arts Colleges for Teacher Education (AILACTE)

• VACTE/ATE-VA (Virginia Association of Colleges for Teacher Education/Association of Teacher Educators-VA) Spring Conference, Sweet Briar College, April 3-4, 2008.
• Annual Meeting of the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education, New Orleans, LA, February 9-11, 2008.
• Annual Meeting of the Association of Independent Liberal Arts Colleges for Teacher Education, New Orleans, LA, February 8, 2008.
• Mennonite Educators Conference, Pittsburgh, PA, January 31-February 2, 2008.
• VACTE/ATE-VA (Virginia Association of Colleges for Teacher Education/Association of Teacher Educators-VA) Fall Conference, Sweet Briar College, October 4-5, 2007.
• Council of Independent Colleges 2007 Workshops for Department and Division Chairs: Essential Tools for Leading the Academic Department, Philadelphia, PA, May 30-June 1, 2007.

• EDIC543 Self Care and Renewal for Teachers

• Undergraduate Council (2007-present)
• Ad hoc member of Faculty Scholarship Committee (2007-08)
• Mentor for EMU Honors student (2006-present)
• Committee on Teacher Education (2002-present)
• Committee on Reflective Practice (2002-present)