Linda O. Parker, EdD

"The beauty of teaching is the ability to help shape minds for the future while supporting and encouraging educators for today."

• Teaching & Education

  You will learn with me when taking courses in Introduction to Early Childhood Education, Assessment of Young Children, Guiding Behavior of Young Children, Methods and Materials for Young Children, Social Studies for Young Children, and Child Development.

  Degrees

  • BS, Bob Jones University
  • MEd, University of South Carolina-Upstate
  • EdD, Northcentral University
• Professional Experience

  My experience includes seventeen-years of teaching in early childhood classrooms throughout Ohio, Michigan, and South Carolina. I have been an elementary author, writing curriculum for Bob Jones University Press for eight years. I have been teaching for ten years at the university level. I am also CEO and President of SPEED LLC, Strategic Principles in Early Education, as well as an educational consultant and workshop speaker throughout the country to parents, teachers, and administrators.

• Selected Publications

  Co-authored textbooks for Bob Jones University Press:

  • Walking God’s Way (2nd Edition, 2010)
  • Footsteps for Fours (K4, 2nd Edition, 2009)
  • Beginnings K5
• My Network

  I will gladly involve you in my circle that includes great educators throughout America; in public, private, and Christian schools and universities.

• My Story

  It is exciting to look back on the puzzle pieces of my life and see God’s goodness and direction. In undergraduate school I was a secondary music education major. It wasn’t until my senior year when I was student teaching that my career path took a turn. I asked to teach elementary music along with the junior high and senior high music classes. I fell in love with the youngest students the moment I walked into their classroom. After graduation and marriage, I started working on a degree in early childhood at the University of Cincinnati. My degree work came to a halt when my husband and I decided to start a family. We had two beautiful daughters, but the desire to finish up a degree in early childhood education remained. I was able to teach kindergarten and later complete my MEd at the University of South Carolina. After seventeen years, I left teaching lower elementary classes to write K4 curriculum for Bob Jones University Press. I also ended up writing preschool, K4, and K5 curriculums, 1st and 2nd grade readers and had the wonderful opportunity to travel the country giving workshops to educators and administrators. The Lord opened yet another door and I began teaching at a Christian university where I was even privileged to teach a couple of students that had been my kindergarten student’s years before. They wanted to become teachers, like me! I am now in my tenth year of university level teaching. I love what I do- it is my passion to help raise up future teachers that will inspire and love their students. This world needs Christian teachers that will reflect the love of Christ to their students and will show them that there is joy in serving Jesus.

  Favorite Course to Teach:

  I love teaching about the Development of the Young Child. It is exciting to see God’s handiwork in each child.

• Related Links

  Explore more resources related to this field of study:

  • National Association for the Education of Young Children