In a profession that can be challenging and undervalued, Dannelley reminds faculty members and students to center hope in order to create the positive changes possible within their local schools and communities.
Dannelley’s personal and professional background led to her current role. Four years ago, she retired from a career as a K-12 educator in Guntersville, Alabama, in order to find a position in which she could guide pre-service teachers.
As part of a family of educators—both of her parents and her sister are in the field, as well—she knew that she had the classroom and administrative experience to offer meaningful direction to future educators. She also knew that such caring guidance would be vital for pre-service and new educators at a time of teacher burnout and shortages. The position at Spring Hill opened at the right time, and Dannelley says that everything came together for her to secure her “dream job.”
Responding Deftly to Changes and Challenges
Dannelley stepped into her role at Spring Hill during a time of transition in its Division of Education. The Alabama legislature had passed new literacy and numeracy acts which aim to improve reading and math instruction in Alabama public schools, where many Spring Hill graduates find employment; the acts caused many education departments across the state to reconsider the content of their curricula. Spring Hill’s Division of Education had also undergone extensive faculty turnover around the same time. Additionally, Dannelley started her work when Spring Hill was under accreditation review, so she was also in charge of the details involved in that intensive process. Michael Ferry, associate provost for Academic Affairs at Spring Hill College, values the way that Dannelley “quickly generated stability and constancy” in this time of transition with “an incredibly steady hand.”
Rather than being overwhelmed with the new educational requirements and other challenges, Dannelley embraced the moment as an opportunity to reimagine what her division could deliver to Spring Hill students—and thereby, to Alabama classrooms. Over two years, Dannelley worked closely with her team to completely re-design their literacy courses; they drew on current research in the science of reading to include the most recent literacy strategies in order to fulfill the new state standards. They took stock of needed changes by assessing their previous courses and collaborating with national experts via conferences and personal communication. As Ferry states, they were also in contact with the Alabama State Department of Education to ensure their curriculum complied with the changing standards. Dannelley notes that wholesale course revision of the type they undertook presents additional challenges in an institution of higher education; once they decided the direction they wanted to take and how to meet the new Alabama requirements, they then needed to work with the Spring Hill curriculum oversight committee to move through the process of getting the changes approved.
As Dannelley took stock of the needs in Alabama schools and the expertise within her division, she and the stakeholders redesigning the curriculum decided to focus their program mainly on elementary education. As she observes, the state needs strong general education teachers at that level, and the faculty members in the Division of Education have the requisite strengths in K-6 instruction. Elisabeth Raftery, assistant professor of Education at Spring Hill, remarks that Dannelley was trusted to “guide the ship” through these seas of substantial change due to her extensive classroom and administrative expertise and the collaborative information networks she had cultivated.
In working through the process of redesigning the curriculum, Dannelley and her team were guided by the principle of wanting their graduates to be fully ready “on day one” as classroom teachers. This vision means that they strive to make sure that each Spring Hill Division of Education graduate has a firm foundation in all of the strategies and skills they need to be effective classroom teachers right from the start. Additionally, Dannelley says, they pay close attention to helping their students develop vital “soft skills” that will enable them to be more effective teachers: the faculty members aim to ensure their graduates are both confident and emotionally regulated, that they believe in the purpose of education, and that they know how to care for themselves once they have secured employment in this demanding profession.
The first class to benefit from the new curriculum graduated in May 2025. Dannelley has been excited to watch them move through the program and to see the variety of places they have headed. In Alabama, education majors who have completed their undergraduate degrees can apply for Class B teaching certificates, allowing them to secure employment as classroom teachers once they pass praxis exams and other required assessments. Some members of the 2025 class will be working in public and private K-6 schools; some will be volunteering in a Jesuit mission; and some will continue their academic studies in graduate school. Dannelley appreciates that the students are moving into many diverse kinds of positions because her goal is for each student to “cross the stage at graduation with lots of choices.”
Learning from and with Community Partners
Dannelley emphasizes the idea that, because their students will be serving children, their division’s practice really matters. She points out that this understanding creates a sense of urgency for Spring Hill faculty members and students alike. Dannelley and her team are maintaining the relationships they developed in the curriculum revision process so that they can continually bring information from current research into their classrooms, providing their students with the most effective teaching methods.
Dannelley wants to avoid stagnation in her program, so she regularly seeks feedback from community partners to use for improvement. For one example, Raftery notes that Dannelley frequently polls the principals of schools where Spring Hill students are placed to ask what other skills or competencies they need. Dannelley wants to identify any holes in the curriculum so that their students are ready to be as effective as possible when they enter the classroom as teachers, whether in student placements or in their professional lives.
Dannelley also facilitates the sharing of valuable lessons among the student body and campus community. At the end of each academic year, she organizes an event at which each graduating education major gives a short speech discussing their development as a teacher over the previous four years. Strikingly, the Spring Hill Division of Education ensures that its students have frequent school-based placements beginning in their first year, so every student has a wealth of experience to discuss. This event draws many attendees, including fellow students and family members. Spring Hill’s president and CFO each make a point of being present, as well—the latter saying that the stories help him to remember “why we do what we do.”
Raftery also calls attention to the annual dinner that Dannelley arranges with the division’s community partners in order to gain additional important feedback. During their time together, Dannelley asks what Spring Hill’s Division of Education can do better. Additionally, she asks the group one of her favorite questions: “What gave you hope?” Raftery points out that Dannelley often asks this question of her students when they reflect on challenging classroom experiences. Dannelley invites her student to notice what gave them hope in the situation, even with the challenges. She also invites her students to consider what might they be able to do in response to the situation in order to make positive change.
Mentor with a View to the Future
Dannelley says that Spring Hill attracts many kinds of education majors, and many of them have strong ties to their communities; they wish to be trained as teachers so that they can return to their communities in order to improve them. This goal aligns with Dannelley’s philosophy that “you cannot change the world, but you can change where you are.” As she notes, schools often play a part in the feel of a local community—thriving schools can engender local residents’ trust. As a result, Dannelley states, “We want our students to understand that impact; they won’t get rich, but they will have an immeasurable impact on many lives.”
Dannelley works diligently to recruit people to the education profession. In the future, she aims to expand her role as an ambassador for education, sharing her own stories from her professional career. She has observed that many college students do not want to study education, and those who do often get pushback from their friends and family who see such work as undesirable. By contrast, Dannelley hopes to help everyone see that education is still an honorable occupation; her pitch is both simple and profound: “Every child needs a great teacher.”
Dannelley is that great teacher to her own students and advisees. Ferry admires how “incredibly responsive” Dannelley is to her students; they look up to her and appreciate the enduring connection she makes with them. Raftery has enjoyed Dannelley’s mentorship in several capacities. Raftery was an administrative assistant in the Division of Education when Dannelley took the chair position, and she subsequently earned a degree in Education from Spring Hill. After earning her master’s degree, Raftery began covering classes as an adjunct in the division, and she is now working full time as a tenure-track professor. At each step of the way, Raftery appreciated Dannelley’s mentorship. Through Dannelley’s gentle guidance, Raftery was able to realize that her calling is to develop future teachers, particularly those who wish to work in Catholic schools. Raftery knows that she would not have “had the courage or inclination” to have this realization on her own, so she is incredibly thankful for Dannelley’s guidance.
Raftery sees that Dannelley “constantly” meets with many others who appreciate her mentorship, as well. Many of Dannelley’s former students, now working in their own classrooms, call with questions such as how to manage specific children’s needs or how to collaborate productively with their administrators. As Raftery says, “Forming future teachers doesn’t end at graduation; the first five years are crucial.” Out of love for her profession and her students, Dannelley selflessly provides mentoring support for the long haul.
As Dannelley points out, the field of education can be extremely challenging. Beyond the expectations of her professorial role, she feels called to take on roles in coaching, mentoring, and developing future educators. Raftery notes that Dannelley also gets tapped for demanding campus service work because her voice and experience are so valuable to the Spring Hill College community.
Despite the rigors of the career and demands of the job, Dannelley offers a model for other educators by ensuring that the students in her program have the means and capabilities they need to excel in their work. She provides inspiration to the field by focusing on the hopeful, positive changes that teachers can facilitate—in their students’ lives, in their local schools, and in their communities—reminding everyone she encounters that education continues to be not only a viable but also a vital profession.
