Dr. Kim Jedlicka, assistant professor of special education, is the 2021 SCICU Excellence In Teaching award recipient for Southern Wesleyan University. She holds a Ph.D. in curriculum and instruction from Clemson University. Jedlicka also earned a post-Master’s certification in elementary principalship / supervision, an M.A. in special education, and a B.A. in elementary education, all from Clemson University.
At Southern Wesleyan, Jedlicka teaches a wide variety of education classes. Her special education classes include methods for teaching students with learning disabilities and teaching students with emotional and behavioral disorders. Jedlicka’s course load also includes foundations of education, science methods for early childhood, and foundations of reading.
Jedlicka has demonstrated a lifelong passion for teaching and education leadership in the Upstate of South Carolina and brings significant real-world experience into her SWU classrooms. SWU students benefit greatly from her experiences that include elementary special education, teaching third grade, serving as an elementary school principal, and county district office leadership roles.
Working with students in high-poverty schools has been a significant focus in Jedlicka’s scholarly research. She has given multiple presentations on this topic at conferences of the National Association of Early Childhood Teacher Educators. Jedlicka’s dissertation also highlighted similar issues: “The emotional impact of teaching in a high poverty school on first year, early childhood teachers in rural South Carolina.”
Jedlicka holds professional memberships in the Council for Exceptional Children, S.C. Association for School Administrators, the Association of Supervision and Curriculum Development, the International Reading Association, and many others.