Beth Smith Feger

Beth Smith Feger is a clinical assistant professor of early childhood education in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction at the University of Texas at Austin. She serves as a cohort coordinator for preservice teachers seeking early childhood through sixth grade certification. She also works directly with preservice and in-service teachers supervising the fieldwork component of the students’ professional development over the course of three semesters. She has her PhD in early childhood education from the University of Texas at Austin and is a former special education and elementary teacher. While working with first and third grade students, she often struggled to find the balance between preparing students for state-mandated testing and meeting the needs of the children in her class. She worked to create a positive learning environment for students and help them deal with the rigorous demands of high-stakes accountability.