Appalachian’s Dr. Cheryl Lee — preparing prospective teachers

BOONE, N.C. — Dr. Cheryl Lee taught middle and high school family and consumer sciences in Texas and Alabama prior to completing her Ph.D. and coming to Appalachian State University as an instructor in 1994.

“My teaching experiences at the high school level inspired me to become a teacher educator,” she said. “Appalachian was a great fit for me with its exceptional education programs.”

As a professor in Appalachian’s career and technical education (CTE) – family and consumer sciences education program, Lee prepares future educators to teach in these areas:

• Foods, nutrition and wellness.
• Consumer education and resource management.
• Family living, interpersonal relationships and parenting.
• Child development.
• Housing and interior design.
• Apparel, fashion and textiles.

“I enjoy working with teacher candidates who will be teaching these critical life skills to high school students,” Lee shared. “All of the coursework is so relevant — what I teach in my college courses, as well as what the future educators will teach to their high school students.”

Lee’s research interests focus on effective teaching methods in her field, and she said her findings have influenced her own teaching. “I want students to have a clear understanding of the course content, but equally as important, have an understanding of how to effectively teach their students,” Lee said.

Appalachian is the only university in the state in which the family and consumer sciences concentration is housed within a CTE program. The coursework is offered both on-campus for residential students and through App State Online.

“We have a strong CTE faculty, which simulates the kind of community students will find in their future positions as family and consumer science teachers at the high school level,” Lee said.

The Reich College of Education at Appalachian offers seven different concentrations for the CTE degree program. Graduates of the CTE undergraduate degree program may choose to enter the industry as teachers at the middle and high school levels, or as trainers or instructors at community colleges, career centers or cooperative extension agencies.

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Career and Technical Education (BS) - Family and Consumer Sciences Education

Appalachian’s Career and Technical Education (BS) degrees prepare students to teach about technology, business, child development, design and engineering.

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About the Department of Curriculum and Instruction

The Department of Curriculum and Instruction offers a broad range of comprehensive degree programs at the baccalaureate and master’s levels. The department seeks to provide quality programs that emphasize the integration of academics and field experiences. Learn more at https://ci.appstate.edu.

About the Department of Family and Child Studies

The Department of Family and Child Studies in Appalachian State University's Reich College of Education prepares students to assume professional roles working with children and families in school and non-school settings. The department focuses on the developmental study of families and children in all areas of society and in all cultures. Learn more at https://fcs.appstate.edu.

About the Reich College of Education

Appalachian State University offers one of the largest undergraduate teacher preparation programs in North Carolina, graduating about 500 teachers a year. The Reich College of Education enrolls more than 2,000 students in its bachelor's, master's, education specialist and doctoral degree programs. With so many teacher education graduates working in the state, there is at least one RCOE graduate teaching in every county in North Carolina. Learn more at https://rcoe.appstate.edu.

About Appalachian State University

As the premier public undergraduate institution in the Southeast, Appalachian State University prepares students to lead purposeful lives as global citizens who understand and engage their responsibilities in creating a sustainable future for all. The Appalachian Experience promotes a spirit of inclusion that brings people together in inspiring ways to acquire and create knowledge, to grow holistically, to act with passion and determination, and to embrace diversity and difference. Located in the Blue Ridge Mountains, Appalachian is one of 17 campuses in the University of North Carolina System. Appalachian enrolls nearly 21,000 students, has a low student-to-faculty ratio and offers more than 150 undergraduate and graduate majors.