For over twenty years, I have grown as a teacher because I am always learning - from students, colleagues, family, research, risks, successes, and failure. I have taught fourth and fifth graders, science to seventh graders, and now I teach college students who are becoming teachers.

As a Teaching Ambassador Fellow at the U.S. Department of Education in both the Bush and Obama administrations, I worked on teaching quality issues. This grew from my doctoral work at Vanderbilt University, and my desire to elevate and advance teaching. Now I work with schools across the country to improve policies and teaching practice.

​My youngest daughter tells me, "My friends don't know what kind of doctor you are, so I just tell them you are a teacher." A teacher and learner is what I will always aspire to be. 

​At Baylor University, I am currently serving some of the best education leaders in the country through the School of Education and through the Center for School Leadership. 

Teaching science to 5th grades.

Doctoral work at Vanderbilt complete!

Keynote address to Education Ministers from the G8, Middle East, and North Africa in Muscat, Oman.

Speaking with Secretary Duncan and other teacher leaders at the U.S. Department of Education.

Exploring Bernoulli's Principle with pre-service teachers.

Selected Publications

Find my complete CV here.

Eckert, J. (2023). Just teaching: Feedback, engagement, and well-being for each student. Corwin.

*Eckert, J., Morgan, G., & Padgett, N. (2022). Collective leadership: Developing a tool to assess readiness and efficacy. Journal of Psychoeducational Assessment, 40(4). https://doi.org/10.1177/07342829211072284

*Eckert, J. & Butler, J. (2021). Teaching and leading for exemplary STEM learning: A multiple-case study. Elementary School Journal, 121(4), 674-699. 

*Urick, A., Carpenter, B. W., & Eckert, J. (2021). Confronting COVID: Crisis leadership, turbulence, and self-care. Frontiers in Education, 6(72). 

Eckert, J. (2021). Eight steps to making feedback more effective. Edutopia. 
 
Eckert, J. (2021). Ten teacher-tested picks for best tech tools. Edutopia.
 
Johnson, E. L. & Eckert, J. (2021). Five ways to take some of the distance out of distance learning. Edutopia.  

Eckert, J. (2020). Three keys to a better 2020-21. Edutopia. 

*Eckert, J., & Daughtrey, A. (2019). Teacher leadership development: Tracking one district's progress over three years. Education Policy Analysis Archives 27(42).​ 

*Eckert, J. (2018). Collective leadership development: Emerging themes from urban, suburban, and rural high schools. Educational Administration Quarterly, 55(3). 477-509 

Eckert, J., Cann, B., Rammer, B., & Schuler, J. (2018, September 17). How to build a better teacher contract. Education Week.

Eckert, J. (2018). Leading together: Teachers and administrators improving student outcomes. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.

*Smylie, M., & Eckert, J. (2018). Beyond superheroes and advocacy: Teacher leadership development for school improvement. Education Management, Administration, and Leadership 46(4), 556-577. 

Eckert, J. (2017, September 13). The no in innovate. Edutopia.

Eckert, J. (2016, November). How sex ed made me a better teacher. Phi Delta Kappan, 98(3), 80. 

Eckert, J. (2016, September 30). Three ways to be less boring. Edutopia.
 
Eckert, J. (2016, March 30). Bring joy back into the classroom. Education Week, 35(26), 21. 

Eckert, J. (2016). The novice advantage: Fearless practice for every teacher. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.

*Eckert, J., Ulmer, J., Khatchatryan, E., & Ledesma, P. (2015). Career pathways of teacher leaders: Adding and path-finding new professional roles. Professional Development in Education.
 
Eckert, J. (2014, October). Teach like a novice: Classroom management lessons from beginning teachers. Phi Delta Kappan, 96(2), 13-18.

*Eckert, J. (2014). Christian liberal arts teacher preparation for 21st century students. Religion & Education, 41(2), 207-219. Retrieved from 
 
Eckert, J. (2013, February). Increasing educator effectiveness: Lessons learned from selected TIF sites. A report for Capitol Hill prepared with funding from the National Institute for Excellence in Teaching.
 
Eckert, J., & Byrd, A. (2012, December). A different kind of education gap. Phi Delta Kappan, 94(4), 49-52.
 
*Berry, B. & Eckert, J. (2012). Creating teacher incentives for school excellence and equity. Boulder, CO: National Education Policy Center.
 
Eckert, J. (2011, December). Teachers and faith. Phi Delta Kappan, 93(4), 20-23.
 
Eckert, J. (Ed.). (2011). Labor management relationships as a vehicle to advance reform: Findings from the U.S. Department of Education’s Labor Management Conference. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Education. 
 
Eckert, J. (2010). Performance-based compensation: Design and implementation at six teacher incentive fund sites. Santa Monica, CA: National Institute for Excellence in Teaching. White paper funded by The Gates Foundation and The Joyce Foundation prepared for Capitol Hill legislators and staffers.
 
*Eckert, J. (2010, Spring). Compensation and collaboration: Comprehensively improving teaching effectiveness. Voices in Urban Education, 27, 24-34. Brown University: The Annenberg Institute for School Reform.
 
Eckert, J. & Dabrowski, J. (2010, May). Should value-added measures be used for performance pay? Phi Delta Kappan, 91(8), 88-92.

*Denotes peer review

Workshops

Sample Workshops

Well-being, engagement, and feedback for each student

Four questions to drive improvement

Collective leadership for catalytic improvement

Teach like a novice

Strategic compensation

Using evidence well