She holds a Doctoral degree in Elementary Education from The University of Georgia, as well as a Master's degree in Elementary Education and a Bachelor of Arts in History from The University of Virginia. Her research interests include preservice teacher education at the undergraduate and graduate level, teacher practices in grades 4-8, and young adolescents middle school experiences. Current research projects include investigations of MAT students' developing beliefs about teaching, pre-service teachers identification of critical incidents during field experiences, and the role of peer observations in pre-service teachers' professional development. Dr. Parker teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in classroom management and instructional planning and supervises pre-service teachers' field experiences.