Janet Wood Varner

Biography

Janet Wood Varner is a life long educator (and learner). She has taught in a variety of K-12 settings for over 20 years, specializing in the areas of math, science and literacy in inclusion classrooms for both elementary and secondary settings, as well as teacher coaching/mentoring. She holds a BA in Music from SMCM, Master of Arts in Teaching from Notre Dame of Maryland University, Master of Science in Educational Leadership from Towson University, and Doctorate in Higher Education from Concordia University. She is a National Board Certified Teacher in the area of Middle Childhood Generalist. During her time teaching in several higher education settings over the years, she has specialized in the areas of engagement and access to learning for diverse populations of adult learners. As a proud Alum, she joined the Educational Studies Department at SMCM in 2019, and now teaches a wide array of courses for the undergraduate and graduate programs. Additionally, she teaches and designs courses for the Math Department meant to "catalyze change"(NCTM, 2023) about what is meant by the concept of access and equity to mathematics for all.