Kelly Falvey, Ed.D., MA

Patient, person-centered and positive learning is central to Kelly’s approach to teaching. Kelly began her 18 years of experience in secondary education as a social studies educator; her career evolved to include roles in department and committee leadership, school library media and adult education for multilingual learners.

Kelly seeks to build bridges between educator preparation and PreK-12 school systems by coordinating, teaching and advising in two educational settings: an educator preparation program and a magnet high school. Each role is grounded in social justice and social emotional learning. While supporting pre-service social studies teachers, Kelly also works closely with school counselors and high school juniors in the Connecticut River Academy’s dual-enrollment program, co-maintained by LEARN and Goodwin University. Southern Connecticut State University’s History Department and the J. Philip Smith Outstanding Teaching committee selected Kelly for the university’s Adjunct Faculty Teaching Award in 2022.

There is a deep care that Kelly brings to her work about building partnerships to ensure that personal development is inclusive and differentiated in any learning setting. Outside of schools, Kelly serves as an assistant registrar at the polls and is a board member for the Connecticut Council for the Social Studies and Sarah, Inc. In her free time, you can find Kelly traveling to Philadelphia and Seattle to visit family or enjoying the outdoors of Branford’s shoreline. Kelly loves binging shows, listening to podcasts and attending live comedy and music. 

Dissertation

Unlocking Classroom Discourse: Supporting Early Career Teachers in Their Development of Culturally Inclusive Social-Emotional Teaching Practices

Education

• Bachelor of Science in History, Minor in Environmental Studies, Southern Connecticut State University
• Master of Arts in Liberal Studies, Wesleyan University