Alice Lloyd College has a long-standing tradition in preparing teachers for service in the mountains. The College provided teacher preparation and certification programs until 1958, when teachers were no longer certified to teach with only two years of preparation. With the emergence of new requirements for certification, the College focused on liberal arts and pre-professional programs, designed to prepare students for transfer to a four-year degree granting institution. The College successfully completed transition to four-year status in 1982, offering several majors leading to certification in all grade levels. Many recent graduates have joined those of the past to provide educational opportunities for the youth of the mountains.
Mrs. Alice Lloyd felt strongly that mountain people should be educated for leadership. This philosophy became known as Leadership Education, as evidence by the College’s history in providing professional and pre-professional preparation for hundreds of past and present leaders of the Appalachian Mountains. Educators, physicians, lawyers, agriculturalists, accountants, and many other professionals in the area received their initial higher education at Alice Lloyd College. It remains a primary objective of the College to prepare teachers for the region who are professional, dedicated, and committed to the teaching profession.
Student Teaching
Student teaching is a collaborative effort between the rural P-12 schools, cooperating teachers, teacher candidates, college supervisors, and the teacher preparation institution. The goal of student teaching is to provide the teacher candidate opportunities to express individuality, continue building on knowledge and skills, hone leadership abilities, and foster and encourage the development of his or her individual teaching style. Additionally, the student teaching experience requires that the student teacher demonstrate mastery in meeting the Kentucky Teachers Standards and Alice Lloyd College Student Outcomes.Student teaching is the culminating experience for the Alice Lloyd candidate before embarking on a fulfilling career of improving learning for all students.
Mission Statement
The mission of the Alice Lloyd College Teacher Education Program is to educate teacher candidates for positions of leadership in which they demonstrate character, capability, and service.
Please check out the below information for access to important forms, handbooks, and links pertaining to the ALC Department of Education.
Due to new Kentucky state regulations, the resources found on this webpage are undergoing revisions – some changes will be minor, but many will be major. Candidates for the Teacher Education Program (TEP) should contact the Alice Lloyd College Department of Education for current information: Telephone: 606-368-6003
or e-mail: sherrywatts@alc.edu.
The School of Education at Alice Lloyd College is scheduled for a Spring 2013 accreditation review by the Education Professional Standards Board (EPSB).
Teaching Philosophy

Education Department Diversity Outcomes
- Produce Lesson Plans adapted to accommodate diverse populations.
- Implement lessons to include ALL students.
- Modify assessments according to student’s IEP’s/abilities.
- Use technology as an instructional and learning tool for diverse learners.
Meet Our Faculty
Dr. Devorah Kennedy
Dr. Devorah Kennedy received her Masters of Science and Doctoral degrees in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She is co-editor of the book Child in the World/The World in the Child: Education and the Configuration of a Universal, Modern and Globalized Childhood. She has taught at the college level as a teaching assistant at the University of Wisconsin and as an Assistant Professor at the University of New Mexico. She has participated as a project assistant on the NICHD Study of Child Care and Youth Development and as a research associate on the Study of Promising After-School Programs. Prior to pursuing graduate studies she worked as an early childhood educator in Kibbutz Usha, Israel.
Dr. Sherry Long
Dr. Long holds a Doctorate in Education with an emphasis in curriculum and instruction; a master’s degree in Education with an emphasis in gifted education; an Educational Leadership License, including supervisor of instruction, principal, and superintendent; a bachelor’s degree in 1-8 Education with emphases in mathematics and social studies; and an associate’s degree in arts and humanities. She has served the educational field for over 13 years as a gifted classroom teacher and gifted coordinator in the K-12 system for 10 years and currently serves as the Education division chair and assistant professor at Alice Lloyd College. Her research interests include learning and teaching.
Mr. Cloys Thornsberry
Mr. Cloys Thornsberry was born October 17, 1935. He attended the Knott County Public School system. Afterwards, he furthered his education through attendance at Alice Lloyd College where he received his Associates of Arts. After serving in the U.S. Army from 1954 until 1956, he then continued on to the University of Kentucky and gained a Bachelor’s of Arts in Elementary Education and Library Science. Several years later, Mr. Thornsberry returned to school at Morehead State University and received his Master’s in Early Elementary Education, Elementary Principalship/Supervision, and a Rank I.
Mr. Thornsberry has been a part of the faculty of Alice Lloyd College since 1997 when he worked as the Adjunct Professor of Education until 2000. In 2000, he became the Assistant Professor of Education and is also the Supervisor of Student Teachers.
Mr. Thornsberry is involved in many professional organizations including the Kentucky Education Association, the National Education Association, the Kentucky Association of Elementary Principals, the National Association of Elementary Principals, and the Kentucky Association of School Educators.
Mr. Norman Bishop
Mr. Bishop serves as an Assistant Professor of Education at Alice Lloyd College. He received his B.A. and M.A. from the University of Wyoming. He is currently working towards his Ph.D. at Northern Arizona University and is expected to complete his studies this year.
Mr. Bishop most recently served as a clinical assistant professor at Northern Arizona University. He has also worked as an education program specialist with the Arizona Department of Education, an instructor at Seattle Pacific University, and a reading specialist at Fife High School in Tacoma, Washington. This mix of college and K-12 experience, along with an undergraduate and graduate background in special education, makes Mr. Bishop an ideal person to help ALC implement a special education program.
Dr. Gerald Walford

Dr. Gerald Walford received his B.A. from the University of North Dakota and an M.A. from Ithaca College. He holds a Ph.D. in sports psychology from the University of Maryland. Walford played college hockey for North Dakota from 1958-61. He served as team captain during his senior season and scored a goal in the 1959 NCAA Championship game, which North Dakota went on to win.
Walford coached the Ohio State University hockey team from 1972-75. Now, serving as an instructor at Alice Lloyd College, he brings a wealth of experience to his classes and to ALC’s Eagles Golf team. He is a PGA professional in the state of Kentucky, and has been a Level III member of the United States Certified Golf Teaching Professionals since 1992.
Dr. Walford has written a large number of sports psychology and coaching books, including The Golf Whisperer, Golf’s Power Secrets, and Controlling Adversity.