Leon Underwood

Background

Leon Underwood is on the faculty of the Department of Teacher Education and holds a Ph.D. from the University of Michigan. Before Porter, Leon taught in a technical high-school program.

Leon's work centers on teaching and curriculum in classroom management and career and technical education, including course redesign and mentoring newer instructors.

Areas of expertise

• Classroom management
• Career and technical education
• Undergraduate research and project mentoring

Teaching

Leon regularly teaches courses in Education, Early Childhood Education, Career & Technical Education. Specific sections and syllabi are listed in the class schedule each term.

Leon designs courses around clear, visible learning outcomes, frequent retrieval practice, and prompt feedback, and revises the sequence each year based on where students actually get stuck.

Advising and office hours

Leon advises students in the Teacher Education programs and holds weekly office hours during the fall and spring terms, posted on the office door and in the course pages. Prospective students are welcome to email to arrange a visit or a call.

Advising conversations usually cover course sequencing, whether to add a minor or a concentration, and how classroom work connects to internships, research, or graduate study. Students who are undecided are welcome; part of the job is helping them narrow things down.

Recent and representative work

Leon's recent activity centers on teaching scholarship and curriculum work in classroom management and career and technical education. Representative items:

• A redesigned course sequence in classroom management, with open or low-cost materials.
• A conference presentation on teaching career and technical education at the undergraduate level.
• Mentoring of new instructors and teaching assistants in the department.

Titles and venues here are illustrative. UW–Porter Falls is fictional; Leon has no real publication record.

Get in touch

The fastest way to reach Leon is email (lunderwood@uwporterfalls.edu); messages during the fall and spring terms are usually answered within two business days. Prospective students and families can ask the Teacher Education department office to set up a call, a class visit, or a meeting during an admitted-student day.