Melissa Bengds, Ph.D.

Courses Taught

• CLST 100 Foundations for Academic Success
• EDUC 125: Introduction to Education
• EDUC 221: Content Area Reading and Differentiation
• EDUC 315: Instructional Approaches to Literature for Children and Adolescents
• EDUC 318: Teaching Reading to Diverse Learners
• EDUC/EDST 400s/500s: Student Teaching Courses
• EDST 400s: Reflective Educator: Resource Seminar
• EDSP 323: Special Education Law and Characteristics
• EDSP 360: Learning and Behavior Problems
• EDSP 363: Behavior Management
• EDSP 370: Intervention for Students with Intellectual Disabilities
• EDSP 413: Inclusion and Diversity: Effective Practices and Strategies

Professional Memberships

• International Literacy Association
• Virginia State Reading Association
• Piedmont Area Reading Council
• Counsel for Exceptional Children

Biography

Melissa Bengds serves as a full-time faculty member at Liberty University. She began her career in the Amherst County Public Schools, teaching in a rural/suburban elementary school. She continued her work as a private reading tutor for elementary and middle school students while also serving as a volunteer reading specialist in a local middle school. Dr. Bengds consulted and trained volunteers on a church-wide Sunday school curriculum for K-6 students and students with disabilities. She continues to offer remedial reading testing services and program implementation guidance to parents and educators. After 11 years in the public and private sectors of education, Dr. Bengds joined the field of training teachers to live out their God-given calling of impacting students.

Research Interests

• Educational neuroscience
• Social and emotional learning
• Student engagement