Paula Funderburk

Paula credits her love of hands-on science inquiry to two things: her own childhood, which she spent immersed in nature and her 30 years of joyful classroom experiences as an educator. Children’s innate senses of wonder and curiosity have always inspired her to join in their questioning and exploration.

Paula has also had the pleasure of training teachers in her role as a professional educational consultant for over 20 years. She passionately assists educators in implementing a vibrant science curriculum in their classroom.

For 10 years, Paula served as a curriculum director at a private school. One of her primary responsibilities was the ongoing professional development of a staff of 35 teachers. Through monthly staff development training and daily side-by-side instructional coaching, Paula inspired and guided teachers along their own developmental continuums.

One of Paula’s most recent endeavors was as a literacy consultant for federal reading grants. Her area of specialization was demonstrating the integration of literacy development in content areas including science. Paula designed a demonstration classroom environment in which she modeled for teachers various ways they could support literacy development with their students through hands-on science activities. Her demonstrations were used to develop videos used as tools for professional training.

Currently, Paula teaches in the Curriculum and Instruction Department at Texas State University. Her students are studying to become elementary school teachers. She conducts seminars in assessment driven literacy instruction and supervises her student interns in mentor classrooms in Round Rock Independent School District.

Paula holds a Master’s degree in education, certification to teach in Texas and an International Baccalaureate Certification. She looks forward to teaching with Lupine Lane, where she will assist children’s discovery of the wonders of the world in which we live.