Lauren Heberling is an instructor in the Educational Foundations and Exceptionalities department at James Madison University's College of Education. She holds both a bachelor's and master's degree in special education from JMU and is currently pursuing a doctorate in curriculum, instruction, and educational equity, also at JMU.

Lauren teaches in both the Bachelor of Individualized Studies—Special Education (BIS-SPED) program and the on-campus special education program. Beyond the classroom, she enjoys observing practicum and student teachers in her role as a university supervisor.

Passionate about educational equity and teacher retention, Lauren focuses on fostering inclusive learning environments. As a Learning Access through Universal Design fellow, she has worked to implement Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles that enhance content accessibility for teacher candidates. Her research explores equitable educational practices, and she has contributed to initiatives aimed at improving online course accessibility for diverse student populations.

In collaboration with fellow faculty members, she has developed tools that help special education teachers manage their caseloads more effectively and balance their workload. As a continuation of this work, she is exploring how these tools can be integrated into special education teachers’ practices to increase equity for students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds.

Advice for students:

• Focus on one day, one class, one assignment at a time. Trying to take on everything at once will exhaust you.
• Always remember, you are teaching tiny humans!