Dr. Rebecca Dierking
Professor of English Education
Fall 2024 Office Hours:
By Appointment.
BA, Central Methodist University; MSEd, Northwest Missouri State University; PhD, University of Missouri—Columbia.
BA, Central Methodist University; MSEd, Northwest Missouri State University; PhD, University of Missouri—Columbia.
Dr. Dierking began teaching at Truman in 2012. She teaches Management of Instruction in Secondary English, the third in Truman's pedagogical series for English Education MAE students; Young Adult Literature; Mindful Reading, Writing, and Research; the JINS course: YAL and Controversy; and graduate literature courses in True Crime and the foundational texts of YAL. Dr. Dierking's current research interests include how people use writing to work through traumas or other difficult life situations, the usefulness of mindfulness and other contemplative practices, and various topics related to true crime literature.
She is a native Missourian, forever a preacher's kid, and a lifelong student. After earning her BA, she worked in journalism in central Missouri. Earning her MSEd, she then taught for several years in Missouri public schools before earning her PhD. Her interests include reading, writing creatively, going to auctions, traveling, and antiquing. "I originally wanted to go into restoration architecture, so now I expend that passion remodeling my house and planning for future projects."
Dr. Dierking's favorite novel is Jane Austen's Persuasion. She also enjoys the work of young adult novelists Kwame Alexander, Rainbow Rowell, David Levithan, Laurie Halse Anderson, Ransom Riggs, Angie Thomas, and Markus Zusak.