Mentoring the Mentors with Dr. Jennifer Putnam

Every strong classroom is shaped by a teacher. Every strong school is shaped by leadership. And behind both are the mentors who prepare those educators in the first place.

In this episode of The Bulldog Mindset, host Dr. Greg Pillar sits down with Dr. Jennifer Putnam, Associate Dean in the College of Education and Coordinator of the Ed.D. in Curriculum and Instruction at Gardner-Webb University.

With nearly two decades of experience in K–12 education before transitioning into higher education leadership, Putnam now mentors master’s and doctoral candidates who are leading classrooms, schools, and districts across the region. From dissertation chairing and cohort development to accreditation support and educator mentoring, her work operates at a level many never see — yet its ripple effect reaches far beyond campus.

This conversation explores the hidden infrastructure of educator preparation, the realities of doctoral mentoring, the challenges facing educators in the post-COVID landscape, and the steady leadership required to build programs that truly serve students and schools.

It’s an honest and thoughtful dialogue about formation, mentorship, and the multiplying impact of investing deeply in others.

Tune in to learn more about the people and programs shaping learning and leadership at Gardner-Webb University.

Learn more at gardner-webb.edu/podcast.

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