Educational Leadership Graduate Celebrates 25 Years of Teaching and Plans to Pursue Administration Role

Sharon Bullock ’17 (School of Education) has been teaching for 25 years in Portsmouth Public Schools — 12 years in kindergarten and 13 years in preschool. As a recent Regent University graduate with a master’s in Educational Leadership, Bullock is ready to take her career to the next level by pursuing a position in administration, and she said Regent has paved the way by providing a faith-based foundation.

“The ultimate goal is to do everything with integrity and fairness, and when you integrate faith, those principles are inevitable,” Bullock said. “My classes asked me to integrate faith, so I really had to study the Bible and know it.”

A Virginia native, Bullock was born and raised in Surrey, and her passion for teaching was ignited early by her third-grade teacher whose example of perseverance still inspires her to this day. After receiving her undergraduate degree in early childhood education from Norfolk State University, Bullock became a Bright Star Teacher in the Portsmouth Public School’s Bright Star Preschool Program, a Virginia Preschool Initiative. In 2011, the Portsmouth Public Schools district removed preschools from their elementary schools, and Bullock began teaching at the Olive Branch Preschool Center where she is the Bright Star lead teacher and chair of the Academic Achievement Committee.

“Teaching is one of the most direct ways to make an impact on children,” Bullock said. “I’m driven by a desire to help children because it’s an invaluable contribution to their lives, and at that age, they are like sponges.”

This year, Bullock celebrates 25 years of teaching. Her goal is to become an administrator where she will have the opportunity to make a greater impact on teachers and students. With this in mind, Bullock approached her studies at Regent with intention and practicality in preparation for the real world scenarios she will one day encounter.

“Bullock has utilized the practical aspect of our program very effectively because what we do is teach leadership skills specifically for people who want to be administrators,” said Dr. Glenn Koonce, chair of the Educational Leadership Program. “She’s applied the standards we have for educational leadership, and in doing so, she has focused on the practical level of learning instead of one that is theory based.”

Last summer, Regent gave Bullock the opportunity to intern at Victory Elementary School where she worked with kindergarten, first and second grades. She noted that seeing how an elementary school works is vital as she prepares herself for the next step. Not only has Regent given her practical opportunities, but it has also prepared her to lead through faith and integrity.

“When I’m faced with a task, I consult the Bible and see what it has to say about it,” Bullock said. “I do expect to be an administrator at some point in my life, and that’s when you rule over many, so it’s very important to me to seek what God says and make decisions from there.”

Bullock is leaving the Olive Branch Preschool Center at the end of this school year for a position as a second grade teacher at Churchland Academy in Portsmouth. She plans to stay there for a few years and then move into a leadership position.