Diane Tutin

Diane Tutin is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Education at Wellesley College, teaching core courses including Child Literacy and the Teaching of Reading (EDUC 310) and Educating English Language Learners (EDUC 325). With eighteen years of K-12 classroom experience spanning urban and suburban settings, she brings extensive practical expertise in elementary education and special needs instruction to her academic role.

Education:

• B.A. from Clark University
• M.Ed. from Framingham State College

Research Interests: Her scholarship centers on children's literature as a transformative tool for literacy development, equity, and academic success. She investigates how quality children's texts foster empathy, identity affirmation for marginalized groups, vocabulary growth, and higher-order thinking. Her work integrates special education methodologies, growth mindset principles, and community-based learning approaches to address diverse student needs including English Language Learners and students with emotional/behavioral challenges.

Professional Affiliations:

• International Literacy Association
• Massachusetts Reading Association
• MATSOL - Massachusetts Teachers of English Learners
• Alpha Upsilon Alpha (International Literacy Association's honor society)

Teaching and Certification: Certified by Massachusetts for Elementary Education (grades 1-6), Moderate Special Needs (preschool-grade 9), and Reading (K-12). She has mentored Elementary Education student teachers for over fifteen years through practicum supervision and methods instruction, while actively participating in regional literacy workshops and professional development institutes.