John Farris

Harris Chair of Teacher Education
Director of Teacher Education
Associate Professor of Education

Shawnee Hall 208A
405.878.2115

OBU Box 61771
500 W. University
Shawnee, OK 74804


Dr. John Farris joined the OBU faculty for the 2004-2005 school year. Before coming to OBU, he worked as a director of teacher education and the graduate program for a Kentucky College. He has been in the public school arena as a middle school and high school teacher, middle school learning director, middle school assistant principal, high school principal and Christian school superintendent. He has memberships a number of professional organizations. He is on the executive board of the Oklahoma Association of Colleges of Teacher Education. Dr. Farris is the faculty secretary of Omicron Delta Kappa. As an educator, Dr. Farris’ underlying passion and goal is not to be teaching people to just know what they do not know (contrary to the popular notion), but for his students to behave differently, reflecting the greater accuracy of information acquired, and better ways of evaluating and interpreting that information into their own future classrooms. Dr. Farris and his wife Kerry have one daughter, Johnelle; and one grandson, David. Dr. Farris is a member of Immanuel Baptist Church.


Educational Background:


B.A., Fresno State College
M.A., California State University
Ed.D., University of the Pacific

Courses Taught:

EDUC 2012: Educational Foundations
EDUC 3093: Principles of Secondary Education

Selected Publications and/or Professional Activities:

“Teaching in the Model of Jesus Christ,” Association of Christian Schools International, San Diego, CA, July 2007

“Engaging College Students in the Post Modern Era”, Association of Christian Schools International, San Francisco, CA, July 2006

“Secondary Administrators: Their Impact”, Association of Christian Schools International, Lexington, KY, April 2005

“Creating Conditions for School Change, the Role of Leadership”, National Association of Secondary School Principals, Austin, TX, February 2004

“Teaching in the Model of Jesus Christ”, Association of Christian Schools International, Lexington, KY, November 2004