Though Glenne’ Whisenhunt, PhD, began working at Mid-America Christian University as an associate professor and the director of the School of Teacher Education in 2024, she actually started her education career when she was in the first grade. As the child of two educators, one of Whisenhunt’s favorite games was playing school. She was, of course, always the teacher.
“My poor brother had to sit through my classes,” she says with a laugh.
But what started out as pretend quickly became reality. As she got older, Whisenhunt frequently found herself tutoring her classmates. Then, in 1991, she earned her Bachelor’s in Chemistry Education and started her career in earnest.
Since then, Whisenhunt has used her gifts not only to teach in secondary school classrooms but also to train and advocate for educators across Oklahoma and to bring children across Cleveland County closer to Christ by serving as a preschool and children’s ministry program administrator and coordinator.
This passion and expertise serves her well in the MACU community, where she works diligently to keep the department’s curricula relevant and meaningful for future and current educators.
Giving All Students the Tools to Succeed
Whisenhunt spent 13 years in the classroom. She primarily taught high school science, chemistry, biology, and physics, but she has experience teaching at the middle school level as well.
Because of her command of the subject matter, Whisenhunt often taught Advanced Placement (AP) classes. But as much as she loved that experience, the highlight of her career was working closely with students who had a harder time mastering the science-based curriculum.
“My heart always went out to those who struggled,” she says. “My favorite part [of being a teacher] was seeing students overcome those challenges, seeing them just really achieve. For some, walking across the stage was something they didn’t think they would ever get to do.”
In fact, Whisenhunt was so invested in reaching struggling students that she wrote a biology textbook specifically for students who had to take the class more than once.
“We took biology and really applied it to [the students’] daily lives to help them understand it,” she says. The book takes biological theories and discusses them in tangible ways that students can relate to, such as how they pertain to students’ personal health and nutrition. “Students were able to grasp some pretty significant biological concepts.”
The Transition to Principalship
For her commitment to her students’ success, Whisenhunt received the Teacher of the Year award in her district and was in the top 10 finalists for the same distinction at the state level. When her high school’s principal decided to move on, local administrators knew just the person they wanted to fill the vacancy.
“This was in a time when school testing was really coming on to the forefront in a huge way and buildings were being held accountable for high test scores to make the grade on the school report card,” she says.
As a classroom teacher, Whisenhunt would give her students practice tests to both track their progress and build their confidence. She found that this strategy was also successful on a school-wide level and helped make test time a less intimidating affair.
“I felt so much pride when our school did well and the teachers came together,” she says. “We were unified and we were working hard to help our students be successful. It was a good experience.”
Uplifting Oklahoma’s Educational Community
After making a splash as a principal, Whisenhunt was approached by a local state university that offered her an irresistible opportunity to move into higher education. “They said, ‘Hey, we can pay you to go get your PhD and you get to train principals and superintendents across the state,’” she says.
While earning her PhD, Whisenhunt provided professional development for area principals, superintendents, and faculty members throughout Oklahoma. She also completed a dissertation on incorporating technology into the classroom.
Once she completed her PhD program in 2009, Whisenhunt became the director of the learning and teaching center at an area community college, where she focused her talents on training content experts — college professors with subject expertise but little background in education — to be better teachers. She also helped to overhaul the school’s general education curriculum.
Representing Oklahoma’s Teachers
During this time, Whisenhunt became a fierce advocate for teachers in the state, and, in 2023, she delivered an impactful speech at the annual Oklahoma Legislators Retreat.
“My message was we as teachers are here, and we are working hard. We want Oklahoma to be the very best state in the country, but you’ve got to help us out,” she says. “It was very daunting, to be honest. I wanted to be motivating and inspiring but also challenging. I really wanted to leave them with a call of action.”
Since then, Whisenhunt feels some progress has been made; for example, state legislators have enacted a law that gives student teachers a stipend during their teaching semester. She believes this helps make becoming an educator more attainable for people who might otherwise struggle financially during an unpaid experience.
Whisenhunt is quick to downplay her role in making that happen, but there’s no doubt that she continues to be an important voice for students, teachers, and families in the state.
Sharing Her Talents Through Children’s Ministry
While Whisenhunt uses her talents to uplift Oklahoma’s educational community, she also uses them for an even higher calling: to serve Jesus Christ and spread his word. For the last 30 years, she’s helped churches all over her community establish and run preschool and children’s ministry programs.
Currently, she’s the preschool program administrator at Northeast Baptist Church, a community she’s served and been a member of since 2011.
Initially, Whisenhunt intended to help them write their policies, organize their classrooms, and then step away. However, the church kept growing, and it soon needed a bigger preschool and children’s ministry staff. Whisenhunt took that as a sign.
“I kept trying to plan my departure, and God kept saying, ‘You’re not done here yet. You need to just wait.’ And, yeah, the rest is history,” she says. “I feel very blessed. It’s been an amazing church family.”
Coming Full Circle at Mid-America Christian University
For Whisenhunt, being a Christian and an educator go hand in hand. “God gave everybody unique gifts and abilities and talents,” she says. “It’s our job as teachers to help people identify them and figure out how to use them to the best of their ability.”
However, for most of her career, Whisenhunt had to keep her spiritual and professional identities completely separate. But, in 2024, that all changed.
That year, Whisenhunt had a chance conversation in which she learned that Mid-America Christian University was looking for a new director for its School of Teacher Education — the position she’d been striving for. She became excited by the opportunity after reading about the institution’s mission and principles, and when she got the position, she knew she was in the right place.
“It is a real joy to be able to pray with my students, to be able to talk to them about differences in students and the way God designed them,” she says. “I’m no longer segmented. I get to be a whole person.”
Become the Best Educator You Can Be at Mid-America Christian University
As excited as Glenne’ Whisenhunt is to begin a new chapter in her life, Mid-America Christian University is equally excited to welcome her into the fold. Her passion for education, love for Christ, and deep expertise are already felt throughout the institution as she teaches, advises, and administers MACU’s online and in-person education degree programs.
For example, Whisenhunt plays an integral part in guiding new professionals through their student teaching experiences, mentoring them one-on-one about how to manage their classrooms and navigate their conversations with parents. She’s also helping to bring technology enhancements to MACU’s education curricula that will allow students to practice these skills in online simulations before they enter the field.
Given her experience, though, Whisenhunt’s insights are as valuable to graduate students as they are to undergraduate students and those seeking alternative pathways to certification. To find out which path is right for you, request more information about MACU’s online, on-campus, and hybrid education degree programs today.
Recommended Readings
Careers in Education: Teaching and Beyond
Early Childhood Education vs. Elementary Education: Choosing the Right Specialization for Your Teaching Career
How Long Does It Take to Become a Teacher?