Rate My Professor Toni Poling

Toni Poling serves as Department Chair and Assistant Professor of Education in the College of Education, Health and Human Performance at Fairmont State University. Her office is located in 333 Education Building, with contact available at (304) 367-4160. Poling's academic credentials include an Ed.D. from Walden University (ABD), an M.A. from West Virginia University, and a B.A. from West Virginia University, earned cum laude through WVU’s 5-Year Teacher Education Program with a focus on English and secondary education.

Prior to her appointment at Fairmont State University, Poling built an acclaimed career in K-12 education as a secondary English teacher. A 1999 graduate of Doddridge County High School, she taught briefly at Doddridge County High School and Ritchie County High School before joining Fairmont Senior High School in 2006, where she instructed AP English Language and Composition and AP English Literature and Composition while assuming several leadership roles. In 2013, she attained National Board Certification (NBCT), followed by certification in Public School Administration in 2016. Her excellence in teaching garnered significant recognition, including the Fairmont State University Professional Development School Partnership Excellence in Teaching Award in 2016, Fairmont Senior High School Teacher of the Year, and Marion County Teacher of the Year that same year. In 2017, Poling was selected as West Virginia State Teacher of the Year, during which she advocated passionately for public education throughout the state. Transitioning to higher education, she now leads the Education Core department, supports teacher preparation initiatives such as residency programs under Policy 5100 and the shift from action research to edTPA assessments, participates in advisory councils like the PDS Advisory Board and Educator Preparation Provider Advisory Committee, and serves on Faculty Senate committees for the 2023-2024 academic year.