Rate My Professor Ann Ellsworth

Ann Ellsworth is a Professor of English language arts and reading in the Department of Education at Montana State University, where she has served since 1990. Prior to her academic career, she taught as a public school educator, working with students at a bilingual school in Wisconsin. She earned her Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1989. Ellsworth has been instrumental in developing Montana State University’s Master of Arts in Teaching program, which recruits and trains professionals to become certified teachers. She currently leads this program and serves as a member of the University Teacher Education Committee. Her academic interests encompass literacy education, teacher preparation, English language arts pedagogy, online teaching, and grammar instruction. Ellsworth is recognized for creating effective virtual learning environments that promote academic exploration and deep engagement.

Ellsworth has received numerous awards for her excellence in teaching and mentoring. In 2019, she was named Grammar Teacher of the Year by the National Council of Teachers of English for her contributions to grammar education. At Montana State University, her honors include the Excellence in Online Teaching Award in 2018, the President’s Excellence in Teaching Award, the Anna K. Fridley Distinguished Teaching Award, and the 2022 Women’s Faculty Caucus Distinguished Mentor Award. She also received the Dorothy Aasheim Memorial Award for Outstanding Service to the University from the Bozeman Chamber of Commerce. In 2022, Ellsworth was selected as one of Montana State University’s Extraordinary, Ordinary Women. She has delivered public lectures, such as “Reading Builds Communities,” highlighting the connective power of reading. Her influence extends through mentoring students, faculty, and staff, fostering high expectations and a supportive learning culture. Key publications include articles on teaching punctuation with mentor texts (2017), strategies for decoding complex words, and insights from rural Finnish schools for U.S. educators.