Bridges Over Troubled Waters: How to Stay the Course When the Going Gets Rough
Description
Herein are the "lifelines" I discovered as I was contemplating whether I could even survive as an early-chiidhood educator in a classroom of 3-6 year olds that were being encouraged to be independent decision-makers, much less achieve outcomes. How could I meet lofty educational objectives, or even maintain order, in a system that said I should not take control? I knew my knee-jerk desire to draw on adult authority would destroy everything I was trying to achieve, but what alternatives did I have?
Slowly, I figured out how to "right the ship" when things got rough without doing lasting damage to what I was trying to achieve. If ALL early-childhood educators in preK-grade 3 learning environments implemented the strategies outlined in this module, we would be many steps closer to achieving the College and Career Readiness goals our nation is so eager to meet!
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Person
Greg Nelson has devoted most of the past half-century to early childhood education - first as a lead teacher; later as school owner, program director, curriculum designer, and workshop presenter; eventually as a college professor preparing preK-grade 2 public-school teachers; and finally by launching a birth-5 bachelor's degree program to help the private sector workforce attain professional skills as educators.
Dr. Nelson helped draft his state's early childhood learning standards; helped develop articulation agreements between his state's 2-year and 4-year early-childhood preparation programs; collaborated with public-school teachers to create State model curriculum units for early-childhood math and science, and authored two books on how to implement a world-class early childhood mathematics curriculum.
For many years, he served on the Steering Committee of his local NAEYC affiliate, was a member of the advisory to his state's Department of Early Education and Care, and led his state's higher ed. Association of Early Childhood Teacher Educators.
Greg is the father of three grown children. He currently resides with his wife in Raynham, Massachusetts.
Send all comments, criticisms, suggestions, or requests for print copies of the collective work to gdnelson51@gmail.com.
