About Me
I have been working in early childhood education for over 25 years. I have taught young children from two years old to fourth grade and most levels in between. During these years, I have been a public school music teacher, worked with the gifted and talented, and participated in a program that integrated the arts for children living in the city.
In these varied experiences, I have been inspired by the amazing abilities of young children and the dedication of the teachers who work with them. Recently, I have been a Professor of Early Childhood Education and the Director of the Center of Excellence in Early Childhood Education at East Tennessee State University. My favorite courses are:
- “Creative Development in Young Children”
- “Learning and Literacy in Early Childhood”
- “Designing Learning Environments”
I also helped develop the Tennessee Early Childhood Training Alliance (TECTA) and designed modules for training the people working in child care who wanted to learn more about working effectively with young children. After our pilot study, this curriculum has been implemented across the state.
For the past ten years, I have been writing books related to early childhood education. These include:
- The Complete Book of Learning Centers
- Learning Spaces for Infants and Toddlers
- Early Childhood Learning Environments that Work
My latest book, Real Classroom Makeovers, was such fun to create. During the development, I visited many early childhood classrooms, worked with teachers who wanted to improve their environments, and helped them make significant positive changes. This book documents the change process by including before pictures and the amazing after pictures of the spaces.
It is my belief that young children should have the best teachers to help them reach their enormous capabilities. It is my mission to inspire and mentor early childhood educators, so together we can create a wonderful place for us to live and work.
