Dr. Rebecca Isbell’s Blog

A friendship blossomed in 2006 between Viktoria and Elliott in the early childhood program at the Child Study Center, an accredited laboratory school at East Tennessee State University. They were both five years of age and from very different backgrounds. Viktoria, accompanying her mother on a post-doctoral sabbatical at the Center of Excellence in Early Childhood, came from Copenhagen, Denmark. Elliott, on the other hand, lived in Jonesborough, TN, with his family.

In the Child Study Center, their friendship flourished. Viktoria and Elliott played together, listened to stories, communicated, and participated in meaningful activities for young children. They interacted with peers and quality early childhood educators.

Viktoria moving to bluegrass music

After six months in the US, Viktoria and her mother returned to Denmark. Viktoria resumed her studies, and her mother became a professor. Meanwhile, Elliott embarked on an educational journey that took him to Spain as an exchange student. During his travels, he was invited to visit Viktoria’s family in Copenhagen. They continued to stay in contact and had subsequent visits between Copenhagen and Jonesborough.  As life progressed, Viktoria pursued higher education at the University of Copenhagen, while Elliott pursued his passion, earning a degree in cinematography.

In January, Viktoria and her mother revisited Tennessee and stayed with Elliot’s family. This visit marked a turning point in their relationship, blossoming into something more romantic.

Rekindling their relationship by visiting both countries

What began as a friendship nurtured in the Child Study Center matured into a meaningful relationship. It all began in the preschool years, connecting again in high school, and blooming into a very special relationship in young adulthood.

Many young children build relationships in early childhood programs that last for many years and through different levels of education. This relationship between Viktoria and Elliott demonstrates the impact of meaningful personal experiences in the early years that can become the foundation for lifelong friendships and partnerships.

A very special story for month of February.

Nurture the relationships and friendships that are developed during the early years.

In 2006, I received an inquiry about the possibility of a professor from Denmark embarking on a six-month sabbatical with me. At that time, I served as the Director of the Center of Excellence in Early Childhood Learning and Development at East Tennessee State University. We had never sponsored a person to do a sabbatical in the Center, but it sounded like an exciting opportunity.

Little did I anticipate the wonderful collaboration and lasting friendship that would unfold during that six-month visit. Charlotte Ringsmose, a Professor from Aalborg University, Denmark, relocated to Jonesborough, Tennessee, with her 5-year-old daughter who attended the ETSU Child Study Center. Charlotte immersed herself in ETSU, visiting early childhood programs, lecturing in classes, and extensively observing our Child Study Center. She became very interested in the elements of a quality environment that would nurture children’s development. Her intensive study of the early environment evolved into a long-term research interest. Collaborating with her colleague Grethe Kragh-Müller, Danish School of Education, DPU, Aarhus University, they developed the KIDS evaluation scale, widely used in Denmark to assess the quality of early childhood program environments.

With each passing year, our collaboration thrived. We continued to visit, write together, and discuss issues related to early childhood environments. The result was a very productive relationship, yielding articles, books, chapters, and collaborative scales.

During one of my visits to Copenhagen, I had the privilege of teaching a course at their university (Aarhus University) and visiting numerous early childhood programs in their country. The experience was not only academically enriching but also fostered deep friendships and understanding about their culture. A few years ago, I was honored to be the speaker at a celebration for Grethe, marking her 40-year anniversary at the university.

Who could have ever recognized that our work and close relationships would last for so many years? Sixteen years later, Charlotte returned to visit, and it felt as if we had never been apart. We shared memories, stories, and discussed the future.

This journey serves as a reminder that embracing the new and taking risks can lead to marvelous results, creating treasures that endure for years to come.


My next blog will tell you about the special friendship that developed between Victoria, Charlotte’s daughter, and Elliott at the Child Study Center during their time at ETSU.

Each day you have many opportunities to be creative. Do you respond in the same way you always have? Is this safe and predictable? If you use your creative capabilities, you can try new options, respond in interesting ways, and feel more confident in your abilities to deal with difficult challenges.

Trying new things and being adventurous while discovering initiative approaches can be scary! There is always the possibility that your idea will not work. But the good news is it can work and produce exciting results you had never imagined.

Early Childhood Educators are some of the most creative people I have ever known. But, most of these amazing educators don’t view themselves as being creative. I want you to recognize that YOU ARE CREATIVE and you can become even more creative in 2024.

For the next few months, I will be sending you “Creative Sparks” that you can use in your classroom or at home. Each of these suggestions will be short and easy to do, but they will help you discover how many great ideas you have when you stimulate your thinking and implement the innovative possibilities!

Creative thinking will build your reservoir of exciting ways to live and work. It will enhance your confidence in your ability to respond to unique happenings. It will help you find your creativity you have been simmering for too long. It will relieve your stress of doing the right thing and help you feel more powerful!

Make 2024 the year for a more Creative You – and to be able to meet your new challenges!

This week the town of Jonesborough, Tennessee, created a Story Trail behind the International Storytelling Center.

I am thrilled that they have selected my children’s book Everyone Has a Story to Tell to be displayed throughout the trail. There you receive an invitation to read each page of the story about the fabulous tellers who live and visit this storytelling capital. This book was created in collaboration with Marilyn Buchanan and a local illustrator, William B. Bledsoe. It is a story of two children who walk through historic Jonesborough, collecting stories from local residents and visiting international storytellers.

This beautiful display of the pages from the storybook was funded through a Tennessee State Literacy grant. If you have an opportunity to visit Jonesborough or attend the National Storytelling Festival, enjoy this storybook as you stroll and tell your story, too.

Special Notice: The International National Storytelling Festival this year is Oct. 6-8, 2023.

Today we are featuring an early childhood educator who works with children, birth to three, through the Great Start Pathways to Success program in Sanford, FL. She provides parent education specifically related to the development of essential early literacy skills of their children. In addition, Tenesha serves as a Resource Teacher for the VPK program. Her work clearly demonstrates how many different roles early childhood educators can assume if they are dedicated to young children and their families.

In all these different roles, Tenesha demonstrates her amazing creativity as she flexibly moves to work with these different age groups and adjusts to their varied needs. These are characteristics of creative teachers: flexibility, adaptability, and fluency of possibilities.

Let’s celebrate today Tenesha Wells-Eason, a creative teacher who is being recognized for her many contributions to young children and parents in Florida.

I BELIEVE THAT WE need the most creative people TO WORK with the youngest children!

In an effort to recognize other “creative teachers” who work with young children, I ask you to nominate a teacher you have worked with or observed that can be identified as a creative teacher. Think of the teacher doing unique things, creating an amazing environment, or being a marvelous storyteller. Then simply fill out an e-form at this link. We will feature many of them in my future blogs.

Let’s celebrate these teachers who are amazing and spark the creative thinking of the young children who are lucky enough to be in their light.

Help me honor some of the strong and talented teachers who are in early childhood education!

In early childhood, music has long been an important element of our programs. Music has been personally meaningful for me from four years old to now. First singing in church and later in choirs and then with young children. We can also observe how important music is when the infant in the crib moves their body to music or the PreK child composing a song to accompany their activity.

New research has supported what we already know about the powerful connection of music. We now have brain scans that show how music lights up the different parts of the brain and makes amazing new connections.

Two strong and talented women have renewed our interest in music and the connection to young children. Debbie Clements has shown us how singing and books can be used together to encourage and support young children during their early years. Maryann “Mar” Harman and her music have helped us learn about the new findings and renewed our efforts to include music in our early childhood programs.

Today, let’s sing a song and dance to a gig. Experience again how music brings joy to your classroom and your children.

The more we sing together, the happier we are!

In an effort to recognize other “creative teachers” who work with young children, I ask you to nominate a teacher you have worked with or observed that can be identified as a creative teacher. Think of the teacher doing unique things, creating an amazing environment, or being a marvelous storyteller. Then simply fill out an e-form at this link. We will feature many of them in my future blogs.

Let’s celebrate these teachers who are amazing and spark the creative thinking of the young children who are lucky enough to be in their light.

Help me honor some of the strong and talented teachers who are in early childhood education!

May we honor them and be one of them!

Today we continue to recognize “Creative Teachers.” I would like you to meet Beverly (Dugger) Wigington. Early in her career, she was a toddler teacher. I have often said, “Working with toddlers takes a very special person.” They must be very flexible and able to go with the flow of the changeable toddlers. Beverly was that special person who understood toddler development, could guide their actions, and enjoyed their endless energy. I watched her “herd” small groups of toddlers to very appropriate and active group time. I learned from her that toddlers could enjoy group time if specifically designed for them. She integrated music, frequent movement, and carefully selected stories that invited their participation. I was always amazed at how these toddlers engaged in her creative experiences and showed great joy in their interactions. A creative teacher like Beverly can capture the interest of young children, adapt to their responses, and enjoy the exciting process.

In an effort to recognize other “creative teachers” who work with young children, I ask you to nominate a teacher you have worked with or observed that can be identified as a creative teacher. Think of the teacher doing unique things, creating an amazing environment, or being a marvelous storyteller. Then simply fill out an e-form at this link. We will feature many of them in my future blogs.

Let’s celebrate these teachers who are amazing and spark the creative thinking of the young children who are lucky enough to be in their light.

Help me honor some of the strong and talented teachers who are in early childhood education!

May we honor them and be one of them!

Early Childhood is a profession that includes many strong and influential women. These amazing women have established the field of early childhood and set high goals for us to achieve. They have been strong advocates for the field as it grew. We must continue to move forward to secure more quality and expanded programs for all young children and their families.

When I first began thinking about these fantastic women, I was concerned that I would never be able to identify all these important people. I wanted to name a few that have impacted my life and given me a model to emulate in my own practices. These strong women have shaped many aspects of early childhood. Below I have identified some of the things that specifically influenced me.

Strong Women in the Field of Early Childhood Education

Sue Bredekamp: Fighting for “Developmentally Appropriate Practices”

Lilian Katz: Project Approach – following the interest of the children.

Sara Smilansky: The Value of Socio-Dramatic Play for All Children

Betty Bowman: Leader of the Field: As busy as she was, she took the time to write a letter of support for our Ph.D. program.

Shirley Raines: First Early Childhood person to be a University President. The University of Memphis.

Ann Terrell: Current President of NAEYC, whom I meet at a NAEYC conference in DC. A strong leader with a soft personal touch.

Lella Gandini: Introduced the Reggio Emilia to the US and me.

Who has influenced your thinking in early childhood education?

Have you thanked them for their positive influence on your life? We must appreciate our history to shape the future. Watch for more shakers and movers in Early Childhood in my next blogs.

I am proud of our profession and the strong women who built the foundation.

When reviewing articles and books about nurturing creativity, there is often the suggestion to “do something new.”  Doing something you have never done before activates your thinking and challenges you to adjust to new experiences.

For the past week, I’ve been taking a break and visiting Beaufort and Charleston, SC.  In looking at the historical sites of interest, I saw a tour that captured my attention. A visit to a Kazoo factory. Never had I visited a place that only made Kazoos. We not only saw how they made 5,000 Kazoos a day, but we made our very own Kazoo. When we finished, we played our Kazoos in a new band. Such a treat.

Have you done something new that you have never done before? Think of the many possibilities and choose one that captures your interest. And just do it! Think about how you felt during the process and what other ideas you had as you tried something new.

Today I want you to meet Mary Myron, a creative teacher, and caring person. I had the privilege of working with her in the ETSU Child Study Center and the University School, where she worked with young children, specifically Kindergarten.  She demonstrated her creativity in so many ways. She tried new things and did activities in unique ways.  One of my favorite creative ideas was her “Stage Center”. This visually attractive area had a raised stage (made from pallets) and a curtain that opened and closed. A box of dress items and fabric to create the outfits for the characters that the children wanted to include in their play. The children created their play, rehearsed, and presented it to their class. The entire production was amazing; the children were writers, performers, and audience.

Mary is a creative teacher who inspires her children to be creative players too.

I hope you will join me in my Circle of Creativity in March. We will have three sessions together and you will receive a copy of my book on Creativity. There will be one follow-up day in April if you cannot attend all three of the sessions in March. This collaborative group of early childhood educators will focus on developing your creativity, designing inspiring environments, and applying the suggestions to your classroom.

Give yourself the gift of growing and developing your creative abilities.

We will grow together.

Over the years, I have worked with many early childhood teachers and future teachers. It has been something that has given me great joy as I watched these folks grow and gain confidence in their capabilities.

Many have taught me much about being creative and influencing young children. In January of 2023, I began an effort to reconnect with some of these people and reestablish our bond.

In the next few months, I will introduce you to some educators who have shown me what creative teachers of young children can be. I will give you some anecdotes demonstrating their creative thinking and unique ideas that inspired young children.

Dr. Angie Baker, Professor at King University

Let’s meet Dr. Angie Baker. When I first met Angie, she was a preschool teacher and later a Kindergarten teacher in a low-income public school. She was also my student in her Master’s program and our doctoral program in Early Childhood Education.

Visiting her classrooms for many years, I saw examples of her creative abilities inspiring children. She loved music and wove it throughout her day. She had learning centers that were unique and never seen before in a classroom. One of my favorites was her Music Center. She brought in an old record player and collected 45 rpm records which the children watched as they turned around. She turned a refrigerator crate into a recording studio, a place for the children to compose and sing new songs they recorded. These tapes were labeled and displayed for other children to hear. The child who had created the music became the star of their classmates, and their work was celebrated.

This amazing teacher demonstrated to me how a personal interest – music – can be shared with her children and inspire them to create melodies, patterns, and performances. Angie is a creative teacher who has positively influenced many young children who have felt supported in their efforts. She has mentored other teachers in their journey to become more creative people.

Next week on my blog, I will introduce you to another creative early childhood teacher. It is my hope that you will recognize some creative things you are including with your children.

You can nurture your creativity and begin to interweave new and exciting ideas into your classroom. Together we become more creative.

 

Join our small group of “Circle of Creativity” to expand your possibilities!