Chapter 4: Illuminating Best Practice for Early Childhood Teacher Educators

Professors of early childhood education have the privilege and challenge of sharing the tenets of best practice with students who aspire to work with young children. As experienced educators themselves, they are well versed in the appropriate pedagogy for the early childhood classroom, which features a strong emphasis on the principles of developmentally appropriate practice (Copple & Bredekamp, 2009; Lee, Reid, & Thompson, 2016). Similarly, they will approach andragogy, the teaching of adult learners, with a comparable respect for their developmental stages and educational needs.

By striving to engage students with activities that facilitate the development of concepts, teacher educators immerse their adult learners in an environment that emulates authentic early childhood settings. As a result, the preservice teachers who participate in these early childhood educational activities attain an experiential perspective of the methods that promote inquiry and discovery learning, and are precursors to the acquisition of essential knowledge and skills. Additionally, students can tap into their childlike sense of wonder and delight, which are traits of lifelong learners.