Early Childhood Teacher Education on Cultural Competence

The National Association of Early Childhood Teacher Education Foundation raises funds for the benefit of early childhood teacher educators and the children and communities they serve. Established in 1998, the Foundation focuses on supporting early childhood teacher educators as they engage in advocacy, research, and practice. The National Association of Early Childhood Teacher Educators is directly affiliated with NAECTEF. It promotes the professional growth of its membership by providing opportunities to publish in the Journal of Early Childhood Teacher Education, attend and present at annual conferences, write resolutions and position papers related to issues in early childhood teacher education, and disseminate research. It also advocates for improvements in early childhood teacher education, provides scholarships for students of this field, and supports related research projects.

• Introduction: Developing a Vision of Social Justice Frances O’Connell Rust and Amanda Branscombe Part I: Social Justice through the Lens of Teacher Education Programs Chapter 1: A Social Justice Model for Improving Teacher Effectiveness Regena Nelson, Moi Mooi Lew, and Yuqian Shen Chapter 2: Becoming a Teacher and Keeping On: Another Look at Resilience in Teaching Janese Daniels and Edyth J. Wheeler Chapter 3: The Role of the Classroom Library: A Catalyst for Social Justice Susan Catapano Part II: A Look at Early Childhood Teacher Educators Study of Their Courses Chapter 4: Developing an Understanding of Diverse Families: Considerations for Preparing Teacher Candidates Nicole Taylor Chapter 5: The University’s Role in Preparing Culturally Competent Teachers Sarah E. Huisman Chapter 6: Understanding Cultural Competence Through a Historical Lens Andrea D. Lewis, Ph.D. Part III: Social Justice When Early Childhood Teachers Moving into the Life of the Communities Chapter 7: Teaching & Reaching Refugee and New Immigrant Children and Their Families Susan Catapano and Candace Thompson Chapter 8: Supporting Father Engagement in Classrooms and Schools Meredith Jones Chapter 9: The Emerging Role of Interprofessional Education and Collaboration for Fostering Culturally Competent Family Engagement: Implications for Teacher Education Elizabeth Anderson and Youjung Lee Chapter 10: Teachers’ Role in Children’s Understanding of Gender Identity Jamie Solomon Index

"This book makes clear the imperative for us, as early childhood teacher educators, to critically examine our own methods of teacher preparation. We must become better at preparing preservice teachers to become culturally competent educators of young children. The chapters in this book help us understand the rationale behind this vital work and offer valuable strategies for moving forward." —Angela C. Baum, President, National Association of Early Childhood Teacher Educators, USA"This text would make a great book study for teacher education programs that wish to strengthen their preservice teachers’ cultural competence. In addition to being informative, this text challenges, encourages, and causes the reader to reflect upon their teacher education practices related to cultural competence. Though the book is focused on preparing preservice teachers to work in urban schools, the authors also explain how preservice teachers can be culturally competent in any setting. The passion of the chapter authors is apparent as they share their experiences with guiding preservice teachers in their development of cultural competence."—Linda Taylor, Assistant Professor, Department of Early Childhood, Youth, and Family Studies, Ball State University, USA