Preservice Early Childhood Teachers and "Knowing" Young Children/Families Through Service-Learning in Their Practicum Sites

• In Event: Effective Pre- and In-Service Early Childhood Professional Development

Abstract

This paper reports on the experiences of seven pre-service early childhood education students participating in a specialty track program within urban elementary schools in partnership with the Boys and Girls Club. We explore our pre-service teachers’ understandings of “knowing” the children and families from their time spent inside and outside of the school setting. Using a broad cross section of data, we will examine how the pre-service teacher’s connected their methods, practicum, and “club” learning in their process of becoming teachers within the context of an under-served, diverse urban school district. The preliminary data indicates that requiring service learning experiences that expands preservice teachers’ knowledge of children and families can challenge their own biases informed by their lived experiences.

Authors

• Katherine Kresin Delaney, University of Toledo

• Ruslan Slutsky, University of Toledo

• Cassidy Boyden, University of Toledo