Teaching From Hope: The Transformation of Early Childhood Educators' Perceptions of Young Homeless Children

• In Event: Roundtable Session 6
  In Roundtable Session: Teaching Contexts and Teacher Agency: Examinations of the Contextual Factors That Impact Teacher Learning and Practice

Abstract

Drawing on a qualitative study of 25 PreK-2nd Grade teachers, the overall purpose of this paper is to report on early childhood educators’ attitudes, beliefs, knowledge, and self-perceived skills in supporting young homeless children (HC) in schools. Findings suggest that supporting teachers in developing positive teacher-student relationships is critical to fostering teacher self-efficacy and the resilient functioning of homeless children. By illuminating the processes through which teachers make sense of children’s experiences of homelessness and their perceptions of how homelessness influences children’s’ experiences in school, these findings have important implications for the design of more effective professional development opportunities for early childhood educators.

Authors

• Travis S. Wright, University of WIsconsin- Madison

• Jeremy Eusebius Shumpert, University of Wisconsin - Madison