How did you get involved in early childhood education?

I began working in early childhood education over 20 years ago at the child care program of the church I attended. Later, I ended up working at a program with a director who said to me, “I need you as a teacher,” so I went back to school at the age of 30 and earned my bachelor’s degree in early childhood education. Then, 10 years later, I earned my master's in education with endorsements in early childhood special education and English language learning. 

Please tell us about the setting where you teach.

I teach 17 3- and 4-year-old children in a four-day, prekindergarten classroom. The children attend four days a week. This year, two of the children have an individualized education program (IEP) focused on language. I include a lot of oral language practice and open-ended discussion with learners. Like other school districts, we're lacking special education resources and staffing.

We live in a small agricultural town, and the children are bussed in. They arrive at 7:00 in the morning and stay until 3:30 in the afternoon—it's a very long day for them. Because the bus can be late, I work to be flexible around certain routines, such as breakfast time, which we leave open for a bit to allow children the chance to eat. I try to make our class engaging, playful, and comfortable throughout the day.

What approaches do you use to build upon children’s individual strengths, cultural backgrounds, and experiences?

I think about each child. Then I ask what in the curriculum and early learning standards will help me address their strengths, interests, and needs. I use a project-, play-based approach and make the learning about the children. I find materials that apply to and engage them, and I use these materials to make connections to our learning goals. For example, as a part of our prekindergarten curriculum, we engage in inquiry-focused science explorations. The children and I did an experiment using different sizes of balls that bounce. The children compared the balls, and then predicted which ones would bounce the highest. If I don't know what motivates a child, I won’t be able to support their growth. So I dig. Sometimes I find a path that got closed off, and sometimes I find one that hasn’t been explored yet.

I try to meet each child’s strengths and needs and the whole group’s at the same time. I believe that what works for one child can work for others. We include a lot of movement throughout the day, like singing and dancing during circle time and going outside. One child can’t spend more than 30 minutes outside each day for medical reasons, so we dance inside even more this year. I also focus on their social and emotional development. Consistency helps children with and without disabilities. Between transitions, I give a verbal five-minute warning and use visual cues, such as a sand timer and a light that changes color. Even the youngest child says, “Five minutes, Miss Tate.” He understands and has developed an expectation. 

Describe some ways in which you communicate with families to build and maintain positive and reciprocal relationships.

I strive for positive relationships with families. Many of the children’s family members primarily speak Spanish, and I want them to feel like they have full access to me. Our school uses a family community app (ClassDojo), which facilitates our connections. I seek out colleagues and resources to help with translations. I make sure that the English and Spanish versions of the literature I send home have the same details. I’ve found that there’s often a discrepancy in translations from English to Spanish: using direct translations can mean that important context is left out. Our school’s family liaison is a migrant worker. She shares information about the communities we serve and helps with translation. For example, when writing progress reports, I work with her to make sure each family can understand how their child is doing in different areas, including language development.

What is your proudest accomplishment as an educator?

Fostering social and emotional development helps children to succeed. A part of that is communication: being able to engage in a conversation, how to work through a frustrating situation, and verbalize feelings. I see a part of my job as helping the children use words to express thoughts and feelings. For example, if I make a mistake, I’ll say, “It’s okay, I made a mistake,” so they have language and a way to respond when they make a mistake.  

Share a recent situation in which things didn’t go as planned. What happened, and what did you do to make the most of it for you and the children?  

Sometimes the units of study that the curriculum outlines don’t reflect the experiences of the children in my setting, so I adjust. For example, the closest grocery store to our community is an hour away. Most children stay with other adults while family members go shopping, so they aren’t necessarily familiar with grocery shopping. Instead of focusing on grocery stores, we did a unit on restaurants. This was a big hit because there's one right here in our town. With the help of families who donated supplies, we created a kitchen in our class and made pizzas while exploring math concepts when measuring ingredients.

How has being part of NAEYC positively impacted your teaching and/or interactions with children?

Through NAEYC, I’ve gained validation. For example, at a Professional Learning Institute session I attended, the presenters talked about using fairytales and stories in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) areas. This was an approach that I already implemented, so I was on the right course. I also gained resources to help me showcase my approach and its effectiveness.

Photograph: courtesy of Rebecca Tate
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