Welcome to the UW-Milwaukee Early Childhood Education Program!
Welcome to the UW-Milwaukee Early Childhood Education Program!
Historically, the voices of Black, female teachers have been silenced and marginalized in discourses surrounding teaching and learning. Black educators bring to the education field a unique set of experiences and skills that are not always honored within their teacher preparation programs. During Black History Month, we take the opportunity to celebrate and honor the voices and experiences of Black educators.
Hello Early Childhood Education Community,
Welcome to the newly established ECE website. We hope that this website is a place you can turn to for information, resources, and support that inspire your university work and experiences with young learners. As we collectively experienced the challenges of the pandemic and conditions of learning we were not expecting, we also revealed our perseverance and ingenuity. We are resetting and moving forward. In doing so, we are committed to keeping children at the center. In the UW-Milwaukee Early Childhood Education Program we are a community: pre-service teachers, university educators, school partners, and our youngest learners. We are happy you are a part of the learning and growth that happens when hearts and minds come together. This website, created by ECE students Tressa Gosz and Leti Cortés, is our space to share ideas, build networks, and consider what’s possible. Thank you, Tressa and Leti! For all who are here, your voices matter. This website is for you.
Well wishes,
Dr. Leanne Evans
Early Childhood Education Program Chair
"When working with students, especially young children, be okay with being silly and funny with them."
Teaching is not easy; it's full of surprises and takes a LOT of innovation. There is a need for validation and various levels of experiences/resources/accommodation, and a need for understanding this while having conversations with families and coworkers. Meeting people where they are and being open to various perspectives are important. Teaching young children takes a lot of relearning and presents some of the best learning opportunities. Teachers learn from children and encourage them to learn from the environment. Create safe learning spaces, avoid getting caught up in the "every day", and take time to enjoy.
Teachers learn more by being self-directed and having a solid starting point. Reflecting on histories, contributors, and curriculum models really helps teachers think about how they are going to teach. It's important to go into learning spaces knowing that everyone has different perspectives and developing opinions. Be open-minded and flexible; the world is changing every day. Teachers also need opportunities to express how we feel and to share opinions. Children need spaces where they can feel safe and where they can play. Mindfulness can make a huge positive change in our current learning/teaching context, day by day. New ideas are essential for skill-building and for solidifying what curriculum we want to take up.