Peter Lang Gmbh, Internationaler Verlag Der Wissenschaften Living Stories: Nontraditional College Students in Early Childhood Education: 9 (Childhood Studies)

In Living Stories: Nontraditional College Students in Early Childhood Education, Susan Bernheimer takes the reader into her journey with a group of nontraditional college students. Bernheimer's struggle to find a meaningful approach to teaching the students about early childhood development and care is infused with the insights and wisdom that come from listening to, and valuing, the remarkable stories of her students' lives. This book offers a powerful new road map for early childhood teacher preparation through a relational pedagogy that honors students' life experiences and that leads to deep reflection and learning. The approach is embedded in students' strengths and knowledge and is successfully inclusive of an increasingly diverse student demographic. Bernheimer provides an inclusive model of education that builds upon the strengths of all students. Review " Living Stories is an extraordinary book about the journey of a college instructor to find her own voice and to open her heart and mind to disenfranchised and marginalized early childhood education students. Susan Bernheimer has developed a step-by-step pedagogy that will revolutionize teacher education for non-traditional students, as well as typical college students. This highly engaging book is deeply rooted in social justice and tells the authentic stories of societal judgements, failure, motivation, and the professional and personal growth of student teachers, whose stories are validated and intertwined with child development theory and content. This book gives direction for overcoming instructor frustration with an inflexible approach to college instruction and provides a how-to on inclusion, advocacy, and community in the classroom. As I read this book with increasing excitement, I wanted to share it with all of my educator friends! My favorite quote addresses the overarching, political nature of early childhood education: 'Responding to the pressing needs facing families at this time will require re-thinking our current values and priorities for programs serving children and their parents. It will mean re-assessing our approach to preparing teachers and directors of early childhood programs.'" --Helen M. Davis, Interim Director, Education Department, UCLA Extension, Los Angeles "In this gem for early childhood teacher educators, Susan Bernheimer shows us how to create transformative learning experiences for our students that will, in turn, transform us as teachers. Through insightful stories of teaching and learning with nontraditional students, she asks us to take a hard look at ourselves and who our curriculum serves. As she lovingly and sensitively brings her students' lived experiences to the center of the learning process, she opens doors to relevance, empowerment, and profound meaning-making. It is a clarion call for rethinking our priorities and re-envisioning our pedagogy. A lifelong learner herself, Susan provides a roadmap for becoming a reflective practitioner, authentically modeling what we ask of our students and finding our own humanity in the process. It is one teacher's journey with lessons for us all." --Judy Magee, Faculty, School of Human Development, Pacific Oaks College "Susan Bernheimer's newest book, Living Stories, gives the reader a brave and honest portrayal of non-traditional college students' deep desire to learn and apply the tenants of child-centered pedagogies in their classrooms. Her insistence that we provide an equitable response in our own higher education classrooms asks us to examine our own traditional learning environments, that we must give these students what they need: a voice of clarity that is valued and heard. Bernheimer's book is a warm-hearted and firm call to action. We must respond to the learning needs of our non-traditional college students and give voice to early childhood eduction teachers' gifts to children and parents, so that we all may engage in a cycle of honesty, compassion