"The great teacher is not the man [or woman] who supplies the most facts, but the one in whose presence we become different people." This quote by Ralph Waldo Emerson is an important reminder that education involves more than just teaching academic content and meeting state, or national, standards. Teachers inspire, encourage, challenge,…

Nourishing the young child can be a challenge. This stage of life is critical to the development of positive attitudes toward maintaining a healthy diet and learning to make reasonable food choices. Educators of young children are often the gatekeepers of child nutrition. This article reports on the current nutrient needs of young children,…

Recent education literature underscores the need to prepare teachers who are culturally sensitive and responsive in order to work in the diverse classrooms of the 21st century. Changing demographics and increasing immigration are bringing a new complexity to the cultural diversity within regions and local communities. A school-university…

Discusses ways to develop family-school-community involvement, based on an early childhood teacher training course in family involvement. Discusses strategies for using Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs to facilitate family involvement interactions, and using student teachers' experiences for structuring reflective thought about family involvement…

Examines the rationale for expanding teachers' roles, using preschool education in the slums of Baroda, India, as an illustrative study, and its implications for teacher preparation in 21st-century United States. Considers the roles of child educator and advocate, family-life educator, environment educator, economic adviser, and health educator.…

Argues that partnerships between early childhood teacher preparation programs and public school teachers will strengthen the discourse on multicultural education and its institutionalization. Presents strategies for gaining a personal connection to multicultural education ideals, including developing cultural biographies, examining stereotypes and…

Describes the Professional Development Schools (PDS) initiative to simultaneously restructure schools and teacher education programs. Outlines program components. Presents steps to develop an inclusive PDS through the University of Central Florida-Daytona Beach, Volusia County School District, and the Florida Inclusion Network, including public…