Our Inquiry, Our Practice: Undertaking, Supporting, and Learning from Early Childhood Teacher Research(ers)

About the Book

Inspiring and supporting innovative thinking

Young children have great capacity for creativity that thrives when it is nurtured. Early childhood teachers have the opportunity to inspire children's innovative thinking and doing by:

• Including creative opportunities across all domains of learning
• Designing a beautiful space that encourages children's experimentation and play
• Extending children's learning and challenging their thinking
• Documenting children's thought processes and displaying their work
• Involving families and the community in children's creative endeavors
• Reflecting on your beliefs and practices about creativity and nurturing your own creativity

Learn how to support children as they problem-solve, explore and share new ideas, and collaborate with others, and watch their confidence and capableness grow.

Table of Contents:
About This BookPart I: What Is Teacher Research?Introduction to Part I 1. The Nature of Teacher Research 2. Understanding Vivian Paley as a Teacher ResearcherTeacher Research Studies 3. Two’s Company, Three’s a Crowd: Peer Interactions in a Preschool Social Triangle 4. Encounters with Sunlight and a Mirror Ball 5. “Do You Want to See Something Goofy?” Peer Culture in the Preschool Yard 6. Exploring the Forest: Wild Places in Childhood 7. If I Were President: Teaching Social Justice in the Primary Classroom 8. Getting Started and Moving into Teacher Research Part II: How Can Early Childhood Professionals Support Teacher Researchers? Introduction to Part II 9. Reshaping the Landscape of Early Childhood Teaching through Teacher Research 10. Teacher Research: Questions for Teacher Educators 11. Developing Professional Insight 12. Teacher Research: Improving Practice and Amplifying Teacher Voice among Diverse Students in Early Childhood Education 13. Co-Inquiry: Documentation, Communication, Action 14. Zooms: Promoting Schoolwide Inquiry and Improving Practice Supporting Teacher Research in Communities of Practice 15. Las Americas Early Education School Teacher Research Initiative in Collaboration with San Francisco State University 16. Making Learning Visible at the Lee Academy Pilot School 17. The Making Learning Visible/Ready to Learn Providence Peer Network 18. Kent State University Child Development Center, Ongoing Teacher Research 19. Reflective Early Childhood Educators’ Social Seminar—RECESS Afterword: Some Thoughts on Teacher Research in Early Childhood Education Resources For Further Reading Online Resources About the Authors

About the Author :

Rebecca Isbell is an early childhood consultant and professor emerita of early childhood education at East Tennessee State University. She has authored numerous books and articles and presents on topics related to young children, creative thinking, storytelling, and the creative arts.

Sonia Akiko Yoshizawa is a PhD fellow in early childhood education at East Tennessee State University. A coauthor of STEM Learning with Young Children: Inquiry Teaching with Ramps and Pathways, she conducts inquiry-based STEM trainings and presentations for teachers.

Review :
"This valuable book makes the case that many schools today may be reducing or eliminating the conditions that foster innovation. Drawing inspiration from many theories and exemplars, the authors clearly and vividly describe creativity and originality in the early years and how to cultivate this distinctive way of thinking, knowing, and making choices."  —Carolyn Pope Edwards, Cather Professor Emeritus, University of Nebraska-Lincoln "Let’s continue to foster children’s creativity! This book offers concrete ideas for challenging children’s thinking and encouraging them to take risks. The authors lay an important foundation for nurturing future generations of innovative thinkers." —Noelle Woytko, Lead Preschool Teacher, Children’s Village, Philadelphia "Through a delightful combination of practical insight, evidence-centered examples, and a firm basis in learning research and theory, the authors of Nurturing Creativity show a deep respect for young children, as well as for educators as active and thoughtful designers of young children’s learning environments and experiences." —Lisa Brahms, Director of Learning & Research, Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh "Journey into the realm of creativity, where children and teachers try new ideas and grow into creative, critical thinkers who are free to make mistakes and encouraged to learn from them. Guiding questions help readers see possibilities that will spark children’s curiosity and invite exploration. Specific tips, such as a list of phrases that support creative thinking, guide readers in nurturing creativity." —Peggy Ashbrook, Early Childhood Science Educator and Author of Science Learning in the Early Years: Activities for PreK–2 "Teachers will love the practical tips on how to nurture creative confidence and foster joyful learning!" —Jennifer Cooper, Director, Wolf Trap Institute for Early Learning Through the Arts