early Childhood education is work that can change the worldTamara Clark taught young children for twelve years, was a Program Coordinator in a large childcare center for five years, and has been doing trainings and consulting work for the last nine years. She loves sharing inspirations and connecting adult leaners to the core of why we work with young children.
Play is at the heart of her pedagogy. She supports, extends, and makes visible the children's learning. She is inspired by progressive education, the work of educators in Reggio Emilia, the beauty of nature, and her students' joy in learning. |
WOrkshops and PresentationsAudiences: Pennsylvania Association of Independent Schools (PAIS), National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), Delaware Valley Association for the Education of Young Children (DVAEYC), Bucks County Association for the Education of Young Children (BCAEYC), Friends Council on Education’s Early Childhood Educators Peer Network, Parents As Educators Conference
Topics including: “Adapting the Reggio Emilia Approach,” “There’s a Blog For That: Using Daily Blogs to Connect to Families,” “Dr. Water Destroys: Emergent Curriculum, Standards, and a Digital Storybook,” “Families and Schools: Deepening Our Understanding of Diversity,” “Beautiful Environments for Deep Learning,” “Documentation and the Project Approach.” Published WOrk"Reflective Practice: A Manual for Collaborating Teachers," self-published, 2013.
“Education for Liberation: Preschool Peace Studies,” Chronicles of Quaker Education. Philadelphia: Friends Council on Education, Winter 2007. The Peaceable Classroom: Education for Liberation in Quaker Early Childhood Education. Philadelphia: Friends Council on Education, 2006. |
PHILOSOPHY of Education
I believe strongly that education should be learner-centered, based in joyful active engagement in deep exploration. Learner-centered education is based on a solid understanding of human development, and whether working with our youngest learners or engaging teachers in thoughtful reflection on their practice, learners should have opportunities to construct their knowledge from their experiences. To understand this constructivist process, I use the lens of Paulo Freire’s praxis, the dialectical process of reflection and action. In my classroom, this happens as students
Diversity brings strengths to communities of learning, and I believe that educational communities have a special responsibility to teach all members explicitly the tools to live and learn in diverse communities. At its heart, education in and for a diverse community is most useful when is seeks to develop a culture of competence for all members in the community. For the youngest children, this often means that the teacher becomes a bridge from home to school, supporting and reinforcing home cultures with the children to help them become comfortable in the school environment. As students mature, conversations about similarities and difference are fostered as a step towards developing a positive self-identity and an anti-bias attitude. These early conversations are the basis for a continual skill development in courageous conversations around topics big and small that relate to diversity. In working with adults, I strive to support these courageous conversations with openness and honesty. As adults living in a diverse world, we each are responsible for continuing to develop our understanding.
- interact with each other and their environment
- engage in thoughtful conversations
- are presented with documentation about their experiences.
Diversity brings strengths to communities of learning, and I believe that educational communities have a special responsibility to teach all members explicitly the tools to live and learn in diverse communities. At its heart, education in and for a diverse community is most useful when is seeks to develop a culture of competence for all members in the community. For the youngest children, this often means that the teacher becomes a bridge from home to school, supporting and reinforcing home cultures with the children to help them become comfortable in the school environment. As students mature, conversations about similarities and difference are fostered as a step towards developing a positive self-identity and an anti-bias attitude. These early conversations are the basis for a continual skill development in courageous conversations around topics big and small that relate to diversity. In working with adults, I strive to support these courageous conversations with openness and honesty. As adults living in a diverse world, we each are responsible for continuing to develop our understanding.