强奸视频

This blog post introduces the cluster (themed group of articles) for the November issue of 强奸视频's journal, Young Children.

Urban educators share many of the same joys, rewards, and challenges as their peers in suburban and rural areas, and yet there are also unique aspects to teaching in urban environments. Paying attention to the nuances of the context in which children learn and live is part of developmentally appropriate practice. I was reminded of this on my way to work one day, thinking about the cluster for this issue of听Young Children.

Walking on a busy sidewalk in Washington, DC, I nearly walked into a caterpillar emerging from its husk as it dangled from a tree鈥攁n unexpected encounter with nature in the city. As pedestrians hurried by, I called out, 鈥淲atch out for the caterpillar!鈥� so they would avoid running into it. I thought about how differently we experience nature in a city than in a rural or suburban area with less foot traffic鈥攁 good reminder about how important it is for educators to think about the specific context in which they teach and children learn.听

In听this issue听of听Young Children, we share seven stories of best practice, innovative ideas, and new research related to teaching young children in urban programs. From teaching STEM skills to preparing teachers to support children鈥檚 positive racial identities, the articles offer many lessons learned鈥攆ood for thought to inspire all educators.

Using STEM to Solve Community Problems

Second-graders in a Boston public school brainstormed how to solve a problem they observed in their community鈥攖oo much trash on the playground.
As they developed solutions through inquiry, they learned and explored key concepts related to science, technology, engineering, and math. Find out more in 鈥�Community-Based Engineering: STEM Experiences From a Second Grade Urban Classroom,鈥� by Tejaswini Dalvi, Kristen B. Wendell, and Joseph Johnson.

Supporting positive racial identities鈥擭ew research

Two recent reports from the University of Pittsburgh鈥攐ne from its Center for Urban Education and one from its Office of Child Development鈥攈ighlight the role societal racism plays in denying students of color the opportunities needed to thrive in school and the importance of helping children develop positive racial identities at a very young age. Read about this in Ira E. Murray and Adam Alvarez鈥檚 article, 鈥淩esearch to Practice: New Research on Helping Children Develop Positive Racial Identities.鈥� Highlighting teachers鈥� voices Hear about the hopes, challenges, and successes of a master preschool teacher and instructional coach in San Antonio, an arts educator in the Bronx, and an early childhood educator and guest lecturer in San Francisco, in 鈥淭hree Cities, Three Educators,鈥� by Cristina M. Lopez, Isauro M. Escamilla Calan, and Hector Rivera.

Preparing new teachers for urban classrooms

All new teachers need mentoring and guidance, but these supports are critical in urban public schools, which have significantly low teacher retention rates. Lea Ann Christenson describes a partnership between Towson University and Baltimore鈥檚 Department of Education that provides supports to bolster the success of new teachers in Baltimore schools, in 鈥淧reparing Preservice Teachers to Support Young Children in Urban Settings.鈥�

Supporting dual language learners

Karen N. Nemeth discusses some trends impacting city schools, including an increasing concentration of children and families with many different home languages鈥攕ome the schools have never before supported. She offers examples of best practice in 鈥�Extreme Diversity in Cities: Challenges and Solutions for Programs Serving Young Children and Their Families.鈥�

Building strong relationships with all children

In 鈥淐ulturally Responsive Strategies to Support Young Children With Challenging Behavior,鈥� Charis Price and Elizabeth A. Steed share five strategies that teachers can draw on as they establish nurturing practices to help all children engage in positive, prosocial interactions with teacher and peers. These relationship-building techniques are particularly relevant for teachers as they reflect on their own practices and biases, specifically toward African American boys.

Calling on community stakeholders

In this Viewpoint, 鈥淏uilding a More Inclusive Sandbox: Inviting New Collaborators to Support Children, Families, and Early Learning,鈥� Titus DosRemedios encourages educators to bring together diverse professionals from different fields鈥攍ibrarians, public housing administrators, pediatricians, bankers, parent leaders, and educators鈥攖o expand early learning opportunities for children in their communities.

As always, we鈥檇 love to hear from you. Send us a note with your thoughts on this issue at听[email protected].