Deb Curtis has spent the past 40 years working with
children and teachers in early childhood programs. She holds an MA
in human development from Pacific Oaks College and has worked as an
infant/toddler caregiver, preschool and school age child care
teacher, CDA trainer, Head Start education coordinator, college
instructor, and assistant director of a child care program.
Margie Carter has worked as a preschool, kindergarten and
primary school teacher, curriculum developer, High/Scope trainer,
child care director, and college instructor. She received her BS in
Education from Northwestern University and her MA in Human
Development and Leadership from Pacific Oaks College.
Deb Curtis and Margie Carter are the coauthors of numerous
professional learning books, including?The Visionary Director,
Training Teachers, The Art of Awareness, Designs for Living and
Learning, Reflecting Children’s Lives, Learning Together with Young
Children, Reflecting in Communities of Practice,?and author
of?Really Seeing Children.
I recommend reading everything Deb and Margie write, but Art of
Awareness is a true gem. Whether you're a new teacher or an
experienced early childhood educator this book will draw you
deeper. From the very first poem there is so much to think about,
practice, and reflect on as a team. We've used Art of Awareness in
book studies, professional development days, and parent meetings
for years. Honing in your observation skills is one of the best
ways towards becoming the educator you want to be. The study
sessions are accessible and powerful lenses to further our
learning. Thanks for the new edition and more to dig
into. --Jennifer Slack, Founder and pedagogical leader, Our
Neighborhood Child Development Center
Este libro es una valiosa herramienta para mi enseñanza. Las
historias inspiradoras con fotos ofrecen ideas útiles para el medio
ambiente y los materiales porque puedo ver las formas reales en que
los niños los usan. Las actividades para practicar las ideas me
ayudaron a ver de manera diferente y a notar cosas que normalmente
me perdería. El libro me mostró los puntos de vista de los niños,
las muchas diferencias entre los niños y las formas en que puedo
abrazar y respetar a cada niño.
--Jesly Morales, maestra de preescolar This book is a
valuable tool for my teaching. The inspiring stories with photos
offer useful ideas for the environment and materials because I can
see the real ways children use them. The activities for practicing
the ideas helped me to see differently and notice things I might
normally miss. The book showed me children’s points of view, the
many differences in children, and ways I can embrace and respect
every single child.
--Jesly Morales, Preschool Teacher
The Art of Awareness offers the tools needed to open the doors of
our perception to the extraordinary uniqueness of each child. Thus,
allowing us the opportunity to fully join and support their
development. Both practical and inspirational, the reader will find
how to advance equity in our society while fostering joyfulness
each step of the way. --Erika Flores, Founder and CEO,
ChildrenFlow
The Art of Awareness is a beautiful book to read and teach with
in-person and online classes. I love using this text as a guide to
support early childhood educators in college and in early care and
education programs. The design of the book artfully pulls us in and
slows us down, encouraging us to get immersed in the world of
children from their perspective. This book helps teachers recognize
and honor children’s curiosity, creativity, sense of wonder and
competencies through the lens of equity and anti-bias. The
chapters that focus on a particular study session topic allow
teachers to dive deep while also avoiding cognitive overload.
Students have shared that they feel unusually relaxed and inspired
while reading, and the reflective activities give them insight to
their own awareness of the world, while also having some fun! The
content is juicy rich with children’s experiences as well as
offering meaningful tools, such as Learning Stories, for
observation and documentation. New and seasoned early childhood
professionals will gain valuable insight about how to be fully
present, celebrate the whole child, and become artful observers of
children. --Shaquam Edwards, Instructor, Early Childhood
Education, College of Marin
Deb and Margie’s keen insight into children and deep understanding
of how to make visible a child’s innate gift for learning and
connecting inspires us once again to truly see and hear children.
This 3rd edition builds on their previous works through guided
self-studies and reflective questions, as well as photographs and
stories that capture the essence of children and foster our respect
for them as agents of their learning. Throughout the book, Deb and
Margie also infuse an equity and anti-bias lens that promotes our
self-awareness to unveil and combat racism and white privilege
which clouds our ability see and celebrate each child’s uniqueness
and strength. Deb and Margie move us to be transformational in the
way we see and interact with each child and how to use observation
to counterbalance the increased focus on standardization and
evaluation that reduces early childhood to mere numbers and
scores. --Jill McFarren Avilés, founder and director of
McFarren Aviles & Associates, LLC
Once again Margie Carter and Deb Curtis offer us a practical
resource that considers both the heart and the head. The Art of
Awareness offers a carefully guided path for teachers to reflect
on, consider, and transform their practice to meet the realities of
today’s changing world. A must have for both new and experienced
teachers who are eager to learn more about themselves, the children
they spend their days with, and the issues that face us all in the
21st century. --Anne Marie Coughlin, Education Director,
London Bridge Child Care Services
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