NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration

By: Denise Lineberry

The teachers at the Langley Childhood Development Center (LCDC) wear many hats. They are communicators, disciplinarians, role models and decision-makers. Their jobs take patience, skill and caring. Also training and education.

A group of LCDC teachers went back to the role of student to become better teachers. Deborah Breland, Gwendolyn Minor, Wanda Speights, Rhonda Hall and Kim Bailey received their Child Development Associate. Stephanie Brown completed her Associate of Arts in Early Childhood Education.

The LCDC teachers recently earned their associates degrees. (From left to right): Rhonda Hall, Stephanie Brown, Kim Bailey, Wanda Speights and Deborah Breland. (Not pictured): Gwendolyn Minor. Credit: NASA/Sean Smith

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“I decided to further my education to better understand how young children grow and learn,” Speights said.

Each teacher has spent two years completing her degree while still working at the LCDC. A difficult part in obtaining the degree for many of them was continuing to work full-time while taking courses. It also meant more hours away from their families.

But they understood the benefits that would follow earning a degree.

“It will help me with new ideas and to gather information on how to deal with challenging behaviors,” Bailey said. “And to educate myself in working with children of all ages.”

Hall agrees and adds, “I can create an environment that helps children develop social skills.”

Brown is continuing her education at Old Dominion University, with the hopes of earning her bachelors and master’s degrees and becoming a kindergarten teacher. "I want to become the best I can be as a teacher," she said.

These teachers and all of the teachers at the LCDC are working examples of the educated educating.

“Early Childhood teachers are living examples of the saying ‘necessity is the mother of invention,’ ” Hall said. “They have to be creative in the way they recycle materials, respond to challenging behavior and invite family involvement.”

Breland has been teaching in early childhood for more than 20 years. “Each day is a new learning experience, not just for the children, but for me as well,” she said.

And when the going gets tough, they have each other’s support and encouragement.

“I enjoyed working on my degree with my peers,” Bailey said. “I am very proud and pleased to have experienced this journey in my life, and I desire to take many more steps in educating myself along the way.”


 
NASA Langley Research Center
Managing Editor: Jim Hodges
Executive Editor and Responsible NASA Official: H. Keith Henry
Editor and Curator: Denise Lineberry