I see my work as a scholar and educator of nature-based early learning as one of preparing future early childhood educators to support children’s development and flourishing in a changing world.

Deeply rooted in the New Sociology of Childhood that sees children as active agents, not passive subjects, my image of the child is one of deep respect and care. This foundational grounding informs my work with graduate and undergraduates – as learners of all ages are active in the construction of knowledge. Further, my work is deeply rooted in the tradition of Environmental Education which first and foremost was founded with the aim of “producing a citizenry that is knowledgeable concerning the biophysical environment and its associated problems, aware of how to help solve these problems, and motivated to work toward their solution [emphasis added]” (Stapp, 1969, p. 30). This action orientation is not prescriptive. Teaching from an Environmental Education perspective seeks to teach how to think critically, rather than what to think, and to instill self-efficacy that facilitates action.

Confidence in one’s ability to complete a task is essential for all learning. Further, I believe confidence in one’s ability to positively impact the world around them is an essential capacity during this time of every increasing social, political, and environmental turmoil. Bandura (1994) beautifully captures the importance of self-efficacy, and what it means not only for learning but for wellbeing:

A strong sense of efficacy enhances human accomplishment and personal well-being in many ways. People with high assurance in their capabilities approach difficult tasks as challenges to be mastered rather than as threats to be avoided. Such an efficacious outlook fosters intrinsic interest and deep engrossment in activities. They set themselves challenging goals and maintain strong commitment to them. They heighten and sustain their efforts in the face of failure. They quickly recover their sense of efficacy after failures or setbacks. They attribute failure to insufficient effort or deficient knowledge and skills which are acquirable. They approach threatening situations with assurance that they can exercise control over them. Such an efficacious outlook produces personal accomplishments, reduces stress and lowers vulnerability to depression. (p. 71)

This is what I hope for my students: intrinsic interest, deep engrossment, and assurance that though the challenges we face are many, our actions matter. In addition to important content knowledge, and connections across concepts and disciplines, I hope to instill in my students a resilient self-efficacy that will support lifelong learning and action, no matter what path they choose.