HHP Pirate Profile - Barbara Brehm

Name:

Barbara Brehm

Department:

Human Development and Family Science

Academic Program:

Birth through Kindergarten Teacher Education Program

What is your favorite course you have taught / currently teach?

I love teaching infant / toddler curriculum, and I also love going out into schools in the community and supervising student teaching interns. That is where our majors put everything together and I love that I can be a part of that.

Describe your work with the EELSPD grant program.

Our grant is service oriented rather than research oriented. With our grant we provide the beginning teacher support program to license teachers in Eastern North Carolina. There is currently a staff of 30 members working on the grant project.

Why is the EELSPD grant important and impactful?

The grant is important because we work with licensed teachers who are not in public schools. These teachers don’t have a mechanism to keep their license current, or to progress to the next level of licensure. That can only happen with teachers who work in the public-school system. NC Pre-k requires licensed teachers, but about only half of those classrooms are in public schools. Therefore, those teachers not working in the public schools are sort of “stuck”. With this grant program, teachers working in NC Pre-K outside of public schools can keep a current licensure and have the opportunity to progress / improve.

Describe your work with Early Childhood Education.

My work with Early Childhood is to prepare teachers to go into Pre-K and Kindergarten classrooms with all types of kids. I have taught at the University level as well as the Highschool level, before I became a director at a childcare center. I just really enjoy helping people of all ages think and engage in learning.

What is the most interesting element to you about Early Childhood Education?

I think the most interesting element about Early Childhood Education is the ability to help kids of all ages think. People learn through relationships and interaction; being able to make sense of what I see children doing really gives me a window into their brain, and is extremely interesting to me.

Outside of work, what are your favorite hobbies or interests?

I enjoy reading, watching sports, gardening and yardwork. When I have the time I also like to kayak.

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