Dr. Rhea and Dr. Bauml are back for the third and final installment of their discussion on early childhood education and unstructured play. They’ve talked about not letting the weather stop you from getting outside as long as it’s safe, but what about when it isn’t? If we must stay indoors, there are still plenty of ways to create unstructured play environments for our kids and students that foster social/emotional, physical, and cognitive growth.   Dr. Michelle Bauml is the Clotilda Winter Professor of Education and an Associate Professor of Early Childhood Education in the Department of Teaching and Learning Sciences at TCU with an emphasis in social studies education. As a former elementary teacher, Dr. Bauml’s research and teaching reflect her beliefs that children need ample opportunities for creative expression, play, and meaningful instruction in today’s schools. She conducts qualitative research aimed at helping teachers navigate professional complexities to make thoughtful, effective curricular and instructional decisions in order to promote student learning. Prior to joining the faculty at TCU, Dr. Bauml taught at a Title 1 elementary school in the Houston area and coached beginning teachers in Houston ISD. She has extensive experience working with prospective and early career teachers, and she enjoys teaching undergraduate courses for the Early Childhood Education (EC-6) program and graduate courses in Curriculum and Instruction. In 2021, Dr. Bauml received a university Deans Teaching Award for excellence in teaching. She was also granted the Honorary Leon Jaworski Award for Teaching Excellence in Law Focused Education by the State Bar of Texas and Texas Young Lawyers Association in 2016.

Other resources mentioned in this episode:
Starpoint (Lab school at TCU)
Recess kits

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