Becoming Reflective Early Intervention Practitioners in an Urban Area

Abstract

This chapter examines how preservice early intervention (EI) practitioners become empowered as reflective practitioners through their internship, coursework, and their real-world experiences in an urban early childhood inclusive education program where over 70% of the students are from minoritized and underrepresented groups. The authors draw on two studies about students using professional, practical, and personal experiences to make their decisions in their EI and early childhood settings and use feedback and reflective practice. They examine how the reflective practice and feedback support non-traditional students who are entering EI after other educational work. One study focuses more on their development of their reflective practice and the other study focuses more on the important role of field experiences in preparing high-quality early childhood practitioners who are ready to work with the diversity found amongst children and families in an urban area.