Critical Reflections on Working with Diverse Families: Culturally Responsive Professional Development Strategies for Early Childhood and Early Childhood Special Educators

Professional development that focuses on supporting teachers' abilities to work with diverse families is keenly needed. This article outlines three instructional strategies and how they were used with undergraduate students in an inclusive early childhood teacher education program: (a) involving diverse family members as instructional supports; (b) performance of family scenarios; and (c) examining diverse families in popular media. These strategies, undergirded by the importance of critical reflection, have been implemented as part of a statewide preservice teacher education initiative in Iowa. Program evaluation data provide preliminary evidence of their potential to foster the development of necessary cultural dispositions for future teachers to meet the growing diversity among children and families.