About the Book
The journey to professional and personal growth takes time, and the road isn't always smooth, but it is a learning-filled adventure Holly Elissa Bruno, Janet Gonzalez-Mena, Luis Antonio Hernandez, and Debra Ren-Etta Sullivan are accomplished professionals and respected leaders in the early childhood field. After a decade of speaking together at national professional development conferences, they now give you twelve of their most important presentation topics as essays. Each chapter presents a dialogue among the authors about a particular topic and the lessons gleaned from facing and overcoming uncertainty and obstacles. Merging each author's distinct voice, expertise, and life experiences, this collection unveils the authors' personal and meaningful histories, insecurities, and insights. You will be encouraged and challenged to think more deeply and openly about your own practices and philosophies. You will gain a renewed sense of purpose as you help children reach their full potentials. And you will discover--as the authors did--that every bump in the road is an invitation to grow and opportunity to learn.
Holly Elissa Bruno, MA, JD; Janet Gonzalez-Mena, MA; Luis Antonio Hernandez, MA; and Debra Ren-Etta Sullivan, EdD, are acclaimed keynote speakers, authors, and experts on a variety of topics in early childhood.
About the Author: Holly Elissa Bruno: Holly Elissa Bruno, MA, JD, is an author, attorney, professor, acclaimed keynote speaker, and host of an online radio program. She is an alumna of Harvard University's Institute for Educational Management, teaches leadership courses for The McCormick Center for Early Childhood Leadership and Wheelock College, and is a frequent contributor to
Child Care Information Exchange and the National Association for the Education of Young Children's
Young Children publication. Previously, Holly Elissa served as Assistant Attorney General for the state of Maine and Assistant Dean at the University of Maine School of Law. Holly Elissa's books include
What You Need to Lead an Early Childhood Program: Emotional Intelligence in Practice and
Managing Legal Risks in Early Childhood Programs.
Janet Gonzalez-Mena: Janet Gonzalez-Mena, MA, is a highly respected early childhood consultant, trainer, infant specialist, diversity specialist, and writer. She taught in the California community college system for more than thirty years and is currently part of the faculty for WestEd's Program for Infant Toddler Care (PITC) and Beginning Together, a training program for adults working with children with special needs. She is the author of
Diversity in Early Care and Education: Honoring Differences; 50 Strategies for Working with and Communicating with Diverse Families; Infants, Toddlers, and Caregivers, Ninth Edition; and
Basics of Developmentally Appropriate Practice: An Introduction for Teachers of Infants and Toddlers. Janet has a master in arts degree in human development from Pacific Oaks College.
Luis A. Hernandez: Luis A. Hernandez, MA, T/TAS Early Childhood Education Specialist, is an active member of many professional organizations that support children and family interests. He is active in the accreditation process with the National Association for the Education of Young Children, where he is also creating professional and leadership development opportunities. He serves on the Board of the Parent Services Project in California, the Advisory Board of the McCormick Tribune Center for Early Childhood Leadership, and the United Way's Center for Excellence in Early Childhood. Luis writes for
Child Care Information Exchange and is a frequent keynote speaker at national, state, and local conferences. He holds a master of arts degree in bilingual/multicultural education.
Debra Ren-Etta Sullivan: Debra R. Sullivan, EdD, is the cofounder and president of Praxis Institute for Early Childhood Education. She has more than twenty-five years of experience in higher education as a teacher, researcher, and administrator. Debra holds a doctorate in educational leadership, and a master's degree in curriculum and instruction. She is the author of
Learning to Lead: Effective Leadership Skills for Teachers of Young Children, Second Edition.
