The teachergarten: Creating an environment conducive to meaningful teacher growth

Abstract

This editorial provides discussion of conditions and actions needed to create and sustain a context and environment that is nurturing and conducive to meaningful professional teacher growth. The authors are a program director and master (lead) teacher from a university demonstration/laboratory program that is both state licensed and accredited through the National Association for the Education of Young Children. They frame the dialogue to address issues of (a) commitment to professional development as a long-term investment in program quality, (b) intellectual safety and challenge, (c) creative use of available resources, (d) respect for all stakeholders in the program, and (e) intentional modeling. © Springer Science+Business Media, LLC 2009.