Blog
Rosanne Regan Hansel, MS.Ed.
"I haven’t given up the dream that one day (very soon, I hope), all children living in all parts of this world, will have enough to eat and a safe place to live with families who respect and love them, will receive the highest quality, affordable care and education from teachers who are respected and well-paid, and will thrive on a peaceful planet that has been nurtured and well-tended by its inhabitants."
3DCHILDHOOD
Rosanne Regan Hansel, MS.Ed.
"I haven’t given up the dream that one day (very soon, I hope), all children living in all parts of this world, will have enough to eat and a safe place to live with families who respect and love them, will receive the highest quality, affordable care and education from teachers who are respected and well-paid, and will thrive on a peaceful planet that has been nurtured and well-tended by its inhabitants."
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My Vision for Young Children
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After teaching art in a PreK-6 elementary school for seven years followed by eleven years as an early childhood administrator in a church preschool, a college lab school and an independent school, I had a new vision for educating young children. Having been inspired by the preschools of Reggio Emilia, Italy and Auckland, New Zealand, I wondered why all children in the United States couldn’t have the same deep, creative educational experiences that children had there. Doors began to open to help that vision unfold.
As the Early Childhood Specialist for the Math Science Partnership (funded by a National Science Foundation grant) at Rutgers University working with public preschools in districts throughout New Jersey, I had the opportunity to learn about New Jersey’s Abbott court decision where three and four year olds in the state’s poorest districts received a free public education and their teachers earned salaries on the same pay scale as K-12 teachers. When the MSP grant ended, I joined the staff of the Division of Early Childhood Education at the NJ Department of Education that had oversight of these publicly funded classrooms. I invested the last eleven years of my career working with district administrators and teachers to insure that they had the highest quality preschool programs...just a small step toward achieving the dream I shared in the opening quote.
It was in providing professional development and supports for kindergarten teachers that I grew increasingly concerned about educational trends that overlooked the interests, curiosity, social identities, language, culture, experiences and pace of the young child. The introduction of one-size-fits-all curricula with 2D workbooks, worksheets and screen time, the elimination of recess and rest time, the narrow focus on reading and math to the exclusion of other subjects and the unrealistic expectations not aligned with developmentally appropriate practices, ignited my passion to reimagine learning experiences in the early years.
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After a great deal of soul searching and reflection, a new vision has emerged. It is time to replace this joyless two-dimensional childhood with a more vibrant and playful 3D childhood where children are free to explore the 3D world and move beyond 2D workbooks and screens with opportunities to actively engage in and with meaningful, intellectually challenging, socially interactive 3D experiences and materials.
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I hope you will join me in restoring a 3D childhood for every child.
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Background
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I grew up in a large family in South Carolina during a time when outdoor play was what all kids did after school and during the summer. When I think back, I don’t remember the intense summer heat, stopping to eat or missing favorite TV shows. What I do remember is climbing trees, building forts, playing dodge ball and softball in the street, putting on shows, designing clothing and houses for my dolls, riding my bicycle, and one of my favorites…playing for hours on a patch of dirt building cities and roadways with whatever materials we could find…old bricks, sticks, scraps of wood, rusty roller skates, stones, a few wheeled toys, but mainly…our imaginations. In addition to a great physical outlet, exuberant 3D outdoor play offered me incredible learning opportunities. I developed the ability to negotiate, take turns, play fair, develop some grit, lose gracefully and get along with a wide range of personalities.
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Before long, play became a distant memory and I was off to high school and then college. I couldn't wait to head north to St. Mary's College in South Bend, Indiana and then to the Pennsylvania State University, where I studied Art Education. Unable to find an art teaching job after graduation, I tried out a series of jobs including sales at a bath and lighting shop, recreation director in a nursing home, volunteer coordinator for the Retired Senior Volunteer Program and book store clerk. During those years, I married David Hansel, had two daughters and settled in Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania. I opened up my own family child care business when my youngest daughter was three months old. I always say that it was the most demanding job I have ever held! I have the deepest respect for those who dedicate their lives to caring for and teaching young children.
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My husband was transferred to the Philadelphia area where I finally got my first job teaching art in a small private PK-grade 6 school. Both of my daughters were so fortunate to have the opportunity to attend this school where we ate family style in the dining commons, went ice skating every Friday during the winter, took field trips to area museums and places of interest, participated in many family activities and discovered the joys of collaborative learning. My daughters remember those years with fondness.
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Fast forward to 2020. My oldest daughter Amber, a drama major, is pursuing a doctorate at Syracuse University in Instructional Design, Development and Evaluation and my youngest daughter Emily, a visual media major, and her husband have just moved on from jobs at Universal Studios and Disney Animation Studios to a new location south of Los Angeles where they are raising a four year old son and a two year old daughter. With my husband's recent retirement from a career in the environmental services field and my retirement from the education field, it is with great anticipation and excitement that we begin to check off life-long dreams on our bucket list and and stay open to unexpected adventures yet to come!
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