New faculty: Barbara Hammerli nurtures babies, college students at Stone House
Friday, August 24th, 2007
Twenty-two-month-old Owen approaches Barbara Hammerli, turns around and plunks down in her lap.
It is Hammerli’s second day in the Infant and Toddler classroom at Stone House. Owen already understands that when Barb is on the floor she’s chair material.
Hammerli, known as Barb to parents and children at Stone House, is director of the Early Learning Center for children 6 weeks to 2 years old. Stone House is a licensed facility with both state and national accreditation.
In addition to the training lab where Family Studies and Human Services students can learn first hand to interact with children, she teaches Reflective Practice: Infants and Toddlers.
Hers is a relationship-based approach to helping children develop. Reflective practice, she explained, “is all about a nurturing relationship, responding according to what the child wants, following the child’s lead, when appropriate, instead of the child following the adult’s lead.”
The classroom is a lab for early childhood education majors. Children and students have a reciprocal relationship, Hammerli said. They learn from each other.
“Here students look at theories, practices, and developmental milestones in real life. Then they make more sense, have more meaning,” she added.
Hammerli discovered her passion in high school during a student teacher’s lesson on child development in home economics class.
“It was an ‘Aha!’ moment,” she said.
She has a bachelor’s and master’s degree from K-State, then spent 21 years at the child development lab at the University of Missouri. She returned to Manhattan to be closer to her parents in Salina and her siblings, nephews and nieces.
Hammerli likes to connect with the children’s parents. “It is hard for parents to leave children, regardless of the quality of care and how much they love their jobs,” she said.
She encourages her new parents to come visit before the first day of school.
“Parents go out and shed a few tears,” she said. She urges them to call during the day for reassurance.
Any problem parents? “I’ve had a few memorable ones,” she said with a wink.
“Everybody is so special,” she said. “When I make a connection with a child…it is a special moment for me.”
Hunkered down in Barb’s lap and opening the cover of “Good Night, Gorilla,” Owen obviously has connected.
This entry was posted on Friday, August 24th, 2007 and is filed under Dean's Blog.