In 2010, three educators--Alicia D. Smith, EdD, Beverlyn Cain, EdD, and Ruth Ann H. Ball, MS--came together to meet each other for the first time at a national early childhood conference. We came from different parts of the country, took different
journeys to our career paths, and had different racial and ethnic backgrounds, but we had the same passion for teaching.
Over the years, we’ve laughed together, learned from each other, presented at national conferences, written and published articles, and shared our stories. Most importantly, we shared the foundational memories that brought us to our chosen careers—early childhood education. Now, we’ve come together again to share our reflections on teaching, the people who have influenced our lives, and the challenges we have experienced over our combined 162 years as early care and education professionals.
