Rebecca Giles

Dr. Giles teaches courses in the graduate Elementary and Early Childhood Education programs, as well as the undergraduate Early Childhood Studies program at the University of Alabama. She has over 30 years of teaching experience ranging from pre-kindergarten through higher education and has spoken and published widely on numerous topics related to early education, literacy, and teacher preparation. She is the author of A Young Writer's World: Creating Classrooms Where Authors Abound (2020, Exchange Press).

Dr. Giles attended the University of Texas at Austin where she obtained her Masters in Education with her major concentration in Curriculum & Instruction with an emphasis on Early Childhood Education. She then attended the University of Southern Mississippi where she was awarded her Ph.D. in Curriculum & Instruction with an emphasis on Elementary and Early Childhood Education.

The past twenty years in higher education have confirmed Dr. Giles’ belief first instilled as a novice early childhood teacher long ago, that teaching is a challenging and demanding profession requiring tremendous dedication on the teacher’s part in order to be done well. Dr. Giles believes that successfully engaging students in meaningful learning opportunities incorporating the present standards, reflecting the most current research, and modeling the latest techniques require thorough planning, advanced preparation, flexibility in delivery, and thoughtful reflection resulting in future modifications.

Dr. Giles’ philosophy of learning is best summarized by Frederick Froebel, the “Father of Kindergarten,” in his 1897 publication The Education of Man “To learn a thing in life and through doing is much more developing, cultivating, and strengthening than to learn it merely through verbal communication of ideas.” As a result, Dr. Giles attempts to initiate stimulating dialogue and lively discussion related to course topics, incorporating cooperative learning into her lessons, and forcing students to use available resources, from Internet sites to personal experiences, as they search for possible solutions to complex issues.