Alayne Stieglitz always knew she wanted to work with children. As the new Director of the Children’s Center and a new professor in the Early Childhood Education Department, she gets to do just that.

“I believe they hold the potential for us as a people, so it’s worth investing everything we can in their upbringing,” said Stieglitz.

“I think children are born to make social contact and they are born to learn and it’s our responsibility to give them the tools to make that happen,” said Stieglitz.

“Every day there is new compelling evidence that the early years are the most critical period for optimal development. The genetic potential a child is born with can only be fully reached within relationships and an environment that is supportive of that child’s physical and mental health. This is what motivates me to work with young children and their families,” said Stieglitz.

Stieglitz said that one of the rewarding parts of her job is seeing children coming every day and being in a place where they know they are truly loved and taken care of.

Stieglitz also now teaches the Early Childhood Education classes that parents who have a child at the children’s center are required to take. She said that it’s also very rewarding to get to know the families as well by having the students participate in their child’s time at the center.

“(I) make sure that families feel welcomed and that we are their partners in their child’s education,” Stieglitz said.

Stieglitz started as an assistant teacher when she was in college almost 40 years ago, earned her Bachelor of Science in psychology at UCLA, got her master’s degree in education and was a director for several other children’s centers.

At this stage in her career, she’s ready to pass on her knowledge to the teachers at the center and the students who want to be teachers.

“This seemed to be the best of both worlds where I knew a lot about how to run a center and be a director and wanted to start learning about teaching at the college level, so this was the perfect opportunity,” said Stieglitz.

When Stieglitz was looking for a new position, she knew she was ready to start a new phase in her career by teaching college students.

Stieglitz said, “Personally, what I get out of working with young children is joy. I would like nothing more than for every (Early Child Education) student to experience that joy in their careers and to pass it on to the children and families that cross their paths.”

“As a director, my focus is always on the children, but as a teacher, my focus is now on the adults too and how adults learn,” said Stieglitz.

Stieglitz’s goal is to continue to create a wonderful place for her students to do their fieldwork and for them to learn how to be teachers from some of the best teachers that she’s ever known, while continuing to provide the highest quality childcare for the children.