Infants and toddlers at play: choosing the right stuff for learning and development - mary benson mcmullen

Brody, Dylan: - Dylan Brody (they/them), MSEd, is a doctoral student at the University of Georgia.

They are currently the graduate research assistant for the Department of Educational Theory and Practice, with a focus on critical studies.

Dylan began working as a full-time teacher with infants and toddlers in 2010 and fell deeply in love with the complexity of teaching young children.

They worked collaboratively with a coteacher in a setting that utilizes a continuity of care model, providing Dylan the space and support needed to build intimate and meaningful connections with children and their families over the course of a three-year cycle.

This time allowed them to create a more deeply reflective teaching practice and mindful rapport with families through daily moments of trust building.

Dylans primary research and teaching interests focus on ethics, equity, critical theory, mindfulness, and advocacy for fellow teachers who experience marginalization.

They prioritize care practices and policies that allow all members of the community to feel safer to be themselves and challenge the barriers in place that might prevent success for all.

Dylan hopes to work more closely in the future with early childhood teachers in the LGBTQ+ community and to further advocate for trans visibility and representation in the field.

Dylan currently lives in Athens, Georgia, with their beloved cat, Bean.