Office: 221A South Hall
Phone: (716) 245-5397
E-mail: jensen@geneseo.edu
Fax: (716) 245-5220

"As we review the prospects for the well-being of today’s children, we should consider social, political, and philosophical perspectives as well as economic ones." --from Visions of Entitlement: The Care and Education of America’s Children

Developing the capacities of teachers and administrators to become civic and professional leaders is Mary Jensen’s main concern. She believes that the coming era will require a growing number of leaders among our teachers and administrators who can nurture and advocate for the well-being of children, their families and the teaching profession. Her specific interests are current issues in early childhood education, curriculum development and documentation of learning, emergent literacy, and the role of teachers’ pedagogical stories in the formation of teaching communities.

Ph.D., Early Childhood Education, University of Illinois, Champaign (1977)

M.Ed., Reading, Early Childhood and Elementary Education, University of Illinois, Champaign (1973)

B.A., Social Sciences/Geography, Early Childhood and Elementary Education, Macalester College, St. Paul, MN (1970)

"Developing Pedagogical Knowledge through Teacher-Written Case Stories" in Journal of Early Childhood Teacher Education (1999)

"Creating a Space Where Teachers Can Locate their Voices and Develop their Pedagogical Awareness" in Teaching and Teacher Education (with Erin Foster & Meghan Eddy [students], 1997)

Visions of Entitlement: The Care and Education of America’s Children (author and co-editor with Stacie Goffin, 1993)

"History of Sponsorships and Interest Groups" in Encyclopedia of Early Childhood Education (1992)

"Functions of Writing and Signs of Organization in Young Children’s Written Stories, Inventories, and Personal Correspondence" in Early Childhood Development and Care (1990)

"Story Awareness: A Critical Skill for Early Reading" in Young Children (1985)

"Self-Concept and Its Relation to Age, Family Structure, and Gender in Head Start Children" in The Journal of Psychology (1983)

"Composing and Guiding Creative Movement Experiences" in Journal of Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance (1983)

"Helping Young Children Learn to Read: What Research Says to Teachers" in Young Children (with Bette Hanson, 1980)

• Chairperson, School of Education Curriculum Review Committee for Early Childhood, Childhood and Special Education

• Chairperson, Affiliates and Regional Representatives Committee, National Association of Early Childhood Teacher Educators

• Former Director, Ella Cline Shear School of Education

• Former President, National Association of Early Childhood Teacher Educators