Innovating Clinical Experiences from and for Multiple Stakeholders: A Case of One Early Childhood Teacher Preparation Program

This article describes a multi-year project carried out by a team of early childhood teacher educators to critically inquire about and innovate clinical experiences. As part of our on-going program reflection and evaluation, we gathered data from multiple stakeholders about their perspectives of successful clinical experiences. Simultaneously, we developed and implemented several practices to enhance clinical experiences for multiple stakeholders incorporating collective perspectives. In this article, we illustrate the process and initiatives undertaken to enhance early childhood clinical experiences. We then offer critical reflections including the challenges we faced and new directions for university teacher preparation programs to consider.