Administrative Staff

 

Jim Elicker, Ph.D.
Director Early Childhood Programs
Associate Professor of Developmental Studies
(765) 494-2938
elickerj@purdue.edu

I have been an early childhood educator for more than 35 years, including being a teacher in Head Start and campus child care, a program administrator, a teacher educator, and a researcher. I have a masters in human development/early education from Harvard and a Ph.D. in Child Psychology from Minnesota.

I believe that young children learn best through direct and active experiences with people and the world. Relationships with parents and teachers are key. I want every child to feel secure, valued, and accepted when they go to school. I want each child to be challenged also, to have an "Ah-hah!" experience every day: make a new discovery or come to a new understanding. Our challenge as teachers is to create an environment where children can feel secure and loved, but also be encouraged to discover and learn.

 

 

Anne Sexton, M.S.
Associate Director
Child Development Laboratory Preschool
(765) 494-0890
alsexton@purdue.edu

Having graduated from Purdue twice-with a B.S. in Home Economics and an M.S. in Instructional Research and Design with an specialization in Educational Technology, I love being back at Purdue!! Personally, I am a musician, a community supporter, and an avid hobbyist. Professionally, I have been a consultant for the state, a director of early intervention services, a supervisor for teachers preparing for a career in early childhood education, an owner of a preschool, an advocate for families with exceptional children, a caseworker in family services, a diagnostician in a mental health clinic, and, that which I enjoy to the fullest, a facilitator of preschool children’s growth and development. In every professional setting I have experienced, I have been surrounded by and been able to learn from individuals much more astute than I. With every transition to a new position, I have taken that knowledge with me. As a result, I have become a more sensitive and effective practitioner with each new position and new challenge. Although, my professional experience has been rich, indeed, I truly believe the greatest asset I bring to the Child Development Laboratory School is the fact that I am the mother of children with extremely different exceptional needs. In the process of helping each of them develop to their greatest capacity, I learned, above all, that what children need most is for someone to believe in them, someone to give infinite opportunities to excel, and for someone to love them unconditionally. I respect what each and every child has the potential of becoming and strive endlessly to achieve the highest expectations possible.