Beth Wise, Bing Nursery School’s associate director and an inspiring presence at the school for more than 30 years, has won the 2022 Stanford School of Humanities & Sciences Dean’s Award of Merit in Leadership.
Recipients of the award demonstrate strong leadership and outstanding performance in their position. “We are so pleased that Beth has been recognized for her commitment and unwavering dedication to our community including children, families, staff, Stanford students and researchers,” said Jennifer Winters, director of Bing Nursery School and a lecturer in the Department of Psychology.
Wise has held many roles at Bing: teacher, head teacher, music specialist and, for the last 13 years, associate director. She is also a lecturer of one of a few Stanford undergraduate courses offered at Bing—Psychology 147: Development in Early Childhood.
When nominating Wise for this honor, Winters wrote: “The leadership of Beth Wise really shone through in operating Bing amid all of the challenges and changes during a second pandemic year. As associate director, she provided steady, trusted guidance and unwavering effort to ensure the school served the maximum number of children and families while maintaining the highest levels of health and safety standards. Her growth mindset on solving problems in an ever-changing environment set an example for all of our teachers and staff.”
“From working with the children in the classroom and modeling quality interactions, to helping a parent worried about separating from their child, she consistently offered sage and authentic advice and is a model of good practice. She truly led from the front,” Winters added.
One colleague wrote, “Her patience in listening and problem-solving through challenges serves as an aspirational example for our whole staff. Beth also recognizes that leadership requires decision-making, sometimes making difficult decisions. Navigating the needs of staff and families through the pandemic has been a feat of flexibility, judgement and persistence.”
Beth Wise Reflects on 30 Years at Bing
In honor of Beth Wise’s recognition, we asked her to reflect on three decades at Bing. Below, she talks about balancing children’s need for support and independence, learning how to “wonder” with a child and that time she turned Bing into a full-fledged recording studio.
What did you find most rewarding about your time at Bing?
I have had the opportunity to work with many children and families, witness the magic of childhood, and enter a world so precious and with such potential. Our founding director, Dr. Edith Dowley, guided teachers to have “faith, hope and trust” in children. When you follow those principles, the rewards become clear; getting to know children as the unique, capable, kind and empathetic individuals they are.
As a talented musician and storyteller, you’ve strongly advocated for children’s exposure to the arts. Tell us about that.
As a child, I was fortunate to have lots of time to play, try various musical instruments, listen to many genres of music and experience the freedom of movement we advocate in our teaching at Bing. This appreciation of the arts and the creative process is intertwined with how I work with children and is a core part of my teaching philosophy.
When I became the music specialist at Bing, I had an opportunity to record a music CD with the skilled expertise of sound engineer Lars Hidde and assistant recording engineer Heidi Verlaine. We set up a recording studio in Bing’s multi-purpose room and invited children, families, teachers and community members to collaborate on songs performed and recorded at Bing. The project’s beauty was that the proceeds of sales of the CD went directly into the Bing Scholarship fund and helped provide opportunities for more children to attend Bing. Over several years, we produced seven CDs that were sold and have now been digitized for enrolled Bing families to enjoy.
I then worked with Jingdong Cai, the former director of orchestral studies at Stanford, director Jennifer Winters and research coordinator Chia-wa Yeh to launch the Bing Nursery School Performance Series for children. The concerts were held on the Stanford campus at Dinkelspiel Auditorium and the Bing Concert Hall. The series aimed to introduce young children to the performing arts and expand their knowledge of different cultures through music and dance to set the stage for a lifelong appreciation of the arts. An outreach effort enabled us to provide free tickets and transportation for over 100 families per show to children who might not otherwise be able to attend. The shows were open to the public and ranged from dance, theatre, symphonic performances, jazz, multi-media performances, marionettes and more. We held our last show in October 2019, and after a long hiatus due to the pandemic, we hope to present more concerts in the future.
Your ability to connect with children is exceptional. Tell us about your approach to talking with them.
First of all, thank you for that comment! I believe that I have learned how to listen, show genuine respect for children and quietly recognize and value who they are and how hard they are working on learning all the skills they need to succeed. Children want support but also value independence and trying things out for themselves. Recognizing that balance gives them a sense of autonomy and builds trust in knowing a caring adult is there to step in when needed.
You have also co-taught the Stanford course Psychology 147: Development in Early Childhood, which is held at Bing. How was your experience working with undergraduates?
It has been an honor to work with the Stanford students. They come to the class with a desire to understand how children process the world, develop skills and dispositions, and they then get an opportunity to work in Bing classrooms. As the quarter ends, the students invariably learn so much from the children and are in awe of how deeply caring, competent and kind they are. We often have students who stay with us after graduation and become teachers for a few years before taking their next academic or career steps. I find that especially rewarding since they are learning to value and understand young children and weaving that experience into the fabric of their work and life.
Did your experience at Bing impact your parenting and vice versa? If so, in what ways?
My experiences as an educator helped me value the world from a child’s perspective and empathize with all they need to learn along the way. One of my favorite things that I learned as a teacher was to take time to “wonder” with a child. When there are problems, obstacles, challenges, questions and concerns, the simple act of being there in mind and spirit and saying, “I wonder what we could do?” or “I wonder why that happened?” opens a dialogue and shows a level of support that is nonjudgmental, models curiosity and makes room for conversation. As a parent of two children (now adults), we often “wondered” together to imagine solutions and solve problems.