Education

Meir Muller, an ordained rabbi, earned his Ph.D. in Early Childhood Education and Master's of Education in Early Childhood Education from the University of South Carolina - Columbia. He has a bachelor's degree in Talmudic Studies from Central Yeshiva Tomchei Tmimim Lubavitz.

Expertise

Issues of racial equity, constructivist theory and pedagogy, Jewish education, social studies education, and pre service teacher preparation.

Background

Meir Muller has served as a full time faculty member since 2011. Muller is also in his 29th year as head of the Cutler Jewish Day School.

Selected Research Studies

Exploring Young Children’s Construction of social studies concepts.

Preservice Teachers as Anti-Racist Advocates.

Selected Publications

Muller, M., Braden, E., Wynter-Hoyte, K. Long, S., & Boutte, G. (in press). Another 100 Years?: Du Bois’ Brownies’ Book Goals, Just as Vital Today in the Education of Young Children and Their Teachers. The Journal of Negro Education.

Muller, M. (in press) Preparing Black Children to Identify and Confront Racism in Books, Media, and Other Texts: Critical Questions. Boutte, G. S., King, J. E., Johnson, G. L., & King, L. J. (forthcoming). We be loving Black children. Myers Education Press.

Muller, M. (2020). Pre-Service Teachers Engage Young Children in Equity Work. Journal of Early Childhood Teacher Education. 10.1080/10901027.2020.1832632.

Muller, M. & Baum, A. (2020). Covid and Code. Focus on Ethics column, Young Children.

Muller, M. & Bryan, N. (2020). W.E. B. DuBois and Paulo Freire: Toward a ‘Pedagogy of the Veil’ to counter racism in early childhood education. In Kirylo, J. Meeting the critical pedagogues: The enduring legacy of Paulo Freire. New York: Bloomsbury.

Muller, M. & Boutte, G (2019). A framework for helping teachers interrupt oppression in their classrooms. Journal for Multicultural Education, 13(1), 94-105. https://doi.org/10.1108/JME-09-2017-0052

Muller, M. (2018). Justice Pedagogy: Elementary Students Challenge Racist Statues. Social Studies and the Young Learner. 31(2), 17-23.

Boutte, G. & Muller, M.  (2018). Engaging children in conversations about oppression using children’s literature. Talking Points. 30(1), 2-9.

Muller, M., Gorsetman, C. & Alexander, S. (2018). Struggles and Successes in Constructivist Jewish Early Childhood Classrooms, Journal of Jewish Education, 84(3), 284-311.

Muller, M (2018).   Monumental challenge: Elementary students challenge racist statues. Center of Excellence for the Education and Equity of African American Students. Columbia,

Selected Presentations

Muller, M. (2020). Talking about race with young children. Association for Constructivist Teachers, Zoom.

Muller, M. & Matthew, I. (2020). Comparing social emotional profiles of kindergarten students from parent and teacher ratings. South Carolina Educators for the Practical Use of Research, South Carolina.

Muller, M. (2019). Justice Pedagogy: Preservice teachers and elementary students contest racist statues. Reconceptualizing Early Childhood Education, New Mexico.

Muller, M. (2019). Anne and Emmett: Confronting antisemitism, racism, and otherness through Pedagogy. Institute for Curriculum Development in Critical Contemporary Antisemitism Studies. St. John’s College, Oxford University.

Muller, M (2018).   Monumental challenge: Elementary students challenge racist statues. Center of Excellence for the Education and Equity of African American Students. Columbia, S. C.

Muller, M. (2017). Monumental challenge: Anti-Racist assignments in a social studies methods course. Association for Constructivist Teachers, California.

Muller, M. (2017, multiple presenters). Preservice literacy teachers as anti-racism advocates: A study of race-focused student organizations at two institutions, National Conference of Teachers of English, Atlanta.

Muller, M. (March, 2016). A case study: Successes and struggles of constructivist teachers. Paradigm Conference, MD

Selected Awards

• Michael J. Mungo Undergraduate Teaching Award, University of South Carolina (2019).
• George H. Lackey Inspirational Teaching Award, College of Education (2019)
• Appointed member of the UNESCO partnered Office Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) work group forming curricula materials to counter bias and anti-Semitism in Europe, Lithuania (2018), Slovakia (2018) and Portugal (2017).
• 2016 National Association Early Childhood Teacher Education’s Outstanding Early Childhood Teacher Educator Award
• 2013 University of South Carolina's College of Education's Early Career Award in Teaching