Shorecrest Preparatory School Blog

Betty Gootson

Betty Gootson is Head of the Experiential School of Tampa Bay at Shorecrest Preparatory School. Betty has over 40 years of experience in Early Childhood Education with a BS from Wheelock College, a leading institution in the field of Early Childhood Education, and a M.Ed. from USF. Having had her initial teaching experiences in the Pinellas County public schools, Betty sought the best education for her own children and brought them to Shorecrest. In 1985, she joined the faculty full time to teach first grade and then kindergarten. In 1994, Betty became the Head of the Shorecrest Early Childhood program. Since then she has concentrated on developing our Experiential School program for 3-5 year olds, helping to guide children, teachers and parents. Betty is thrilled that her grandchildren, following in their father’s footsteps, are now Shorecrest students.
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Recent Posts

The Importance of Outdoor Play

Posted by Betty Gootson on May 3, 2017 8:00:00 AM

A few weeks ago, Shorecrest proudly announced that The Experiential School of Tampa Bay has achieved recognition as a certified outdoor classroom by Nature Explore, one of only 13 such schools in the state of Florida. Attaining this certification was the result of two years of work by the faculty. These efforts were undertaken because we recognize the benefits to our students of having a quality outdoor environment in which to play and explore.

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Topics: Preschool

Parenting Power Struggle

Posted by Betty Gootson on May 2, 2017 11:55:19 AM

Children can become masters of deal making and negotiating, and parents often resort to bribery. The question is, when these methods of deal making become the norm for resolving conflicts or gaining children’s cooperation, who wins and who loses? When talking about interactions between adults and children - whether parents and their children, or teachers and their students - the answer to this question is everyone loses.

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Topics: Parenting

Developing Confidence and a Growth Mindset

Posted by Betty Gootson on Apr 26, 2017 11:33:53 AM

Children’s social and emotional development and well-being are key to their personal, academic and future success. To develop positive self-esteem, children should be given and be expected to do things that are challenging but within their reach. When children are unwilling to do tasks of which they are capable and are rescued or excused from doing them, they get one of two messages:

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Topics: Parenting, Preschool

Summer Camp + Free Time Balance for Young Children

Posted by Betty Gootson on Mar 29, 2017 10:55:55 AM

With spring in full swing, many parents are now in the process of making summer plans and arrangements for their children. My favorite word regarding most things is “balance,” and children’s summers are no exceptions. 

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Topics: Parenting, Summer, Preschool

The Greatest Gift: Reading to Your Children

Posted by Betty Gootson on Mar 22, 2017 8:00:00 AM

There is no greater gift you can give to your children than to read to them everyday (even after they can read independently). Reading opens up worlds of information, expands vocabulary, and can open up the door to important conversations. When there is a difficult topic to discuss, whether it is personal or social, finding and reading the right book can make the subject easier for you to broach or for the children to understand.
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Topics: Preschool, reading