She teaches child development and early childhood education courses and is currently acting laboratory school director for the Institute of Child Development and Family Relations at the university. Dr. Wilcox-Herzog received her Ph.D. in child development and family studies from Purdue University in 1999. She researches teacher beliefs and actions and the importance of teacher-child interactions in early childhood classrooms. This article grew out of work begun during her doctoral program and is integral to ongoing research and training projects.