Welcome to the fourth installment in our series about the Power of Reflective Practice. In our previous posts, we explored an early childhood educator’s personal experiences and a mentor’s perspective of the importance of Reflective Practice within the begin to ECSEL program, and how it has impacted their work and life. In this article, we will look at how self-reflection and Reflective […]
What makes for good teaching? And what makes a teacher great? Liz Willen posed those questions in a recent Hechinger newsletter as she highlighted Jill Barshay’s article Proof Points-The Paradox of Good Teaching in which Barshay acknowledged that “deciding what constitutes good teaching is a messy business.” No doubt that it is, but I’m sure we can all […]
Welcome back to our series on the Power of Reflective Practice. Previously, we explored what Reflective Practice is and learned about one early childhood educator’s personal experiences with Reflective Practice within the begin to ECSEL program and how it affected her work and life. In this segment, we will look at how Reflective Practice can go beyond […]
Welcome back! In our first installment on the power of Reflective Practice, we explored the importance of self-reflection and emotional awareness for ourselves as educators, and how Reflective Practice can be utilized within any education community to benefit everyone: teachers, supervisors, and mentors, families, and of course, children. Now, let’s take a look at an […]
The federal debate over “Build Back Better” has everyone who loves and cares for children holding our breath. The huge bill includes a plan for historic investment in child care and early learning, representing a sea change for families, early childhood educators, and the future for every child. The significance of what the impact of […]
As this tumultuous school year winds down we are all owed a deep breath! And yet we also need to reflect on what this unprecedented time has taught us and think forward to what lies ahead in our “new normal.” As we slowly emerge from one pandemic, we are in fact facing another — one […]
Let’s face it, we’ve all had “one of those days” where things seem to go from bad to worse to completely overwhelming in a matter of minutes. If you are a teacher, you definitely know what I’m talking about, especially now. What defines a day like this is different for everyone. There are so many […]
With the New Year on our doorstep, we look at all educators have been through and see how much attention and work needs to be focused on educators’ mental health and well-being. This will not happen with the flip of a switch. In fact, this will undoubtedly require a process of unlearning old habits and […]
Self-care describes a conscious act one takes in order to promote one’s own physical, mental, and emotional health. Teachers often shelf self-care. Even more challenging, is that teachers feel the necessity of doing so with the same level of excitement, encouragement, and creativity that they would during normal times to help ease their students’ anxieties. […]
2020 has been a year we all would like to forget. With an unprecedented and ceaseless string of events from natural disasters, racial and societal injustice and unrest, economic uncertainty, and of course a global pandemic. Stress is on everyone’s doorstep. For those who were already dealing with difficult and anxiety producing experiences, the current […]
The beginning of any school year is filled with stress for parents and their children knowing that their fun-filled Summer is over, and change lies ahead. Whether it be new teachers, classmates, and routines, or the pressures that ensue, anxiety often feels like an inevitable outcome. With the changes that 2020 has landed on our […]
As we approach mid-summer, many parents are anxiously planning for their children’s return to school. Though going back to school presents a small step towards a sense of normalcy and routine, it also gives rise to many legitimate questions about how to protect your child from COVID-19 when they return to class. Many schools are […]
Communication allows us to connect with others through expressions of thought, feeling, and desire. We engage with actors on the big screen, empathize with characters in a gripping novel, and lament our friend’s pain as they share their struggles. The combination of words, tone, body language, and touch empower us to convey messages. As young […]
