The Gap

There's a gap in early childhood that we work diligently to close.  Children who come to us from lower income homes are often at a disadvantage and programs like Head Start and Early Head Start strive to ensure that those children are offered a high quality preschool experience in an effort to close that gap.

But like any gap, there are children falling through the cracks.  The system, at times, seems designed not only to keep families from succeeding but to keep them at the status quo, at least until their youngest enter the public school system and are being educated for 8 hours of the day at no cost.  It's heartbreaking as a child care provider to see families working hard to be successful and attempt to break through what can really only be described as a glass ceiling...

Here's a quick example for ya --
I work with some amazing parents.  This particular family has 2 children and they are a family of 4.  They qualify for child care assistance and Early Head Start.  While their co-payment is manageable, it's still pretty high. This mother works hard and was recently offered a promotion.  Sadly, instead of quickly saying yes, she had to deliberate as to whether she could afford it.  What?  Afford a promotion you ask?  Indeed, because if she accepts the promotion, her child care co-payment will go up and she won't be able to afford the new cost child care & would likely, in the end, have to resign or reduce her hours to stay home with the girls.

The cost of child care isn't going down.  Sadly, many children will be forced out of the high-quality programs and into private programming (where there are no standards of quality unless they are aware of and actively involved in early childhood organizations) or staying at home with grandmas and grandpas.  Not to say there aren't great home providers, though they tend to be the exception rather than the rule. I'm left wondering and worrying about the children who may no longer qualify for child care and are left in the gap.

How do we reach into the gap and ensure that ALL children have a high quality preschool experience so they are ready for kindergarten?  With all of this focus on "school readiness," we need to ensure that our tiny humans in the gap aren't forgotten.  But how?  And who will support this mission?

Watching Children Age

In my line of work, I have the privilege of watching many young infants grow and change and eventually move on from our center.  It's hard when they leave and we think back on our time together and how we've essentially been a part of that child's family from the beginning.  That's our baby too!

Then today I started to think about my life as a teacher, when I would work with preschoolers and then send them on their way to kindergarten (big kid school).  Occasionally, some of those littles return and enjoy making me feel older than old as they share their stories from third grade.  Ummm, didn't you just learn to write your name?  And here you are, looking all grown up, no baby fat....... where did my baby go?!

Truth:  I am not a parent and have not yet had to go through this with a child of my own flesh and blood but I have to imagine that going through it once or twice within your family is different than sending batches of children who are like your own off each year.

Which is worse?  Watching your baby grow a little each day or sending them away and having them knock at your door years later with stories of their big kid life?

Jury is still out on that one.

Leading a team

Even if you're on the right track, you'll get run over if you just stand there.

-Will Rogers

I accepted the position of director because I wanted to guide the team through a difficult time as they transitioned from serving the spectrum of early childhood to focusing on infants, toddlers, and two's.  They emerged victorious.

Some times I wonder if this is really my calling.  And then I have this glorious moment with a teacher where I get to share my view on professional development and how much I want to improve the center environment as well as the people in it and we connect and I'm on top of the world.  And there's this less than glorious moment when someone approaches me, ever so cautiously, to hand me a letter of resignation.  

After a brief moment of taking it personally (seriously, who wouldn't want to work with me?), reality sets in.  Just like I wouldn't hold a teacher back from a promotion, I simply cannot be upset that someone wants to do what's best for them.  It takes a lot of self-reflection to know what you want next and perhaps I'm jealous that someone has had that "next" realization, but I am not upset.  Life is short.  We have to do what makes us happy, even if it means moving on.  I'm a huge believer in life-long learning and hope to somehow impart that on my colleagues.

I only want the best for the tiny humans we serve, within the agency and throughout the city, so that they might grow up to feel that same wonder of learning.

When we stop learning, we stop growing.

Baby

There is no such thing as a baby.

There is a baby and there is someone.

-D. Winnicott

I read a lot.  I've always been that kid, reading everything I could get my hands on.  I read the cereal box like it was the morning paper every day.  When my mom used the Tupperware containers, I started to bring reading materials to the table.  I have a mountain of books next to my bed as the bookshelves in our home are full.  In the years since my 2-hour leisurely breakfasts, I continue to read but my choices have shifted from Babysitters Club (OMG Stacey was my favorite) and Boxcar Children to professional development books.  But let's be serious for a moment, bookworms cannot live on non-fiction alone.  I love me some Jodi Picoult, Emily Giffin, and Jen Lancaster.  When you're reading the last chapters as slowly as possible because you're already mourning the end of the book, it's a sign you're perhaps a little too invested in the plot and characters.

I'm invested in the plot and characters at my center.  My teachers and I are writing a very significant chapter in the lives of the children and families we serve.  Each time we walk into the center, we are making (conscious or not) a decision to serve.  To inspire.  To teach.  We work with children but we are also supporting their families as well; it's an important connection when a parent realizes her son is a person, complete with feelings and emotions.

It's important to remember that children are people and just like adults, they each bring a unique array of previous experiences and preferences into the classroom.  That's the beauty of our work; we are teachers and learners in our interactions with children and families.  There's something new to be learned each day and not all of our learning comes from books.

What did you learn today?

Don't stifle ... nudge!

I have a great team; probably one of the best in our agency (though at this point, I'm also kind of bias).  When a Lead Preschool Teacher position opened at one of our other sites, I didn't have to think twice about speaking with one of my Assistant Teachers about interviewing for the position.  My supervisor said, "Why don't you think about it over the weekend and let me know."  Weird, I thought.  Then she added, "I don't want to break apart what you've been building."

I wasn't going to need the weekend.  When there's a possibility that a teacher (any early childhood professional really) can grow, why wouldn't I want to share that rich experience with her?!  Because it means my coverage is going to get a bit wonky until I can hire a new team member?  I worry that people are being pigeon-holed in positions because their supervisors don't want to let them move forward because of comfort and desire to maintain the status quo.  I think it would be incredibly selfish and unprofessional of me to keep such an opportunity from someone who is ready & willing to step up to a challenge.

I've long believed that professional development and overall growth sometimes requires a gentle nudge; I'm not sure if this teacher would have sought out the position on her own and I'm not certain it wouldn't have been because she was worried about hurting feelings or rocking the boat.  That's not the message I want to send to my team.  If your goal is to be a Lead Preschool Teacher, I'd really like to help you find the resources you need to meet that goal.  We all need to grow.  Without a goal, there's little joy in teaching and early childhood is a field in which people burn out quickly because they have spirit and energy and it's under appreciated.

So let's celebrate those who have made the decision not only to stay in early childhood education, but also to move forward, to champion for the education of our youngest learners.

I'd like to think I'm growing the next generation of early childhood warriors.

STEM: A reflection on intentional teaching

“Unless the schools of the U.S. find the tools to bring students up to the highest level of accomplishment, it places the nation at risk in the international economy of the 21st Century.”

—Bill Gates

As our agency begins to think about STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) focused programming in early childhood, I'm forced to reflect on my beliefs about developmentally appropriate practices as well as intentional teaching.  It's no big secret that as a nation, we are outperformed by 30 countries.  My great struggle with this is that STEM seems to have become a buzz-word.  A phrase that makes people immediately look at their classroom and create lists of more crap stuff they want to add to their environments.  Why?!  In a time when budgets are tight, I get that we want to appeal to funders and stand out in a sea of early childhood programs claiming to be the next big thing.

The big idea with STEM is thinking paths.  As early childhood professionals, we should be striving to help children sharpen their critical thinking skills and become divergent thinkers.  Why must there only be one way to solve a problem?  I know that I want my students to become problems solvers who can explain how they came to a solution rather than throw back terms and memorized responses.  We're supporting children's engagement and enthusiasm for learning so they can carry that enthusiasm into public schools (sigh) where it will likely be tested on an on-going basis.  In short, I want my students to be lifelong learners.

Children aren't going to find passion and love of learning in worksheets, I know that for a fact.  Worksheets do nothing more than suck the soul from children and perhaps bide the teacher a moment of quiet.  Imagine the in-depth learning that takes place when a child manipulates, investigates, and learns the way things around her work.  That kind of learning lasts a lifetime.  Worksheets last until the stupid smiley face (or sadly, frowny face) is stamped on and thrown away.  I'll save my rant on why art as a receipt for child care is the dumbest thing ever for another day.

In conclusion, focus must be directed less on the materials and more on the teaching necessary to develop children's passion for learning, particularly in the areas of STEM.   Before we order another piece of "stuff", I suggest we turn our focus to the teachers with whom parents leave their children and provide them with the tools, resources, support, and professional development they deserve when charged with such a precious task.

Surely I'm not alone in this belief...
How are you working with children or teachers to develop enthusiasm for learning and/or focusing on STEM?


Reading list ----

Sources:
http://www.hks.harvard.edu/pepg/PDF/Papers/PEPG10-19_HanushekPetersonWoessmann.pdf

Related articles:
http://ecrp.uiuc.edu/beyond/seed/katz.html (LOVE LOVE LOVE this article)
http://www.teachpreschool.org/2012/06/stem/
http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/editorial_opinion/blogs/the_podium/2012/03/sparking_a_childs_interest_in.html

Falling Apart

** Originally written July 10, 2012 **

Sometimes good things fall apart so greater things can fall together.

-Marilyn Monroe

Oh, if she only knew how tightly I would be holding on to those words when she said them... wow.  It's been an incredibly stressful summer for me as I prepare to make huge programmatic changes within our site.  I took on the role of Site Director because I fully realized the stress that not only the parents, but also the staff, would feel during this expected transition.  I recognized that they would need a familiar face to help them through this time.  I also recognized that my own personal connection to the site (I began my Chicago teaching career at this same location) would benefit me in working with the staff and families.

My emotional side will ultimately help me as it will show my humanity as well as my humility.  I am occasionally accused of being too emotional but I can't help but think that's not a bad thing.  It shows that I am a person too.  How I show my emotions is something you can picky about; I fully agree that there is a right and a wrong way to share/display your emotions, especially within a professional workplace... where you're the supervisor.  So let's agree on that and continue with this saga.