Supporting early childhood educators now: Strategies for building a voice and a community
On demand
Duration: 57 minutes
Being an early childhood educator has always been challenging, but it seems to be getting harder. Crashing into yet another COVID wave at the start of 2022, retaining staff and making them feel valued is top of mind. Yet, more often than not, we forget to ask the most important stakeholders of all: the teachers themselves.
Knowing the importance of promoting professionalism and giving educators a voice is one thing, but translating that into practical strategies is another. In this webinar we will be joined by Amy Kronberg, whose work has focused on doing just that. Her dissertation work focuses on advocacy with infant/toddler educators. She’ll walk through the research behind her work, share stories about what’s worked and what hasn’t, and provide practical frameworks that can be put into use immediately. We'll hear about her experience with LENA Grow, which enables teachers to be able to reflect on the relationships in their classroom in a way that builds the habit of interaction.
We’ll discuss:
- Simple strategies to provide a voice for early educators.
- Taking Professional Learning Communities beyond training to drive open, meaningful reflection.
- When to have head conversations vs. heart conversations (and defining both).
- How LENA Grow supports EC educators in building confidence, competence, and setting and achieving their own goals.
Panelists:
About Amy Kronberg:
Amy Kronberg is an early learning consultant with Preschool Promise in Dayton, Ohio, and an adjunct professor at the University of Dayton. Mrs. Kronberg has worked alongside her colleagues to create courses focused on infant-toddler development and early childhood mental health, with a special focus on teacher advocacy and finding our professional voices. She is all-but-dissertation in her PhD from the University of Dayton Educational Leadership in Pre-K-12 Administration, with a focus on teacher self-perception and advocacy. Additionally, she is a sub-grant coordinator with Preschool Promise, implementing a program under the Comprehensive Literacy State Development grant for the Ohio Department of Education.
About Colleen Haddad
Colleen Haddad is a LENA Advisor for Child Care Strategy and Special Projects. She has worked in the field of early care and education for over 25 years, dedicating her career to developing quality early learning environments. Colleen earned a bachelor's degree in child development and a master’s degree in early childhood education with a special education endorsement from the Florida State University.