EY Connect- Feb issue 2025
Morning everyone
I've always wondered how these issues find you- whether it's on your planning day, or in an early morning, with a (hopefully hot) cup of coffee or tea. However it may be, I hope it continues to be thought-provoking and adds a dose of curiosity to your day 😊
1 REFLECTION
Recently when Bradbury School came over to Hillside for our Impact Walk, one of the comments they made really stayed with me, which is that whenever they walked into a classroom, it was not obvious who was the lead teacher. This is an incredible compliment that speaks to the values and skills of our school community. I believe this level of cohesive teaming can be attributed to:
- Teacher agency and self-efficacy
- Collective / shared responsibility
- High quality relationships with the children
This observation cannot possibly be performative, because the above attributes are built and cultivated over time. This is the power of school culture!
1 IDEA
I recently watched a webinar at the Camp Renegrade online summit with the amazing EY educator Heather Shumaker, who talked about the appropriateness of calendar time for our littles in kindergarten. She shared a piece of information from developmental psychology that should make us all rethink calendar time:
3-5yo: Children start using time-related words like "yesterday," "tomorrow," and "later," but they often use them incorrectly.
6-8yo: Children start to understand time as a continuous flow and start to understand time units such as days and hours.
An invitation to consider: How could the time be better spent when we're grappling with pressing issues such as self-regulation, developing an awareness of others, and endless inquiries and wonderings?
Heather on the other hand, doesn't mince her words and puts it succinctly - "You're wasting their time by teaching them about time" 🎤
If interested, here is the whole webinar recording. She also wrote the books It's Ok Not to Share and It's Ok to Go Up the Slide.
1 RESOURCE
💃👯 The Moververse (formerly Move For Life) has released two new movement videos:
An extra plug for some lovely jazzy tunes for children from a brand new Super Simple Music playlist:
1 WELLBEING
Look no further for some ambient sounds to keep you focused during deep work aka planning time -
1 QUOTE
That kind of deep attention that we pay as children is something that I cherish, that I think we all can cherish and reclaim, because attention is that doorway to gratitude, the doorway to wonder, the doorway to reciprocity. And it worries me greatly that today’s children can recognize 100 corporate logos and fewer than ten plants.- Robin WAll Kimmerer
Until next time,
Brenda
Currently reading:
Storytelling in Early Childhood by Teresa Cremin
Creative Acts for Curious People by Sarah Stein Greenberg
A special request from my friend and brilliant educator Lori Cohen:
I’m working on a book to support teachers in creating intentional, dynamic lessons that center student dignity and agency. There are an array of lesson planning resources out there, but seldom do we hear directly from teachers about what they want—especially in the rapidly shifting landscape of education.
Your insights—whether you are a teacher, leader, or education partner—are invaluable. This short survey will ensure I address your challenges and needs so that this book can be a practical, go-to guide for teachers of all experience levels.
☝Her publication "The PD Book" has inspired me immensely in how I design professional learning, and it's very exciting she is working to support on-the-ground educators next!
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