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The Long Island Pre-K Initiative is proud to be part of Long Island's Regional Technical Assistance Center for Pre-K and Early Education (LI-RTAC). Visit its web page for links to all partner organizations. Many have important COVID-19-related resources to offer: www.nassauboces.org/rtac
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For this early childhood teacher, remote learning meant stronger relationships with families who had been "invisible"
"We talk about meeting our students where they are, academically and emotionally, by building on their strengths and assets," writes English as a New Language teacher Christina Armas for Chalkbeat*. "But we don't talk enough about families, one of students' greatest assets."
Before the pandemic, her Queens school informed parents about their child's progress in all the typical ways--progress reports, newsletters, parent-teacher conferences. But
COVID-19 changed everything. Even though family members in her community are very busy, with many working multiple jobs, Armas saw them right next to their children as they participated in virtual lessons. "So much of this academic intervention had been happening before the pandemic, too, but it had been invisible to teachers because we had been working in separate spheres."
Now Armas hopes to not only continue building on such relationships this fall, but to find ways for parents to showcase their best practices from home with teachers--and with other families.
* Chalkbeat is a nonprofit news organization specializing in education. The essay described above is from its New York edition.
The pandemic has resulted in new ways of collaborating with colleagues, too
In any environment, early childhood education relies on a team of professionals working together, writes Erica Yardy for the New York Early Childhood Professional Development Institute. However, she says, once the pandemic arrived, and it was no longer possible to informally chat with co-workers or hold in-person staff meetings, it was a challenge to sustain these working relationships.
Yardy references the recent survey of the state's early childhood workforce conducted by the Institute in partnership with Bank Street College of Education. The 3,000 responses highlighted the challenges of teamwork when in-person meetings aren't possible. Email, videos, and videoconferencing platforms are a few of the ways collaborating teachers are making it work. And she notes that many educators have taken on new roles during this unprecedented period. Read more.
Click here to download a pdf outlining the survey results.
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YOUR CLASSROOM
Are you ready to assign spots on the rug? Here's what one Pre-K looks like during this pandemic
At a Head Start Center in Cleveland, preschoolers (and their teachers!) have been adapting to the restrictions created by COVID-19. Class sizes are smaller, everyone wears a mask--and there are other changes as well. Students have their temperatures taken as they enter every morning, for example, and wash their hands immediately upon arrival. The rug where children gather for read-alouds and other activities now has an assigned spot for each child, to promote social distancing. (But it's not unknown for them to edge closer to a neighbor to chat.) And what about sharing? There is none. "The social development of learning how to share is no longer in the classroom," says the teacher. "For an early childhood professional that's a really tough piece." Read more.
"Emotion practice" and other tips for helping students get used to wearing masks at school When in-person classes resume, things won't be the same for children who have attended school before--and everything will be unfamiliar for new students. That's why
it's especially important to prepare them for what new routines and expectations will be like, and to help them adjust to starting the year with masks.
Writing for edutopia*, teacher and education professor Lori Desautels offers seven strategies, starting with contacting parents in advance, outlining classroom procedures and routines. ("Our brains do not like surprises," says Desautels.) Another idea is to tackle the subject of masks head on during morning meetings by asking youngsters such questions as "How does a mask protect us?" or "Do you know of any superheroes that wear masks?" And then there's "emotion reading practice."
"We are capable of reading facial expressions from the eyes up. Teachers can spend a few minutes a day practicing this. Have a student wearing a mask think of a feeling and try to express that with their face, and ask the class to guess the emotion or feeling." Read more.
*edutopia is an education news site supported by The George Lucas Educational Foundation.
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PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
A unique opportunity: Pyramid Training at no cost this fall
Thanks to a grant from the New York State Birth Through Five Initiative (NYSB5), Long Island-based QS2 Training & Consulting will be offering free training in the Pyramid Model this
fall. All sessions will be offered virtually, using the Zoom platform, and participants must have both camera and audio capability. Specifically:
The Preschool Pyramid Module Training Series will be offered from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on the following dates:
Saturday, October 10, 2020
Saturday, October 17, 2020
Saturday, October 31, 2020
The Infant Toddler Pyramid Module Training will be offered from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on the following dates:
Saturday, November 7, 2020
Saturday, November 14, 2020
Saturday, December 5, 2020
To register, email sdockweiler@gmail.com, including the following information: name, program name, your position, address, phone number, email address and Aspire ID, if applicable. Note: You MUST register for the complete series.
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PBS is offering a virtual professional learning week focusing on SEL for K-2
The experts at PBS Kids know that teachers are asking themselves: "How can we best support the needs of our little learners as we kick off a school year full of new, unfamiliar routines and a constantly changing set of circumstances?" That's why they're offering a week of professional learning, kicking off with a live webinar, followed by daily challenges.
On Monday, August 31, you can join an 11 a.m. live discussion on social-emotional learning, that includes tips on validating young children's intense emotions. This is followed by daily 20-minute challenges, such as identifying and naming emotions.
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HELP WANTED
This week's job listings for early ed on Long Island
For the Long Island Head Start positions listed below
Email resumes to humanresources@liheadstart.org or fax 631-758-2953
Full-Time Teacher
Long Island Head Start, Bay Shore, Bridgehampton
Full-Time Teacher
Long Island Early Head Start, Islip
Full-Time Mental Health Specialist
Full--Time EHS-CCP Assistant
Long Island Head Start, Central Administration, Patchogue
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Here's how to add your school's staffing needs to this list:
In the body of the e-mail, include the following information:
For our records:
- Your name
- Your position
- Your e-mail and phone number
For the listing in our e-newsletter
- The name of your school and the town it's located in. You can include your web address, if you have one.
- A very brief description of the position or positions you want to fill. (For example: "Part-time Teacher Assistant" or "Full-time Pre-K Teacher."
- Information about how potential applicants should contact your for details or to apply. (For example: "Call Jane Smith at 631-xxx-xxxx" or "Send e-mail to jane.smith@schoolname.org")
It's important to understand that:
We will not include information about salary. We will not include any descriptions of your school or program, although we can include a link to your school's web site.
We will publish your information a single time. If you still have openings, you can e-mail us again with the details and we will run the information again.
Our e-newsletter is typically sent out on Wednesday mornings. However, it may be mailed on a different day, depending on content or technical considerations.
The Long Island Pre-K Initiative reserves the right to edit information; space in the e-newsletter is very limited.
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About Us
The Long Island Pre-K Initiative is a collaborating partner in the state-funded Regional Technical Assistance Center, which supports Pre-K and early childhood education on Long Island. The other collaborating partners are the three Long Island BOCES, the Child Care Council of Nassau, Inc., the Child Care Council of Suffolk, Inc. and the Family Leadership Network.
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| NASSAU BOCES
71 Clinton Road, Garden City, NY 11530-9195
Phone: (516) 396-2220 Fax: (516)-396-2355
www.nassauboces.org |
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