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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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From the authors of Kids First From Day One: how to translate your beliefs into your teaching in a year unlike any other
Teachers Christine Hertz and Kristi Mraz know this September is going to be really difficult. "There is so much to miss and grieve about the way we used to start the school year," they write in a recent blog post. "There are so many unknowns yet to figure out."
To help you, they suggest revisiting core beliefs and using them to plan for teaching this year--whether in virtual, blended or socially distant in-person spaces.
For example, when it comes to social-emotional environment, a belief that community and relationships are the core of learning can translate in several ways. In a virtual space, it could mean using Zoom meetings to sustain and build relationships through show-and-tells and other sharing. In a socially distanced space, constant conversations could be the key. And in a blended situation, teachers can capitalize on time in the classroom for storytelling, rituals and shares. Their rubrics translating beliefs in the physical and social-emotional environments this fall, and for practicing responsive teaching can be
What's more, to learn directly from Kristi Mraz, you can register for one of our free
webinars this fall:
Play All Day: Structures and Strategies for Joyful, Responsive and Exploratory Learning
Part One
Date: Thursday, September 24, 2020
Time: 5:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Part Two
Date: Wednesday, November 4, 2020
Time: 5:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.
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YOUR CLASSROOM
"Walking like a mummy" and no parents allowed: lessons from child care centers that have been open during COVID
There aren't any sensory tables at the child care centers profiled in a recent article from The Hechinger Report*, and in one of them children are learning to "walk like
mummies" to stay socially distanced. These and other changes as a result of COVID-19 mean that "toddler and preschool classrooms have lost or are discouraging some of the basic elements of early childhood, like experiencing the world through touch and learning to share toys with friends," writes reporter Jackie Mader.
And, at least at one Texas Center, the director says that teachers are asked not to socialize. "You can't mingle in the kitchen. You can't chat at naptime." Read more.
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Please don't call them "cohorts"--a teacher pleads for plain language When Tracy Edwards' school started informing parents about "cohorts" of children for a hybrid reopening plan, they discovered that many parents--especially those in immigrant families--had no clue what they were talking about. "Is it really that difficult just to say 'groups'?" asks Edwards.
Writing for edutopia**, she reflects on the "endless supply" of acronyms and jargon that educators use, and how she realized that they were standing in the way of communicating clearly with families--communication that is especially critical now as schools move into new types of learning arrangements because of COVID-19. Click here for Edwards' list of terms that may alienate families and for her 4 tips for improving communication.
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Creating a sense of community despite plexiglass or virtual classrooms Community has always been important to teachers, writes Liz Prather in a blog post for publisher Heinemann. This year, she says, will challenge educators to achieve it in more intentional ways. For one thing, communication with students and their families will need to be "specific and frequent" to ease everyone's anxieties. Prather suggests creating multiple avenues for them to contact you (while, of course, setting boundaries around appropriate times, etc.).
Another tip: "Show up as a real person." What Prather means by this is to share things about yourself--your pets, your hobbies, your childhood. She says that elementary teachers do this really well. "Which might explain why, when elementary teachers did drive-by parades this spring to see their students, students lost their minds like Ariana Grande just rolled up." Click here for her other four suggestions.
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Four early childhood teachers talk about their experiences last spring--and their hopes for this school year How was the transition to virtual teaching and learning? How have you encouraged play-based learning while schools were closed? These are two of the questions asked by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) when they interviewed four teachers as they look forward to this next school year.
For example, Nadia Jaboneta from San Francisco says her favorite children's book to read virtually was When I Feel Scared by Cornelia Maude Spelman. "It inspired the children to express how they're feeling during this pandemic."
Megan King from New Jersey hopes that she has enough knowledge of trauma-informed practices to help children transition back to school.
And Tessie Ragan from California has sent home bags that contain materials and directions for art projects. "I make sure families understand that the purpose is not for the project to look like the example: it's for their child to enjoy using new materials in open-ended ways." Click here for the full interviews with all four teachers.
*The Hechinger Report is a nonprofit education news service named after Fred M. Hechinger, former education editor of The New York Times. **Edutopia is a nonprofit education news site supported by the George Lucas Education Foundation.
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BOOKSHELF
27 children's books that foster a healthy self-image
From Huffpost comes a collection of picture books that can help students feel good about their bodies and their abilities. Titles include:
- What I Like About Me by Allia Zobel Nolan and The Colors of Us by Karen Katz, which focus on how the ways we're different make us special.
- The whimsical I Like Me by Nancy Carlson about a cheerful pig and Brontorina by James Howe about a dinosaur who follows her dreams.
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PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Registration is now open for our fall line-up of free webinars and our new Professional Learning Circles
Professional Learning Circle: Time to Share Explore and Learn from One Another
Date of first meeting: Wednesday, September 30, 2020
Helping Create Lifelong Readers From the Start with Great Read-Alouds
Date: Wednesday, October 7, 2020
Presenter: Sarah Cordova
Race Talk and Anti-Bias Education and Why They Matter
Date: Wednesday, October 14, 2020
Presenters: Stephanie Dockweiler, Elizabeth Box, Tamara Pelosi and Janiva Jones, QS2 Training and Consulting.
Picture Books That Promote Inclusion and Build Community
Date: Wednesday, December 2, 2020
Presenter: Sarah Cordova
Click here for full descriptions, times and registration links.
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This Week's Help Wanted on Long Island
Part-Time Teacher Assistant
Grace Playschool Cooperative, Lynbrook
Email graceplayschool@gmail.com or call Kate Rossetti at 516-593-0769
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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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