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Since the statewide shutdown, our class rosters have grown significantly, but not in the way you might expect. Although our preschool is no longer accepting new enrollees, we find ourselves serving more children as our students invite their siblings to join our virtual programming. “Lucy, it’s time for school!” three-year-old Sam calls off-screen to her…
Leadership: Staying Present, Connected and Positive
Leadership is most needed during times of stress and crisis. Jenna Pettinicchi is currently transitioning from her role as the Director of FirstStepNYC, a high quality early childhood program located in the Brownsville neighborhood of Brooklyn, to take a leadership role at the Institute’s Early Childhood Leadership Initiative. As a program director, Jenna demonstrated how…
Storytime as a Family: Ideas from NYPL Children’s Librarians
For many early childhood educators, remote learning has deepened family partnerships and provided new opportunities for engagement. For some communities, morning circle time is now a whole family video conference pajama party – and it is the highlight of their day. Families are also reaching out to their teachers with concerns about their children’s educational…
Togetherness and Survival Twirls: Community Concerts in the Time of Coronavirus
An Interview with Wendy Cole
Wendy Cole is the Executive Director of the Maple Street School, a cooperative Preschool in Lefferts Gardens, Brooklyn where she thrives on being a facilitator of culture and community. In addition to her work at Maple Street, Wendy leads the Leadership Initiative‘s Advancing Equity Learning Community with Fela Barclift of Little Sun People. Wendy reminds us…
A Resource for Family Journaling
With the implementation of remote learning due to COVID-19, many educational leaders are challenged with the task of running programs remotely while also taking into consideration the impact that this new normal has on children and families. The emotional health of children has always been a primary focus in our field as early care and…
Secondary Trauma in the Post-Pandemic Early Childcare Workforce
What I’ve recognized during this pandemic, and most of the world has applauded, is the courage and commitment from our front line workers. Front line workers such as gas station attendants, delivery truck drivers, child care professionals, grocery store workers, home health aides, babysitters, teachers, nurses, doctors, janitors and public transportation employees are essential to…
Preschool Poets
As we approach the end of National Poetry Month, I pause to reflect on what poetry has meant to me during this crisis. When the schools closed, my children’s principal, the inimitable Anna Allanbrook, sent home this letter mourning the loss of custodian Hank Friedland with the poem Keeping Quiet by Pablo Neruda. I shared…
How (Not) to Video-Conference with Five-Year-Olds
I teach five- and six-year-olds at a progressive independent school on Manhattan’s Upper West Side. We’re a very child-focused school, and think a lot about what’s developmentally appropriate. I really appreciate this approach, which includes giving children ample outdoor time (about an hour a day), unstructured time in the classroom, and lots of hands-on activities,…
2020 Early Childhood Census Campaign
The Institute and QUALITYstarsNY are supporting the 2020 Early Childhood Census Campaign. Prior to the COVID-19 crisis, QUALITYstarsNY purchased copies of the WE COUNT! children’s book to send to each participating site to make sure the children and families served by its programs are counted in the 2020 Census. The Institute also purchased copies to…
A New Resource: Teaching, Leading and Caring
This week we launched a new resource for educators on the Institute website. We have revised and refreshed our blog, adding a new section titled Teaching, Leading, and Caring. The Teaching, Leading and Caring section was inspired by Institute staff who work directly with practitioners. During this public health crisis, the Institute coaches, professional development…
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