{"id":5598,"date":"2024-02-14T15:55:38","date_gmt":"2024-02-14T20:55:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/earlychildhoodny.org\/blog\/?p=5598"},"modified":"2024-02-14T15:57:43","modified_gmt":"2024-02-14T20:57:43","slug":"leading-learning-spaces-for-all-learners","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/earlychildhoodny.org\/blog\/leading-learning-spaces-for-all-learners\/","title":{"rendered":"Leading learning spaces for all learners"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

How can early childhood leaders create a culture of inclusion for all learners? That was the question panelists considered at the New York City Early Childhood Leadership Initiative<\/a>\u2019s \u201cLeading Learning Spaces for All Learners\u201d discussion on Jan. 24, which brought together special educators, program directors and early childhood leaders for an insightful discussion about how to meet the learning needs of all children. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here are three themes that emerged during the conversation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Engage families in the process.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSo much of creating an inclusive environment in a classroom is about bringing the home into the school and what is done in the school back into the home so it can work in sync,\u201d said Melinda Burke, a family educator at INCLUDEnyc, which partners with the families of children with disabilities. \u201cWe tend to think of families as receivers of information from the school. But families can also provide tremendous information to the school, and they can also be initiators \u2014 they can say, \u2018This is a thing I\u2019ve noticed; can we work on this together?\u2019 Bringing in families to form a close partnership with the school really develops an inclusive environment.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Michelle Boyd, a Special Education Itinerant Teacher (SEIT) supervisor, stressed the importance of \u201cmaking sure everyone has a voice: the child, the family, the administrators, the teachers, the therapists \u2014 really putting our heads together to see how we\u2019re going to support the children.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Create a trusted space for teachers.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Moderator Jennifer Geskie, a professor of early childhood special education, invited panelists to think about how to support teachers in navigating the evaluation process for children with learning differences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOne way I\u2019m able to support my teachers is by encouraging them to use data in their weekly team meetings to facilitate weekly data talks,\u201d said Delilah Worrell, the director of an early learning center in the Bronx. \u201cWhat that looks like is using our screening results and our observations to measure students\u2019 progress and answer specific open-ended questions about children\u2019s development. My teachers have found they were able to inform their practice moving forward and then identify what the family needed in order to support that child\u2019s development.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Early childhood coach Desiree Toldo recalled that when she was a teacher, her director\u2019s practice of noticing and highlighting her successful strategies had a major impact on her \u2014 leading her to schedule time on her calendar to do the same as a coach.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe more intentional we are with our colleagues to point out the things they\u2019re doing to be more inclusive and diversify learning in their classrooms, the more likely they are to build their confidence and their competence,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Keep children\u2019s needs at the forefront.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Maritza Rodriguez, a program director in Brooklyn, shared the response she always gives to teachers who are feeling frustrated or overwhelmed: \u201cWhat\u2019s most important is meeting the child\u2019s needs.\u201d She also reminded directors to be actively engaged in this work: \u201cAs leaders, it goes beyond just saying what\u2019s developmentally appropriate to teachers; we have to help them see how it\u2019s applied. We encourage, we remind and we model.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe have to teach our staff to be aware of their assumptions in explaining the reason for a child\u2019s behavior,\u201d said Worrell. \u201cLearn your students and your families so you can see that bigger picture. Use all sources of information to inform your practice and be intentional about how you teach them.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The panel closed with an important reminder for early childhood leaders: \u201cSometimes as leaders we feel like we need to have all the answers,\u201d said Geskie, \u201cbut sometimes not having the answer and taking the time to ask the right questions can be so powerful.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Early Childhood Leadership Initiative hosts book groups, networking meetings and other events for members. Become a member to learn about and participate in future events!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Learn more about the Leadership Initiative<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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