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September Professional Educator Development Day

by | Oct 29, 2019 | Professional Development

Teachers at the September Professional Educator Development Day for the Jean Tyson Child Development Study Center at the University of Arkansas.

Early childhood educators all over the world have realized that high-quality relationships are fundamental to a child’s overall social and academic success. Loris Malaguzzi, the leading force in the development of the Reggio Emilia approach to early childhood education, described relationships as the primary connecting dimension of their system, and any system for young children https://www.reggioalliance.org/downloads/malaguzziyoungchildren.pdf.

High-quality relationships are grounded in reciprocal respect and are more than just warm connections to people in a classroom. They are a dynamic part of the school day and extend to include the relationship children develop with time, space, environments, materials, and rituals or routines. Those relationships are all powerful pieces of a quality program for young children. They are fluid, have ebbs & flows that require skill to navigate, and require connecting exchanges between caregiver and child. Early childhood educators, including our own JTCDSC educators, recognize that relationships are not easily built and do not happen quickly. But, we also realize that warm relationships with children are fundamental to our work. It takes time and intentionality to construct relationships that are warm, supportive, and predictable.

During our September Professional Educator Development Day, the teaching staff had an opportunity to participate in a workshop led by Jill Fowler Gunderman about powerful interactions that help build relationships. The goal of the training was to provide teachers with another tool for connecting with children and extending their learning. Educators participated in a combination of group discussion, individual interpretation, working in partners & small groups, and presenting their personal synthesis of information.

Child learning at the Jean Tyson Child Development Study Center at the University of Arkansas.
Three women sit at a table writing on paper and talking during the September Professional Educator Development Day at the Jean Tyson Child Development Study Center at the University of Arkansas.
Four women sit at a table in the foreground, reading their papers, while other women sit at tables in the background during a workshop at the September Professional Educator Development Day at the Jean Tyson Child Development Study Center at the University of Arkansas.
Three women standing at the front of the room and laughing during a workshop for the September Professional Educator Development Day at the Jean Tyson Child Development Study Center at the University of Arkansas.

Together they discussed the three steps to powerful interactions outlined by Dombro, Jablon, and Stetson (2011).
A) Be present
B) Connect
C) Extend learning
Although this is already a part of our practice, we will be thinking more intently about how we can be present, connect emotionally with children and recognize the optimal condition to extend a child’s understanding of a concept. Stay tuned for more!

Four women sit at a table in the foreground, reading their papers, while other women sit at tables in the background during a workshop at the September Professional Educator Development Day at the Jean Tyson Child Development Study Center at the University of Arkansas.
Two women standing at the front of the room during a workshop for the September Professional Educator Development Day at the Jean Tyson Child Development Study Center at the University of Arkansas.
Two women high-five in the background while sitting at a table with instructors during a workshop at the September Professional Educator Development Day at the Jean Tyson Child Development Study Center at the University of Arkansas.
Four women are sitting at a table looking at their papers during a workshop at the September Professional Educator Development Day at the Jean Tyson Child Development Study Center at the University of Arkansas. Another woman is standing in the background.
Three women sit at a table, the one sitting in the middle is talking while the others look at her during the September Professional Educator Development Day at the Jean Tyson Child Development Study Center at the University of Arkansas.
A woman is sitting at a table writing on a piece of paper during the September Professional Educator Development Day at the Jean Tyson Child Development Study Center at the University of Arkansas.
A woman leans over a table to write on a piece of paper during the September Professional Educator Development Day at the Jean Tyson Child Development Study Center at the University of Arkansas.
Two women in the foreground and two women in the background having discussions during the September Professional Educator Development Day at the Jean Tyson Child Development Study Center at the University of Arkansas.
Two women sitting at a table during a workshop for the September Professional Educator Development Day at the Jean Tyson Child Development Study Center at the University of Arkansas. Other women stand in the background.
Three women standing at the front of the room during a workshop for the September Professional Educator Development Day at the Jean Tyson Child Development Study Center at the University of Arkansas. Another watches in the foreground