[M]

Having visual aids with emotions on them can help, as can giving the children space to react and express their emotions in ways other than words. Give them something to throw, a fidget toy to play with, or something to help them channel the emotion outwards. Go outside, get physically active, and describe the process of regulation as you do it.

[M]

When I experience compassion fatigue, I reconnect with myself and my loved ones. I seek comfort and care. I ask for help. I discuss it with friends and coworkers.

[M]

One of the best ways to have a responsive exchange is to be present, focused, and listen. Kids just want to be heard, and observing and spending time with them is the best way to be responsive to their wants and needs.

[M]

I’ve started doing yoga and meditating every day before work. This puts me in a calm, patient headspace and helps me to focus on the things I want out of the day by setting an intention. I’ve also started doing this with students. I make sure that I am fed and watered at work and take time out of my day to soothe myself when I soothe children. If I feel dysregulated, I step away from the situation for a couple of minutes to reset. This means working with other kids, finishing the task and then sitting down, or other forms of transition. I try to stay regulated throughout my day and don’t let things build up.

[M]

Building connection with kids takes time and patience. It’s easy to get frustrated as an ECE, but it’s important to remember that kids, just like us, are figuring out how to be people in real time. Getting to know them, realize that they look to you for help, comfort, security, information, etc., can be really helpful for building relationships. We are the child’s gateway to the world. It’s beautiful to remember!

[M]

Yes! Super important for safety, sanitation, reporting procedures, and other times when regulations are helpful!

[M]

A crib or bassinet with a soft, firm mattress that spans the whole crib.

[M]

Engage with the kids! As a teacher, part of your job is being awake and physically active. Resting well, eating adequately, and staying healthy are crucial. I also like to integrate things that I enjoy doing into our physical routine. Lately, for example, the kids have been “becoming animals” or “doing animal poses,” where I take them through a simple yoga flow with down dog, cobra, and other animal based yoga poses. We can do these at any time and at any speed! I also like to get them to run around with me, being a shark in “sharks and minnows” and helping them run around.

[M]

You can talk about how good having healthy habits can feel, make a game of it, and emphasize that being healthy makes us happy! I like to model these behaviors and talk about how I find enjoyment in healthy habits. They don’t have to be a chore!

[M]

I would highlight out ratio of caregiver to child, which, in my current placement, is around 7:1. I would highlight our cleaning procedures, our organized classrooms, the amount of supervision we provide, the warm coworking environment, and the selection of toys that we have. Everything in the center is carefully selected with the child’s learning and safety in mind.

[M]

If I suspect child abuse and neglect, I would inform my co-teachers, my director, and start doing paperwork to get CPS and other agencies involved. A large part of stopping abuse is reporting it. This is always the first, and most important, step.

[M]

I often worry about my kids getting sick. As we enter a period where measles and other previously eradicated communicable diseases are on the rise, I fear greatly for the health and safety of myself and my students.

[M]

A good partnership relies on regular communication and checking in. At least once a week I want to have a conversation with each parent longer than 5 minutes about their child, how things are at home, and how things are at school. Good relationships rely on collaboration. As a childcare provider, I often find that families are eager to leave once they get to the center to pick up. As a provider, it is my job to show initiative about these conversations and make them the norm for my classroom.

[M]

I want compassion, dependability, and joy from my child’s provider. I want school to be a fun, secure, safe place where they can have many happy memories. The main things I fear when sending my child to school is exposure to potential bullying and interpersonal difficulties. I also worry that they will not treat the childcare providers with the respect they deserve, and I worry that the providers will not tell me because they think there is a flaw with my parenting. These are things I see play out often in my own workplace.

[M]

I love to engage children by being excited about what they are excited about. I love to ask them what they’re doing, answer and ask “why” questions, and get involved with the learning they are doing. I show them different ways to hold or manipulate something, or play side by side with them so they can get a better understanding of the ways they can move and think. Getting kids engaged is about doing what they are interested in. The best way to get and keep a kid’s attention is to share it.