Article Link: http://exchangepress.com/article/connection-and-direction-systems-approaches-for-early-childhood-education/5027176/
Connections at the “micro,” person to person, classroom, or individual school-based level, are at the heart of everything we do in early childhood education, beginning with building deep, responsive, nurturing relationships. Social-emotional learning is fundamentally about connections. It is about teaching children to connect with, label, and regulate their emotions, and helping them build the social skills and habits of learning that create healthy connections with peers and engender capable and confident learners. We now understand more about the power of fostering mindfulness so that children (and adults) can connect to their own breath, internal states, and external surroundings. We are beginning to realize the enormous benefits of having children spend time in and connect to nature. We strive to connect with families in welcoming and respectful ways, honoring diversity, equity, and cultural contexts. In terms of professional development, we know that thoughtful and timely mentoring of colleagues and making time to regularly collaborate across classrooms and disciplines builds critical connections.
With such a pervasive need for connection in all these and many other forms, it is equally important to consider that, for ECE to make significant strides, more connections must be cultivated at the macro level. To accelerate change, take advantage ...