Article Link: http://exchangepress.com/article/relationships-matter/5027462/
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Bridging Research and Practice
Bridging Research and Practice features varied aspects of research related to early childhood education with a reference to previously published research. Each article contains practical strategies for putting the research into action for teachers, administrators, and teacher educators.
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Relationships are central in early childhood education (ECE) communities, but what does it take for each member, from children to teachers to directors, to experience safety, stability, and nurturance in their relationships? The capacity to develop and maintain such relationships is called relational health (Garner et al., 2021). We present a framework (Figure 1) that includes three types of assets—relational, restorative, and organizational—that can support relational health within your ECE community. We describe these assets in more detail and provide strategies for supporting each one. In ECE communities that are relationally healthy, teachers experience meaning and remain in their jobs, children heal and grow, and ECE programs are more equitable and welcoming. It is in these safe, stable, and nurturing communities where members can flourish with the adversity that is part of everyday ...