At Natural Start, we’ve been exploring ideas and practices that can provide support to early childhood educators during one of the most challenging times ever for the profession. Reflective practice is an approach that has been gaining traction in education, and has long been used in mental health professions.
Natural Start leadership team member Diona Reese Williams is an administrator of a nature-based preschool and a former mental health clinician who has successfully used reflective practice to work through difficult and emotional professional challenges. In this forum, she discussed:
- What is reflective practice?
- Why is it important for early childhood educators?
- How can it help ease some of the stress of teaching in today’s world AND make you a better educator?
In addition to addressing these questions, Diona provided examples of reflective practice in action, and shared tips for using reflective practice as a supervisor or peer. The forum took place on Thursday, April 21. View the recording and additional resources below.
Additional Resources:
- Carving out Time for Wonder: Reflective Practices in Early Childhood Pedagogy by Ron Grady M.S.Ed.
- A Thinking Lens for Reflection and Inquiry (adapted from Learning Together with Young Children)
While not directly connected to Reflective Practice, we also encourage you to check out this NAAEE webinar, "Climate Emotions in Education." The panelists shared quite a few resources that address dealing with big emotions, how stress and anxiety impact the classroom, and shared tips for attending to your needs as an educator. Here is a slide from Leslie Davenport (psychotherapist and leading expert in eco-anxiety) that felt particularly relevant here:
