I’ve been thinking about it since the end of February…
….it’s almost been a year.
The dates are etched cleary in my brain because on Monday March 9, 2020 I was honored to give a keynote talk at the annual National Migrant and Seasonal Head Start Conference in San Diego.
The next day I went out to dinner, so at least in my world the pandemic was...well, not known to be a pandemic yet.
From there things changed quickly.
Today, I want to share something I wrote almost exactly one year ago today.
It felt important to revisit my hopes, fears and concerns for the early childhood field.
Here's a shortened version of what I wrote just about one year ago...
Maybe it’s ok for us to be a little bit of a mess right now?
...people in positions of leadership seem to be struggling to lead with humanity.
...As early childhood professionals we know that relationships and the social-emotional realm are actually more important than homework, activities, productivity, or business as usual.
That’s true now more than ever.
Here’s the best idea I have for what to do right now (after staying at home and hand-washing, of course). At least it's what I've decided to focus on…
-Cut yourself gobs of slack.
-Trust your gut.
-Speak up for yourself and those around you as much as you are able to.
-Keep showing up with humanity - help everyone understand that relationships and the social-emotional realm are much more important than ABCs right now (and always, actually).
-Maybe ask yourself, "who do I want to be during this time of crisis?"LET’S WORK TO TAKE THE PRESSURE OFF EVERYONE.
...let the kids play.”
Honestly, you all have blown me away. I was VERY skeptical about the merits of online learning for preschoolers - and I still have some serious concerns - but so many of you are doing beautiful remote work.
Whether it's virtual circle time, sending home activity packets and materials, or giving tips to parents and families, so many early childhood teachers are making magic happen through the interwebs, via the phone, and even by driving to children's houses and dropping things off (and I know some of you are paying for materials out of your own pocket 😢).
Just as many of you are working hard in your classrooms - washing way too many toys and surfaces and doing a shockingly brilliant job of mostly keeping masks on and maintaining some distances when required to do so. You're living, learning and loving together in your classrooms - it just looks a little bit different than it used to.
Resourceful and resilient, as always. Thank you for the work you do.
If you’re so moved I’d love to hear any reflections you’d like to share about the last year in the comments below.
Or, just let me know how you're holding up?
…and, I know a lot of you have experienced loss and hardship so if writing about how you are holding up in the comments of a blogpost doesn't feel right - no worries.
I'm sending you lots of love.