LEARNING from the

Kathie Tait-Rayner

PME 803

BUMPS in the ROAD

INSIGHTS FROM EARLY
CHILDHOOD EDUCATORS

Contents
This resource for leaders in the early childhood
Civility and Getting Along 1
sector, focuses on twelve challenging topics that
Power Imbalances 2 commonly face ECE leaders. Each of these topics are
Relationships presented by one expert and then further discussed
Technology 3
by each of the three other experts. This format
Self Doubt
Multicultural Readiness allows the topic to evolve and grow as the four
Curriculum 4 authors share their insight. The discrepancies that
Adults and Play
occasionally arise in their opinions demonstrate the
Social Emotional 5
Responding to Change
complexity of the leadership role for Early Childhood
Intentionality 6 Educators. However their concrete suggestions and
Bumps in the Road commitment to quality programs for young children
Concluding Remarks 7 provide leaders with strategies and understanding to
Follow Up Discussions 8

CIVILITY AND GETTING ALONG...Early Childhood Educators work with people all day
long, and inevitably conflicts arise. Leaders in ECE programs have the challenge of
supporting their group members who may be in conflict with each other, with the families of
the children, the children or with the leader themselves. A further challenge to this is that
research shows that up to 80% of ECEs avoid conflict at all costs. Simply avoiding conflict
is not the answer, in that the situation is then never resolved; but instead left to fester.
Leaders have the responsibility of changing the mindset about conflict and civility. Civility is
more than just being nice, but requires understanding. The authors suggest a third space
approach to conflict. Third space refers to suspending judgement in a conflict situation, and
seeking to understand the perspective of the other person. The third space can only be
effective if the people involved believe in its effectiveness, if they are open to a situation
having multiple realities and they are able to dialogue instead of argue. Leaders may be one
of the people seeking this third space, or they may be supporting others looking to
understand the conflict from another viewpoint or from another persons culture. Conflict is
usually seen as a negative situation, however if the mindset about conflict is changed, it can
be a relationship building experience.

REFERENCE: Bruno, H.E., Gonzalez-Mena, J., Hernandez, L.A., Sullivan, D.R. (2013). Learning from the Bumps in
the Road. St. Paul, MN: Redleaf Press.
POWER IMBALANCES...The word power comes from the Latin root, to be able. In any
institution with a variety of people, power imbalances have the potential to be destructive.
Leaders need to be aware of the formal and informal power struggles in order to achieve
harmony. Social contracts are the unwritten rules about how the organization operates.
Leaders need to have frank and honest dialogue with staff on an ongoing basis in order to
increase transparency within the organization, and reduce the power of the social contracts.
Power imbalances also can occur when individuals oppress, exert dominance over or have
privilege over others. In order to combat this, attention must be given to the isms; the
areas of bias (age, citizenship, employment, gender, language, legal authority, physical
ability, race, religion, sexual orientation and socioeconomic status). Leaders need to honour
the positive personal power that every individual possesses. The children being cared for
need to have their personal power nurtured, so they can grow to be who they really are.
Power imbalances should not be avoided or ignored, but directly addressed and talked
about. It is through careful attention and consideration to the power that exists in an
organization that power can ultimately be used to make a positive difference.

CREATING RELATIONSHIPS...The relationships to be fostered and maintained in a

program for young children are varied and plentiful. The individuals in a leadership position
have the unique and ever changing challenge of creating the village. We all have heard the
phrase, ..it takes a village to raise a child. Figure 1 shows the suggested considerations of
what makes a successful village. The job of the leader is to enforce these established
practices. For example, Who makes the decisions? Are these decisions based on efficiency
(majority rules) or on inclusivity (consensus)? Another example would be about the vision of
the village. Whos vision is being followed.the child, the family, the educators, the
administration, the municipality, the province, etc. The authors suggest that every villager
brings their own vision to the table. The responsibility of the leader is then to bring together
the village. The authors suggest that developing a sense of curiousity is vital in bringing
people together. By being curious about each other, we learn and accept the individuals in
the group. One of the most crucial practices that a leader should engage in is taking care of
themselves and realizing the you cannot be the centre of the universe for everyone. A leader
should lead by Figure 1: How to make a village
Figure 1: How to make a village
honouring the people
around them,
including themselves.
TECHNOLOGYNo one can argue the fact that technology has changed the world. There
are many benefits to technology; technology has help us be faster, more efficient, and
connect in a different way. Technology has changed peoples habits, and expectations. Of
particular concern to early childhood educators, is the ways that technology can affect the
development of children. Early childhood is a time of brain development, and children learn
in response to the environment around them. Social emotional learning and language
development occur when children are spoken to and hear a variety of sounds and words.
Relationships with adults drive these areas of development. Cognitive develop is stimulated
when children have hands on experiences. Leaders need to be knowledgeable and
thoughtful about how technology is introduced and used with young children. Technology will
never be able to take the place of a meaningful, genuine relationship with a caring educator.

SELF DOUBTFeelings of self doubt can be overwhelming for people. Leaders need to
possess skills to assist others with turning feelings of self doubt into self confidence. Often
people feel that they are not smart or as talented as others are,
Tips to reduce self they may shy away from leadership opportunities and feel any
doubt accomplishments that they have achieved were as a result of luck.
Remember that you In order to reduce self doubt, each person needs to ultimately
arent perfecthigh accept themselves as unique human beings. Every person is
expectations arent to capable of making positive contributions, and should have the
be fearedset realis- ability to give themselves credit for their positive qualities. After
tic expectations for
completing a task, individuals should get in the habit of reflecting
yourselfengage in
self reflectionassess about what went well, and what could be changed for next time,
each situation as an instead of focusing on what wasnt perfect. Early childhood
unique experience educators have many responsibilities in caring for young children.
take opportunities to If people are plagued with self doubt, are they able to meet the
renew and refocus
challenges of this profession? In addition to supporting others
be resilient and flexi-
blestay true to your- going through these feelings of self doubt, leaders need to
selftake deep understand they too will make mistakes. This is how leadership
breaths skills are honed, through the thoughtful reflection of mistakes, and
subsequent plans for the future.

MULTICULTURAL READINESS...This should be of great concern in an ECE classroom,

especially when one considers that every aspect of child rearing and education is influenced
by culture. Child care classrooms have been schooled in the importance of including
multicultural artifacts in their environment (i.e. music, books, pictures). However, children
learn more from the way important people act. Knowing this, it is vital that the ECEs act in
ways that honour and celebrate the cultures of others. Multicultural readiness starts with
facing your blind spots; your own areas of bias. Understanding and confronting your own
biases is the first step to a judgement free and accepting view of all people. Children are the
true leaders for this topic; children dont see differences in the same negative way as adults.
Children dont see themselves as different until they are told that they are. The innocence
and accepting nature of children is certainly something to aspire to.
 CURRICULUM AND TEACHING...What is the inspiration for
quality curriculum and teaching practices in early childhood edu- Values and Ethics of ECE
cation? Increasingly the field is moving away from prescribed
curricula, and adapting curriculum that is fueled by observation, ECEs should:
understanding and intentionality on the part of the educator. Fu-
*remain current with professional
ture success in school is the goal of every parent, and research standards
has shown that this is more likely to be achieved when parents
*be passionately invested
are an integral part of the early learning experience. Quality early
*support childrens learning
learning programs need to be developmentally appropriate, cul- through play, know how to in-
turally meaningful and individualistic. Curriculum should be clude academic components into
based on play, as this is how children learn best. Assessment of play

children in programs should be an ongoing and fluid process, *build on what children know and
based on objective observations of the children. These observa- challenge their thinking

tions should not focus on what children cannot do, but instead be *reflect on own practices, experi-
ment and challenge current ways
focused on their strengths (i.e. what they can do and what they
enjoy doing). Observations are best noted when the ECEs are *have an in-depth understanding
of theory behind the curriculum
involved with the children, creating and maintaining genuine rela-
*take care of themselves
tionships. These relationships are nurtured when children can
n
form attachments and feel a sense of security with their caregiv-
ers. Careful attention should be made to praise, as overuse can
get in the way of learning. As the children grow and develop, as
should the educator. Consider thisif the curriculum is coming
from the children, who is the real leaderthe children, who are generating the play, or the edu-
cator, who is following along?

ADULTS AND PLAYPlay is an integral part of any ECE program; it is well known that this
s is an important part of childrens learning and development. What is the role of play for early
childhood educators? The authors suggest that play should be an important part of an ECEs
life style. The work of an ECE can be extremely busy and stressful; professionalism is often
emphasized as ECEs care for the children of other people, and therefore adults enjoying
themselves at work can be looked down upon. Play is defined as an activity that is enjoyable,
freeing, and one where you are focused and living in that moment. Theorists throughout the
years, have emphasized the importance of play. The theories of Froebel, Montessori, Pikler,
Gardiner have all emphasized the importance of play. Daniel Goleman linked play to the
acquisition of emotional intelligence. When in play with other people, the skills of turn taking,
sharing and paying attention to others is crucial. These skills develop emotional intelligence
in people. Play for adults may not take place in a sandbox or by dressing up, but takes the
form of day dreaming, imagining, creating or physical activities like walking or dancing. Play
is healing. It allows for problem solving and stimulates creativity. It allows the player to gain
perspective, to have fun, and to be amused. Play is a mental exercise that engages the
prefrontal cortex of the brain. Often in our busy lives, play is an afterthought for adults; leaders
should be aware of this, and find ways to allow for and incorporate play into the workday. Play
has been shown to be an effective management tool for bringing people together.
SOCIAL / EMOTIONAL COMPETENCE...Any leader has a large and varied amount of re-
sponsibilities; among them, proficiency at social emotional competence. In a child care pro-
gram, it is easy to imagine the need to understand and support the emerging skills of the
children with regard to social/emotional development, however leaders should be equipped
to understand the needs of all people in the program, not only those of the children. The au-
thors suggest that in order to be attuned to the needs of others, a leader must be first in
tune with their own social/emotional needs. Five self assessment
Social /Emotional
questions were posted for the authors to answer about them-
selves. Through telling their personal stories it became very evi-
Competence Quiz
dent that these four successful ECE experts have varying experi-
1. Are you comfortable
expressing what you
ences but they all have a deep understanding of themselves,
want from people? and why they do the things that they do. Reflecting on your own
social/emotional needs provides insight on your social/emotional
2. How do you share with
someone that you
behaviours. Another element in all of this is culture. For exam-
care? ple, in some cultures, it is considered appropriate to tell someone
3. Can you say no to
that you love them. In other cultures, actions are considered
someone? more important than words; so it is more appropriate to show
someone you love them instead of telling them. Our culture, and
4. What are you good at?
our experiences help us to make the people that we are today. In
5. What are your protec- order to be socially competent for others, we need to be socially
tive instincts?
competent for ourselves.

RESPONDING TO CHANGE...Each individual enters an ECE classroom with their own

unique combination of culture, language, beliefs, values, rituals, ethnicity and race that
culminate in a unique individual energy. As educators, each with their own unique individual
energy, the task of managing a group of individuals can be a challenging one. Traditionally,
universal rules and practices have been created to manage this complexity. The authors
challenge these universal rules and suggest change is required to honour the diversity of
individuals. Universal rules do not meet the needs of all, and therefore change is required.
But change is hard, and is resented. But common universal practices such as discipline,
theme based curriculum and caregiving practices many not be understood or honoured by
the families. As the world gets more diverse, change is required. Educators need to keep
learning, questioning and thinking about universal practices and understanding that change
is a constantly occurring and is inevitable. Creating a positive attitude about change
requires reflection with analysis, acceptance that change will be happening and a focus on
positive relationships. Genuine relationships with children allow educators to meet their care
and educational needs in individually meaningful ways.
INTENTIONALITY...When educators are teaching with intentionality, they are teaching and
act with a purpose; specific steps have been established, with persistent action to achieve a
goal. Educators must believe in their own competence, pay attention, ignore distractions, re-
flect and analyse. Part of being intentional is educating yourself; knowledge is required in or-
der for the plan to be meaningful and realistic. Being intentional may mean going against the
majority; and therefore, knowledge must be ongoing and take into account history, culture,
and the perspectives and values of others. Early childhood educators have the responsibility
to work with purpose and direction in order to be the best that they can be every day for the
children in their care.

HOW LEADERS NAVIGATE THE BUMPS IN THE ROAD...

Life is not without challenges; leaders in ECE programs must be equipped to get themselves
and others through these trying times. The authors suggest that leaders who have a good
sense of themselves; their strengths and areas of weakness are better able to navigate
through tough times. The ability to learn from your mistakes is also important. Research
shows that it is best to learn from and remember your mistakes; this proves to be less taxing
on our physical bodies. While no one can plan for when challenging times will appear, we
have to be cognizant that we will meet up with challenges at some point in our careers. There-
fore, it is best to plan ahead by learning something new, disrupt your thinking, challenge your-
self and take risks. Through engaging in these kinds of activities we build our confidence, and
confidence helps us to see a bump in the road as a minor obstacle, and not something insur-
mountable.

THE AUTHORS

HOLLY ELISSA BRUNO JANET GONZALEZ-MENA

MA MA

LUIS ANTONIO DEBRA REN-ETTA

HERNANDEZ SULLIVAN

MA EdD
 LEARNING FROM THE
BUMPS in the ROAD
INSIGHTS FROM EARLY
CHILDHOOD EDUCATORS

Evaluation

This book covered many different aspects of the ECE profession. Some of the topics were focused
on a leader in a supervisory position (Civility, Power Imbalances, Creating Relationships, Self
Doubt, Bumps in the Road), some focused on the ECE as the leader in the classroom (Technology,
Multicultural Readiness, Adults and Play, Social Emotional Competence, Intentionality), and some
focused on the children as the leaders (Curriculum and Teaching). The four different authors offered
different viewpoints on the topics, sharing their life experiences and stories. Often their discussions
of the topics had slightly different interpretations, but seemed to always come back full circle. De-
spite the different topics, common themes ran throughout the chapters. The need for personal re-
flection was a practice that was highly recommended. Reflection allows for the situation from a dif-
ferent perspective. Reflection generates new ideas, and different connections that may have been
previously realized. Another common theme was that of taking care of yourself. When people dont
take care of themselves, they will not be effective at work in the leader or the follower capacity. Ear-
ly childhood education involves taking care of the children of others, and participating in their growth
and development; a noble and important responsibility. Culture was also discussed with many of
the different topics, with an emphasis that culture is a force that impacts our lives in many and
sometimes invisible ways.
I would recommend this book to an early childhood educator who enjoyed reading, and who was
looking for some renewal in their career. Each chapter of the book is a separate idea, and therefore
could be read in any order. Perhaps not all the topics would be meaningful for everyone. I dont
feel an educator new the profession, or new to leadership would not get as much from this book as
someone who has been working for a few years. This book is not a how-to manual. There are
some concrete examples of activities that could be introduced by a leader, but for the most part, this
book is about concepts; concepts that are complex and intricate. This book is designed to stimulate
thinking.
The authors are excellent writers and each has their own style of writing. If I was working as a lead-
er in an ECE setting, I would want to use some of the concepts as discussion points at a staff meet-
ing or workshop. For example, in the first chapter the phrase the dance of conflict was referenced.
I would challenge the ECEs to share their interpretation of this rich phrase. I think quality conversa-
tions could be generated from some of the concepts and language presented in this text. I have in-
cluded some potential conversation starters pulled from the various chapters of the text.
DISCUSSION TOPICS

1A What does the term dancing with conflict mean to you?

1B The following acronym has been suggested as good steps to take

with problem solving. What do you think each letter stands for?

2A What are some of the unspoken rules in a SOCIAL CONTRACTS?

2B What contributes to your own PERSONAL POWER?

3A Who is in your village? Who has the power?
4A What is the difference between culture and Culture? What are some
aspects of your own personal culture?

5A Discuss the practices of continuity of care and many laps. What

practice reflects your upbringing?

6A How many battery operated toys are in your classroom? What is

their play value? What other materials could replace these toys and
offer the same play value?
7A How do you follow the lead of the children?
-curriculum activities -routines
-daily schedule -classroom set up
8A How do you play?

9A How would you answer the self assessment quiz on your personal
social emotional competence?

10A Generally who is more confident...young people or older people?

11A How do you teach with intentionality?

12A What are some bumps in the road that you have experienced?