Council Letter

July 21, 2021

Join us at EELC!

Dear Colleagues,

What’s on your agenda when autumn rolls around? Consider joining the Council at our Early Educators Leadership Conference. The theme of this year’s conference is “Shaping the Future: A Time for Resilience, Renewal & Reform.” Join national and international leaders, policy makers and nonprofit directors, college professors and colleagues for informative sessions and fun.

Our conference will take place October 5 to 8 in lovely Leesburg, Virginia, and it features a great lineup. Attend a session on “Becoming a Better You.” Find out more about “Building Diverse Cultures of Belonging and Inclusion.” See why “Self-Care is Vital.” Learn about “Reflection for Professional Practice,” and line dance at our “Rodeo Glam” under the stars.

You’ll also want to kick up your heels after starting your days with JuNene K., a master trainer and social emotional specialist who we’re profiling this month. “I’ll be doing three sessions,” she says. “The first will be on affirmation and how to harness ‘The Power of I Am.’ In the second session, ‘Gratitude is Attitude,’ we’ll discuss how to deal with negative feelings. And the last will be ‘The Shift,’ a hands-on session that explores the use of essential oils to shift your mood. We’ll also be doing fun, creative workouts to get our juices flowing and get rid of stress.”

Many rising teachers do feel stressed out at the prospect of earning a degree, according to Dr. Sonia Pruneda-Hernandez, another of our conference presenters. As chair of early childhood at Montgomery College, she supports a diverse student body in taking the steps to success. “Students need to get their CDA®,” she tells us in this issue. That gives them the confidence to go on for their degree. And when they do it’s good for both them and the children. “They’re going to make more money, they’re going to get promoted, and they’re going to be better providers.”

The path to professional growth starts with the CDA as the ChildCare Education Institute agrees in its new blog. And the credential is even more essential in the wake of the pandemic. Many parents feel anxious about their children’s health and fret about sending them back to preschool. So, child care directors should reassure these reluctant moms and dads by hiring staff with CDAs. “Educators who’ve earned it must exhibit an understanding of competency standards—and the first competency standard focuses on establishing and maintaining a safe, healthy learning environment,” Dr. Calvin E. Moore, Jr. points out in a perceptive op-ed this month.

Dr. Moore is also the author of Find Your Happy!, an uplifting—and down-to-earth—guide to feeling safe, secure, loved. And the happiness you feel doesn’t have to be fleeting, as too many folks sadly believe. “I have discovered through love and loss that it is possible to live life with joy!” Moore says. And he’ll tell you how in his keynote speech at our conference. Join him for a thoughtful dialogue that explores his seven step-approach to finding joy as a way of life.

Take advantage of this chance to meet Dr. Moore, along with many other movers and shakers in the early childhood profession. They’ll give you tips and tools to advance your skills and gear up for the challenges ahead. Together, let’s find new ways to build a better future for our field.

With happiness for your support,

The Council for Professional Recognition

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