Professional Hopes and Goals

After the recent event with a parent that I referenced in my discussion post, my hope is that we all not only become anti-biased educators but that we also find a way to teach others, such as the parents of our students, to be eradicate their biases. My center is a fairly happy and harmonious place where most families get along well and work together.  However, recent events such as the one this past week remind me that there are still ripples and waves of racism in our midst.  
                                   

My personal goal is to be able to handle these situations with grace while preserving the dignity of every parent in the situation. I was thoroughly caught off-guard by the microaggression displayed by this parent, but I stood my ground. I just wish that I had the skills to turn it into an educational opportunity or the parent rather than a "shut-down" type of situation. For the early childhood field as a whole, I would love to see more training on how to handle these types of situations, more writings and articles about how to prevent them, and more stories of how others have dealt with the "isms" in their educational settings. 

I certainly want to thank all of you for your insights this term. This course has been eye opening and I consider it a privilege to have experienced it with all of you! I truly appreciate the diversity within our own group and the perspectives that you have ll brought to the discussions and blogs. I could not have possibly had a better group of colleagues with which to share this course, I am humbled by your experiences and the lessons I have learned form all of you. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! 

Welcoming Families from Around the World

I chose to feature a family from Senegal. We have had a family from this area in our center before I became an administrator. I was a teacher in another room, so I did not have that many experiences with this child. However, there are several families from this country in our area. As the administrator for my center, I am now be at the forefront of welcoming families from this country and many others as they enter our program.
                                  
My first order of business is to be welcoming. I would be just as warm and welcoming as I would with any other family. We try our best to create a comfortable environment for all families with a friendly greeting and positive atmosphere.

As part of our enrollment an registration process, we are sure to ask of every family if there are any dietary restrictions for either allergies or religious purposes. Research shows that 92% of Senegal is Muslim and as such do not eat pork. We work with our local school system to have nutritious meals brought into the center. They are easily able to make substitutions for students with dietary needs such as these. I would assure the family that not only would a proper protein substitution be made but that it would be done so discreetly.

We also ask for proper proof of age documentation. The issues we encounter with birth certificates from other countries are twofold. First, we may not be able to read them although dates are usually easy to decipher. Second, the birth certificate may not exist at all. However, we are able to work around these issues with other forms of proof of age such as immunization records or immunization waivers.

Immunization waivers are also fairy common but not always something that is guaranteed. In the event that the family has a waiver, they would be assured that their child would still be safe. However, I would be sure to ask if there are any health concerns that I need to be aware of. In the past, the parents of a child with a waiver wish to be notified if certain communicable diseases enter the facility.

During the registration process, we spend a great deal of time with the family. I would be sure to ask questions about holiday observances, dietary needs, and religious holiday absences. In our past experiences, the family we had did not oppose our slight nods to the holidays of the dominant culture.

                                        

Another area that may need consideration is the area of language. The primary language of Senegal is French. The family we had many years ago spoke English fluently and did not need a translator. However, that may not be the case with all families from Senegal. There may be a need for a translator which can be provided for free by our local school system.

Being fully prepared for a family from Senegal or any other country is important. This shows respect for that family and all other families that enter the program. Any information gleaned from research or conversations with the family would be shared with teaching staff to enable them to provide the best care possible. Food service staff would need to be made fully aware of the child's dietary needs well before hand to ensure that the appropriate foods are on hand for the child.

The Personal Side of Bias, Prejudice, and Oppression

       When I was a child, maybe first or second grade, I became friends with a girl of a different race. There were not many African-Americans in our small Georgia town and they were mostly friends with one another. This girl and I sat near one another in our class and quickly became friends. We played on the playground together and ate lunch together in the cafeteria every day. It never occurred to me that this was not acceptable to my peers. At some point, I became aware of stares and whispers from other children and eventually from their parents. I can only assume that the other children had told their parents that I was friends with her and they did not approve. In that moment, as a six or seven year old child, I had to make a decision as to whether or not I cared what they thought. I decided I did not. I distinctly remember standing in the school hallway with its green walls and brown carpet with my friend. Another child asked me "Why are you friends with her? She's black!" Well, I have always been blessed with a vicious attitude even at age 6, so I yelled "SHUT-UP!" at the other girl. I promptly got in trouble with the teacher. I still didn't care. 

                                                        

      I do not think that in that moment I changed anyone's mind or effected any great social change, but I stood up for myself and for my friend. In that moment, I maintained my own standards for what was right regardless of what anyone else thought. I don't recall if the teacher called my parents over the incident, but I do not recall getting into trouble with them for it. If she did call, they certainly didn't feel like it was worth addressing. As I grew older, I realized there were many occurrences when I was reprimanded by school administration that my parents never felt the need to address with me. I suppose they did not feel as though it was a wise expenditure of their time! 

Microaggressions in Everyday Life

     My son is dating a girl from work. As a child, her hand was amputated. She is a cashier at the local grocery store and a good one. However, I have heard many well-meaning customers make comments such as "Wow, look at her go. She's fast!" Truthfully, she is faster at her job than many of the other cashiers, but the implication behind their statements is that she's fast for a girl with one hand. These customers are paying her what they believe to be a genuine compliment, but she does not see it that way. She has reached the point where she just does not acknowledge the comment and pretends she did not hear it.  When my son or I hear these comments, we just shake our heads, and I am sure that we have an expression on our faces that says "That was a stupid thing to say." Out of respect for her, we do not make a scene or say anything. She has become so accustomed to it, she no longer reacts.  

                                                      

     Clearly, the underlying assumption here is that she should be slow or slower at her job because she has a missing hand. As I reflect on her situation, it occurs to me that she may be working harder at her job than others because of her disability. If she worked at the same pace or at a slower pace, she could believe that this will be blamed on her disability. If she works faster and more efficiently than the others, she could be seen as overcompensating for her disability. Either way, she opens herself up to microaggressive comments from customers and co-workers. Although these customers are truly trying to be supportive, they inadvertently put a spot-light on her for her disability. They also take credit away from other cashiers that work just a hard as she does. This causes an underlying tension with other co-workers that she does not deserve or ask for. 

                                                       

     This is what microaggression does among many other things. The victim is sometimes placed in an unwanted spot-light, forced into an unwanted conversation with the aggressor, or forced to ignore the aggressor all-together. In a few instances, she has ignored the person that believes they are paying her a compliment. Sometimes, the person does not pursue the conversation but other times they get offended that she ignores them or does not say "Thank you." Basically, she receives an unwanted compliment and has to choose to respond or ignore and then face the consequences of either. It is an odd predicament that she is placed in daily. 

Cultural Conversations 

I recently spoke with a community member about the community where I work. She relayed a story to me about a young lady that had fallen on hard times and had to move in with her mom. In truth, this person needed help long before she asked for it, and waited until things were too far gone.  We then pondered why she did not ask for help sooner. This is an extremely small, tight-knit, primarily African-American community where many members attend church regularly and everyone knows everyone else. It is the culture of this community to help each other to the best of their ability. The person to whom I was speaking also commented on how she thought the young lady's decision was odd. This is not a wealthy community, and no one would have looked down on her for asking for assistance. This person really emphasized the importance of the community culture of helping each other. For her, culture is defined by how people build each other up, support each other, and help one another in hard times. 

                                                      

Another person I spoke with defines culture as her whole family dynamic, her traditions within the family, her beliefs, values, and her home environment. She narrowed her definition of culture down to the family level. I know this person well, and her family is how she defines herself and her culture. She is part of the dominant culture of middle-class, white, middle-aged American, but she grew up in poverty. Most of her friends grew apart from her, or died of drug and alcohol related deaths. She does not identify with that culture any longer, but because she did not grow up in the dominant culture in which she now live, she feels some cultural discontinuity.  As a result, she has created a tight family culture that is establishing its own traditions, customs, and beliefs. 


Yet another person defined culture in a much broader context. She noted that even though communities are made of different races, religions, and ethnicity there are still commonalities of culture that bind those diverse sectors together. For example, in the area where she works, it is not common to greet each other on the street. People do not make eye contact or speak. They avoid each other altogether because the area is considered dangerous. In the area where I work, people wave, greet, speak, and stop to talk in the middle of the street sometimes to the detriment of traffic. There are very blurred lines between races, ethnicity, and language.  People feel safe with one another and many have lived there for decades. 

Two out of the three people omitted the importance of religion in their own explanations of culture, while the other mentioned the importance of the church in helping with the young lady's financial situation. None of them are religious church goers, but the first person still recognized the importance of the central church (there are only two) to the community. 

I found each of their perspectives to be interesting. One defined community culture, another defined family culture, and another defined culture by the commonalities that bind us together. Each had sound reasoning for their definitions. Because I know each of them well, I can understand where their definitions are coming from. This makes me aware that we are heavily influenced by our family structure, our community structure, and our own observations of both. It would be interesting to have someone observe me for a day and then ask questions about my actions and behaviors to examine why I do things a certain way. 

Family Culture Items 

If my current country were devastated and I had to choose three items to take with me to represent my family culture, I would choose a guitar, a copy of GoldenEye (James Bond movie), and a dog collar.
I would take the guitar because I have grown up with music. My father plays the guitar, and I grew up singing with him in church. We still play occasionally and my husband joins in playing bass guitar.  Growing up, large family gatherings included guitar and piano playing with my aunts and cousins. We played and sang hymns and Christmas carols  We still love to play together but unfortunately, we are spread many miles apart in different states.

A representation of my father's guitar

I would take a copy of GoldenEye because it is the first James Bond film I saw, and I have been in love with Bond ever since. My children and I watch Bond movies together; my oldest and I have had Bond marathons on rainy Saturday. My oldest son, my husband, and I have seen all of the Bond films. I have seen all of them for the past twenty years on opening night in the theater. My boys will be old enough to accompany me to the next one in 2019.

                                                         

I would take a dog collar with all of my dog's tags on on it. I still have the tags from every dog I have ever had for the past 35 years. I have raised my children to love, respect, and appreciate dogs. Our dogs are a very important part of our lives. I would love to be able to take the dog, but given the catastrophic nature of this scenario that might not be a possibility.

My dog! He's much older now.

If I could only choose one of these items, It would be the dog collar. I have never been without a dog and neither have my children. My husband also spent a significant amount of his life with a dog in his home. I truly love animals and especially dogs.  We can not imagine our lives without a dog. The dog collar would serve as a reminder of our love and appreciation of dogs and all of the fun we have had with them, their loyalty, and unconditional love for their people. 

I found it very difficult to choose items to represent my whole family. There were plenty of items that represent each of us individually but not that many the represent us as a whole. We are relatively new as a family as my husband and I have only been married for 4 years. There are many items that he and I discussed that represent us as a couple. There are also many that represent my children and me as a single-parent family. I have older children who are establishing their own lives and independence. Our family culture is rapidly changing with jobs, school, children approaching college, driving, and high school coming to an end. 

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Teachers as Researchers 

My simulation involves researching the correlation between co-teaching relationships and CLASS scores. I hypothesize that teachers with healthy, productive co-teaching relationships have higher CLASS scores and consequently higher outcomes for children. If a correlation exists, I would hope that this would influence professional development to assist teachers with developing the most effective relationship possible.



Clearly, teachers would directly benefit from professional development created as a result of this research. Imagine how much more fulfilling teaching would be if the teachers in the classroom worked productively and professionally with one another. I have seen classrooms with teachers that clearly do not get along. The tension in the room is palatable. The children tend to be more aggressive, have more issues with whining and tattling, and seem less secure with the routine. All of these behaviors erode CLASS scores in all three domains. Lower CLASS scores are an indication of a negative learning environment, and that environment has a direct impact on children. If teachers can be trained to develop positive relationships with one another, this would create a positive learning environment which would have an impact on the children as well as the teachers.




Teaching is so much more than creating cute activities and reading to children. True teachers conduct qualitative and quantitative research everyday and may not even realize it! Teachers watch children for signs of growth and development, signs of struggle, and sign of progress. They count steps, hops, jumps, and accomplishments to establish trends and milestones. Teachers must be keen observers to know what topics interest their students and then conduct research on how to teach those topics. They must also be able to reflect and analyze their own teaching practices in order to improve.

International Website:

            

I chose to further explore the website from Early Childhood Australia. I have actually used information and articles from the parent resource section for parent meetings on separation anxiety.
Early Childhood of Australia is dedicated to advocacy for early childhood education, early school years, before and after school care, in-home childcare, social and emotional well being of children, maternal health services, parent education, and policies affecting children and families. Of particular interest is their focus on advocacy and protection of aboriginal children and Torres Straight Islander children to ensure that they are thriving and learning. 

Their current advocacy campaign is entitled Early Learning Everyone Benefits. They are advocating for investing in early childhood education and increasing access to quality programs.

                  http://www.everyonebenefits.org.au/


Some of the many ways they advocate include publishing, building media presence, appearing before Parliament, keeping a social media presence, conducting campaigns, and engaging early childhood entities in policy issues. They also believe strongly in empowering early childhood professionals to become leaders at their local level to promote advocacy for early childhood education issues.

The ECA has a section on their website dedicated to parent education on issues such as child nutrition, separation anxiety, and sleeping habits. Each parent education tab contains articles and links to additional information on related topics.

References

Early Childhood Australia (2017). Retrieved from http://www.earlychildhoodaustralia.org.au/.

     Young Children and Research

     Research involving children could prove to be quite an adventure particularly in the school setting. Children can be unpredictable, especially young children. Many years ago my Head Start agency would allow school psychology majors to work in the classrooms to observe, implement behavioral interventions, and collect general data on the experiences of children ages 3-5.  One of the many items they collected research on was letter fluency and number fluency.  They had a very prescribed way of administering the fluency tests from which they could not deviate.  If you have ever administered fluency tests of any sort to a three year old, you can imagine how well this went on occasion. For the most part, the children were cooperative and really tried to perform well.  I was highly entertained when a child who was clearly wanting to do something besides this fluency test would derail the testing by talking, rolling around in the chair, refusing to speak, laughing or performing any other number of avoidance techniques.  I would often intervene and insist that the child be released and tested later.  Most of the time, the children were just avoiding this task by entertaining themselves, but occasionally, I would find one under genuine stress because they knew they were producing incorrect answers.  These children were certainly in no danger physically or emotionally, but the process was fun to watch. Children are going to do whatever children want to do! Often, I would administer the fluency tests myself once the student was gone; the children always did better with someone they knew.

                                            

      So what were the benefits of this stringent yet entertaining research?  We were the low-income preschool environment with higher risk children. Our children were healthy, cared for, and heavily monitored but certainly had some disadvantages in life. There was another test group in a higher income childcare/preschool facility with significantly less rigorous academic standards than Head Start. None-the-less, our children scored much lower on a consistent basis.  This was one of many studies that supports the importance of high-quality early childhood education to bridge the knowledge gap that exists across income levels. Regardless of the academic exposure, nurturing school environment, and 6 hours a day in a safe learning environment, our children still had deficits not seen in higher-income children. I would argue, however, that this research focused on an extremely narrow area of development (letter and number fluency). Luckily, this was internal data that was used solely by the university students and was not published.

                                        

     This school year, we are venturing into another research project with the University of Cincinnati called First Steps Next. The goal of this research is to prove that a twenty day intensive behavioral modification technique involving whole class instruction that promotes pro-social behaviors in a target child while also incorporating visual cues for said child will reverse negative behaviors. The theory is that with an intense enough intervention delivered in a systematic and consistent manner will quickly reverse behavioral habits in a child with extreme behaviors.  This program is not meant to teach children why they need to act in a pro social manner. This program is meant to only bring the child to a level where they can be taught the reasons and benefits of pro-social behaviors. Let's face it: we do occasionally encounter that child that is resistant to the best of our techniques. It's difficult to work with a child when they are running in circles or throwing chairs. This program is meant to decrease these behaviors to allow the target child to function in a productive way. We will begin First Step Next at the beginning of October. I'll let you all know how it goes! This program has been around for 20 plus years but is gaining steam across the United States. I have included a webinar link below. If it works, we will incorporate this technique on an on-going basis outside of the research group.



                                                

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4SupK3sIIQs


References

Pacific Northwest Publishers. (2016). First Step Next webinar. Retrieved                                                      from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4SupK3sIIQs

Research Simulation Topic

Teaching teams are an essential part of the Head Start environment. Head Start performance standards call for two teachers to be present in the classroom at all times regardless of how many students are in the room. We do not combine classrooms to when numbers are low as many childcare centers do to decrease staffing.  This makes the relationship between the two classroom teachers incredibly important to the effectiveness of the classroom and ultimately the children's well-being.
I have observed many instances of ineffective, negative, and even toxic relationships between teachers in the classroom. I have observed the negative effects on children and the displeasure of parents at the obvious dislike between the two.  I have also observed the amazing effects of teams that just "click."  Unfortunately, these are rare.  Most relationships (friendships, marriages, parent/child) take work,and we know that. For some reason, many teachers have a difficult time transferring this reasoning to their co-teaching relationship.

                                                         
I would like to research the link between high functioning classrooms and positive co-teaching relationships and low functioning classrooms and negative co-teaching relationships. The link seems obvious without data to prove it, there is little likelihood that teachers will truly understand the impact.  If a link is found between the two, I would use this data to develop training for staff in effective communication, proactive organizational systems, and strength based approaches to working with other adults. This data could also be used to encourage administration to give intentional thought to how they pair teachers together. So many times, two amazing teachers are placed in a room. The two may be great, but they are not great together.


                                        



To the best of my knowledge, there is no tool to measure teacher relationships.  I would use the ECERS and the CLASS to determine the quality if the classroom and then observe the teacher/teacher interactions using 5 key points.

• Are conversations between teachers with children present strictly related to the task at hand?
• Do the teachers have adequate planning time?
• Do the teachers spend that planing time together?
• Do the teachers use that planning time to reflect, plan, and prepare?
• Do the teachers have and understand their roles in the classroom? 

I would prefer that there be a better way to measure this other than just "yes" or "no."  I would have to give this more thought and possibly develop a tool to measure productive teacher relationships.  If anyone has any additional thoughts or ideas about this, please share.  Also, share your stories of positive or negative co-teaching or lead/assistant relationships that you have had.  We ALL have stories! Here is mine: 

I had a really effective relationship with a co-teacher just before I moved to administration. It was magical, and the children shined as a result. She is now one of my leads but has struggled to recreate that relationship with another person. My experiences with watching her struggle, as well as many other teams, are the inspiration for this research. 

Issues Related to Early Childhood at an International Level

Learning about early childhood education efforts throughout the world provides perspective on educational opportunities, supports, and options. Most developed countries have some form of early education but with varying importance on universal access, quality, format. One of the common issues throughout the world is the cost of childcare and education. Ferns and Friendly (2014) report that the cost of childcare in Canada has nearly quadrupled since 1992 (p. 14).  Expatica (2017) reports that families in France are entitled to EURO 120.32 per month in childcare assistance regardless of income but only after the birth of the second child (https://www.expatica.com/fr/family-essentials/Childcare-in-France_106409.html). The article provides links to childcare facilities. Research of the Bilingual Montessori School of Paris website, a non-prof)it, reveals that parents can spend as much as EURO 883.00 ($1053.54) on childcare on their full day/full year childcare option (http://www.montessori-paris.com/information/tuition).  This is $263.38 per week for only one child. This list of countries with increasing child care expenses goes on and on. At this point, there is ample research to support the importance of high quality early childcare and education on brain development and adult outcomes. However, rising costs of childcare is making this all important service less and less attainable. 

                                               

Another result of  learning about early education throughout the world and talking with contacts outside my local area, is the realization that early childhood efforts and education still have a long way to go function at their highest level. We need more consistent expectations in the United States and through out the world. This is not to say that we must all live a certain way or deny our cultural norms, but instead that worldwide we provide children with basic needs, safe environments, and quality experiences. 
                                                       

My research has also revealed that there are so many groups, organizations, and agencies worldwide that care about young children and child welfare. United Way, Head Start, Unicef, Harlem Children's Zone, and many more work diligently to fund projects, research, and direct work with children. Each group delves into specific issues in education including child safety, poverty, and cost of quality in childcare. 

                                                                                                           

One goal that I consider important for international issues is consistency of quality in early childhood. This is not to say that we should all be doing the same thing. Instead, we should all be doing what is best for the children in our country, region, or demographic to ensure a proper foundation for learning and success in life.  

References

Expatica. (2017). Childcare in France. Retrieved from https://www.expatica.com/fr/family-              essentials/Childcare-in-France_106409.html.

Ferns, C. & Friendly, M. (2014). The state of early childhood education and care in Cananda 2012. Retrieved from http://childcarecanada. org/sites/default/files /Stateof ECEC 2012.pdf

The Bilingual Montessori School of Paris. (2017). Tuition. Retrieved from  http://www.montessori-paris.com/information/tuition

   Issues in Northern Kentucky Early Childhood Education: Children of the Heroine Epidemic

     As I have mentioned in previous blogs, the heroine epidemic is a major issue in the Northern Kentucky area. Children are being sent into foster care or kinship care at alarming rates. In the first 15 years of my teaching career, I encountered one child being raised by a single dad due to mom's drug abuse. The previous seen years of my career have seen an exponential increase in parental drug abuse by one or both parents. Children are being raised by relative and non relative care by foster parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, great grandparents, and even older siblings.  

  
   These changes in family structure, frequent moves, and guardian changes cause a significant amount of stress and instability in children's lives.  Even before the stressful event involved with change occur these children are often subjected to neglect and/or abuse by drug addicted parents.  They arrive at our preschools, Head Start, and childcare centers with anxiety, fear, unhealthy attachments, and distrust of adults. They often display very disruptive behaviors in the classroom and at home. They flip tables, throw chairs and toys, bite, and scream.  They are also known to have serious control issues. Frequently, they try to control their peers, the classroom, and play scenarios as they were often placed in the position of being the "adult" in their biological home.                                 

     These children are not only born into an environment of drug abuse but they are also born addicted themselves. Heroine users do not stop using during pregnancy; they simply can not pull themselves away from the drug.  Furthermore, they are more likely to get pregnant while using as they often forget to use contraceptives when they are high. Their children are born with tremors, diarrhea, sleeplessness, and difficulty eating (Bernstein, 2015) This is known as neonatal abstinence syndrome. Bernstein(2015) reports that this syndrome has "quadrupled over nine years, to 2.7% of all neonatal intensive care unit admissions (https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/when-life-begins-in-rehab-a-maryland-baby-inherits-her-mothers-addiction).                                    


     By the time these children reach preschool, they show signs of nervousness and fear of loud noises. However, it is impossible to tease out the heroine related issues from the trauma and abuse related issues. Some have difficulty socializing and making friends due to unhealthy attachments habits sustained from disconnected home situations. They either trust no one and will not form a friendship, or they latch on to a friend and cling too tightly. Their depth of delays and issues directly correlates to the time and amount of in utero exposure to the drug much like a child with fetal alcohol syndrome. Teachers are working diligently in this area to create plans for these children, assist with socialization, and teach guardians to work with the children. 

     Just today, within the span of twenty minutes, I had three phone calls from grandparents that had just recently received custody of multiple grandchildren each. Four different single dads with full custody have enrolled children in our center this week.  All of these situations are directly related to this epidemic. 

References
Bernstein, L. (2015). When life begins in rehab: a baby heals after a mother's addiction. 
     Retrieved from https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/when-life-               begins-in-rehab-a-maryland-baby-inherits-her-mothers-addiction/2015/08/12/182c8f50-         37a4-11e5-9d0f-7865a67390ee_story.html?utm_term=.1727d55d448b

A Deeper Look at the NHSA.

The National Head Start Association (NHSA) website provides four different areas of focus.  The Center for the States, The Center for Advocacy, The Center for Effective Practice, and The Center for Policy, Data, and Research are all areas under the Center for Knowledge within the website.  The Center for Effective Practice is of particular interest to me as it contains information on various credentials, professional learning communities, and conferences available for parents and professionals.  There are three Learning Community groups geared towards advocacy and assisting families. 

• Implicit Biases: "The Implicit Bias Learning Community serves as a vehicle to build understanding in the Head Start field around what others have done to tackle the implicit bias and discrimination faced by the children and families they serve. It will also enable us to build strong and perhaps new relationships with community partners who can make a difference for those we serve"(https://www.nhsa.org/knowledge-center/center-effective-practice/learning-communities).
• Building Bridges: An invitation only community to share ideas, inspirations and strategies for how you are dealing with potential issues and supporting all families. We can will address concerns, innovative ideas, and best practices for engaging the immigrant and refugee communities (https://www.nhsa.org/knowledge-center/center-effective-practice/learning-communities).
• Family Service Learning Community: Membership is open to individuals who coordinate social service activities, contact and make referrals to community resources, and parent with families and support them in transitions in and out of programs and services (https://www.nhsa.org/knowledge-center/center-effective-practice/learning-communities).

These groups can only be accessed of Head Start professionals meet certain criteria and are screened prior to joining. 

Additional Resources Within NHSA:

The NHSA website also provides links to several national news organizations including the Huff Post and The Hill. Anytime an article is published in the United States regarding the successes of Head Start or policy and legislative changes, the NHSA website provides viewers links to the information.

As a member of the NHSA, I also have access to resources that can be used for program improvement.  While researching for this week's blog, I came across a Staff Wellness Tool Kit that I plan to print and read through. Staff mental and physical wellness is a huge challenge in this field and particularly in Head Start. Our children come into our programs with many deficits and often very difficult lives. Strong mental health is necessary in order to avoid burnout in those first few years.  The website also includes additional tool kits for meeting health requirements and overcoming the barriers that cause chronic absenteeism.

       


References

The National Head Start Association (2017) Retrieved from http://www.nhsa.org/

Exploring The Center on the Developing Child Harvard University Website.

http://developingchild.harvard.edu/about/what-we-do/global-work/

        I just recently returned home from a week long trip to Tulsa Oklahoma where I attended a 43 hour Conscious Discipline training.  Among many other things, the training spent a great deal of time covering brain development in young children and its impact on child and adult outcomes. Brain development is improved by high quality adult/child interactions found in loving homes and high quality early childhood environments. Unfortunately, these high quality environments come at a high price in many areas making them inaccessible to some children. Consequently, children from lower income households are often being cared for in poor quality environments with negative adult/child interactions. These negative interactions cause poor brain development leading to decreased adult outcomes and perhaps contributing to the cycle of poverty.
       The Harvard website presents information on brain development and the importance of child/adult interactions. The website provides links to videos on brain development and the importance of positive interactions.

           
              How Brains are Built: Core Story of Brain Development
              http://www.albertafamilywellness.org/resources/video/how-brains-are-built-core-story-of-

              brain-development


                                   


              Brain Architecture Executive Function and Self Regulation 
              http://developingchild.harvard.edu/science/key-concepts/executive-function/

                                               
                                 

The information provided on the website makes it clear that high quality interactions are the key to brain development. Unfortunately, our most vulnerable children are exposed to high levels of negative interactions in the form of yelling, punishment, and abuse.  Many are being raised in homes with domestic violence or drug abuse. These interactions combined with parents with low executive function and self-regulation can create a perfect storm for future mental illness and developmental delays. The website contains links to several other organizations throughout the world including the Alberta Family Wellness Initiative. This organization focuses on healthy brain development to prevent addition and mental illness.

                                    

                                   

       In additional to the often poor quality of early learning environments for children in poverty, there is also a gap in mental health services. In the Northern Kentucky area, there are multiple mental health organizations that serve low income children. However, most of them do not fall into the "high quality" category.  The therapists are often reliant on medication based therapies because they do not know what to do with children that have experienced trauma and are now presenting with cognitive delays. I am acquainted with several of these therapists and they are able to recognize the issue but do not have the skills to treat it as effectively as they might like. Prevention is certainly a key strategy as we move forward. Organizations such as the Alberta Family Wellness Initiative provide and additional resource for families as well as therapists and educators.

                                                                 Resources

Alberta Family Wellness Initiative. (2017). How brains are built: core story of brain development.              Retrieved from  http://www.albertafamilywellness.org/resources/video/how-brains-are-built-                core-story-of-brain-development

Center For the Developing Child. (2017). Brain architecture executive function and self regulation.              Retrieved from  http://developingchild.harvard.edu/science/key-concepts/executive-function/