If we want teachers who feel they truly belong to the process, we as citizens need to collectively learn to appreciate all our teachers more.

This interests me because I tend to think of listening as being free from interpretation; that is, listening without judgment or conclusions but hearing the interpretation of who or whatever I am listening to.

As someone else mentioned, the classroom moves at such a fast pace. Some people may also have difficulty with memory. There is also value in remembering the exact words that children use, particularly in thoughtful responses.

I'd argue that it's not only a breeding ground, but an area to hone the skills of relationships and interactions, as having two (or in my school's case, three) members of a teaching team allows adults to model successful interactions, as well as hold each other accountable to lean into and correct our less proud moments.

Sharing of thoughts, ideas, and projects was especially valuable when we needed to pivot to online learning during the initial COVID lockdowns.

If we want to create a partnership with others, everyone has to be willing to have flexibility, to meet and move for others as much as we expect them to meet and move for us.

Interestingly, I have worked in classrooms that were both intolerant of uncertainty and ones that embraced it. I've found that, while some classrooms are understandable nervous about ambiguity because children find routine and predictability comforting, leaving some amount of space for uncertainty in a schedule ultimately benefits the children because it allows for the class to make game-time decisions about what the children need.

These things can so easily fall prey to the bystander effect if not specifically planned out

It's so telling how many people have commented on this particular paragraph. Thinking about this paragraph also made me reflect on the cynicism and jaded view of the world that so many adults have developed over time, vs the wonder and magic that children see in the world.

I wish all schools would recognize that everyone who works in a school is instrumental in educating the children there, and treated them as such!

I find that children often have a way of hearing and interpreting things in a way that adults don't...often, students will correct me on my interpretation of what another student is telling me

I often find that my mind wanders, even as I try to actively listen. I appreciate documentation and written conversations because it ensures that I can re-read and make sure I'm fully processing before I respond.

I find taking notes to be one of the hardest forms of documentation. It's difficult to write, listen, and talk simultaneously, but it can also be difficult to remember the finer points after the fact.

I feel like the ability to do this is it's own kind of art form

It seems to me that responsive teaching is something that the US could stand to practice across all ages, not just ECE. People are far more likely to grasp material that they find personally interesting.

Education is never "one size fits all!"

There are so many ways in which particularly the US devalues ECE and views it as essentially babysitting. I work for a N-12 school and probably about 90% of the PD opportunities sent out to the faculty are listed as "available for K-12." Around my city, teacher admission prices to museums are often listed as "K-12." Infant, toddler, nursery, and pre-K do such valuable work that is so often overlooked!

This is one of my favorite suggestions for parents with picky eaters- let the child help make/pack the lunch!

One of my joys from this past year was watching my students progress from asking for a teacher to help hang their backpacks on the high hooks, to figuring out how to pull a chair over and use it as a step stool, to the delight of some taller children at the end of the year when they found they were tall enough to hang the backpacks without the chair if they stood on tiptoes. One child was so delighted when he first figured out the chair that he insisted on asking each subsequent child if he could help them hang their backpack.

This hits home- my child just said her "first word" this week. But it felt almost anticlimactic precisely because I feel that words are not even close to the strongest tool in her communication toolbox right now. I think I was actually far more excited about other "firsts" like pointing precisely because they served so much purpose in allowing me to understand what was happening in her head.

I feel like this is corroborated by the fact that parents often understand their toddlers when others aren't able. Even just the tone of crying can tell us so much about what a newborn or infant is trying to tell us.

We see this particularly in cases now during the pandemic where the student is in school but a sibling is at home with the parent. They may feel as though they are being left behind.

This brings the word "facilitator" to mind: we can help guide the children into situations where they are likely to blossom, even if they may not be situations they would place themselves in.

This is one of the reasons it can be so important to praise children on the effort rather than the outcome ("I saw you working so hard on that painting!" rather than "that painting is beautiful!")

This can be so difficult when tending to a full classroom. I often try to make sure when a child wants to show me something or asks that I sit and watch them, that I'm letting them know if I'm not able to give them my full attention in that moment ("I would love to see that; I can see that Student X needs my help too right now but I'll come by soon!", and then always try to circle back when I know I have a moment to give my full attention to that child.

Collaboration with parents allows for children to learn about so many different cultural aspects and perspectives that teachers may not singlehandedly be equipped to tackle.

Collaboration with parents allows children to learn about so many different cultural aspects that individual teachers may not be equipped to teach single-handedly.

Adults have thought out the space, yes, but the physical space can also be a collaboration with the students, inviting children to feel a sense of ownership of the space.

The mindset of learning along with the children provides adults with opportunities to model curiosity and leaning into uncertainty...it's okay to say "I don't know, but lets find out!"

Children are so much more likely to succeed if all the adults in their life are on the same page and communicate openly!

I love the idea of something so beautiful coming out of the end of war. It speaks to the hope of parents that their children can grow and learn in a way that seeks to avoid physical conflict.