2020 has been anything but predictable.Â
The coronavirus crisis came as a shock the ECE community is still reeling fromâand from the unforeseen school closures to heartbreaking employee layoffs, the impact of 2020 is one that will last well into the future.Â
But itâs not all bad news. As we navigate our way through the yearâand past the coronavirus peaksâthe post-covid trends are becoming clearer.Â
And clearer information empowers a clearer visionâsomething we could all do with a dose of right now.
With that in mind, we reached out to some of the top ECE pros to find out about emerging early education trends in 2020, why we need to rethink how we work, and how to prepare for the reopening of our ECE centers.
âIn the immediate post-COVID world, children will need a great deal of social-emotional support and guidance.â â Cindy Terebush, Author, podcast host and professional development provider.Â
As a natural communicator, Cindy Terebush isnât afraid of getting straight to the point when it comes to her passion for early childhood education.
And from her hit book to the unmissable podcast she cohosts with Alison Kentos, there are plenty of reasons sheâs an ECE expert youâll want to follow as we work our way through the rest of the year.Â
For Cindy, 2020âs ECE trends are shifting toward putting childrenâs social-emotional needs first.
âWe will have no choice but to prioritize the social-emotional domain so that children can function in a way that allows learning other skills. Keeping social-emotional skill building at the forefront would be a good outcome from [the coronavirus crisis],â she explains.Â
Bevin Reinen, inspiring Founder of Teach. Train. Love. is another ECE pro who believes a focus on emotional health is the future.
âWe have all experienced this crisis. Social emotional learning (SEL) and self-care strategies for students, parents, and educators will be integral in laying a solid foundation for learning. We must nurture each other's emotional health and wellbeing needs first before we can even begin to think about addressing academic deficits. SEL matters more now than ever!â says Bevin.
When it comes to reopening your ECE center, Cindy believes supporting families and employees is the first step.Â
âReopening isn't as simple as opening the doors. Many peopleâchildren, families, early childhood professionals, and administratorsâhave experienced a trauma and we can't just go back like it can be erased,â she explains. âAdministrators and their staff need to learn about trauma-sensitive approaches to setting up their environments and having interactions.â
For Cindy, that means investing in professional advice on trauma-sensitive approaches.
âSeek reputable professional development about trauma-sensitive approaches, ideally before the doors open. We have to expand our thinking beyond the child and recognize that the social-emotional support we need to provide has to extend to everyone. When children, families, staff and administrators feel safe and valued, the learning will follow,â says Cindy.
Here are a few resources on trauma-sensitive approaches in ECE classrooms:
âIf the Covid-19 pandemic and subsequent shutdowns have shown schools/early childhood education centers anything, itâs the need to quickly adapt their practices to digital platforms.â âDr. Erica Vernold Miller, CEO at Professor Patty Cake Consulting
For many ECE pros, one trend stands out above the rest: technology.
Dr Erica Vernold Miller has been coaching educators for over a decade and has witnessed the impact of the rise in digital first hand.Â
âECE parents, like most consumers, desireâand in the current situation, requireâlearning/communication/enrollment/payment etc to happen online.â âSome schools and ECE programs have resisted embracing technology and, in the past, could do so with few repercussions. But unfortunately, they no longer have the luxury of doing so,â explains Erica, âThese schools and ECE centers must adapt digitally or risk becoming extinct.â
For Erica, survival is about boldly taking new strides toward digital transformation.Â
âIf the Covid-19 pandemic and subsequent shutdowns have shown schools and ECE centers anything, itâs the need to quickly adapt their practices to digital platforms. The schools and ECE centers who already had an existing digital infrastructure have fared better than those who didnât. This is not unlike retail and e-commerceâthereâs a reason the Amazons of the world are thriving while retail outlets who donât have a digital footprint are struggling.â
âThe biggest piece of advice I can give regarding reopening ECE centers is to keep all stakeholders in the loop and maintain regular communication during the reopening process,â says Erica.
In a world where anxiety is on the rise, clear communication is your path to reassurance.
âAnxiety is bred in the unknown. Parents and ECE staff are going to be understandably anxious about reopening. Itâs important that ECE centers be transparent, include stakeholders in discussions about safety and wellness, and use data/credible resources to make reopening decisions for their centers.â
For Erica, that means heading to tech for streamlined systems and total transparency.
âCreating systems to disseminate accurate information is crucial. If stakeholders feel like theyâre not getting the info they need, theyâll likely create their own ânarrativesâ which might be inaccurate. The goal is to put systems in place that help all stakeholders feel informed, empowered and valued in the process.â
Here are a few resources on trauma-sensitive approaches in ECE classrooms:
âSome of the best practices such as âcontinuity of careâ and âfamily childcare programsâ, which offer more personalized, smaller hubs of care, will be trending more.â â Zeynep Isik-Ercan, M.A., Ph.D., Professor of Early Childhood Education, Rowan University & Co-Director, Early Childhood Leadership Institute, Center for Access, Success, and Equity
As an ECE pro with over 15 yearsâ experience, Zeynep Isik-Ercan knows her stuffâand for her, 2020 is all about improving personalized childcare.
âI think some of the best practices such as âcontinuity of careâ and âfamily childcare programsâ, which offer more personalized, smaller hubs of care, will be trending more,â she says.
But despite (or perhaps because of) this focus on relationships, tech-reliance is also set to boom.
âProgram staff will embrace more technologies and online learningâwith a caveat of personal and social connections and interactionsâso more synchronous online meetings and trainings and less in person training and meetings may be trends,â explains Zeynep.Â
âLicensing, professional development and quality improvement will also be very important for states, following with the trend on state Quality Rating and Improvement Systems,â she explains.
Technology use in the curriculum has skyrocketed during lockdown.
And for Zeynep, the key to successful school reopenings is all about incorporating new online schooling communities into the ânew normalââand moving back into traditional school patterns slowly.
âUtilizing learning communities with parents through text based or mobile apps and focusing on a few developmental goals at a time will be helpful!â she says.
Here are some resources to help you ease into the new normal:
âEveryone has been changed by this event.â âCindy Terebush, Author, podcast host and professional development provider
Although thereâs no denying the impact coronavirus has had on the ECE community, Cindy knows every situation has a silver liningâthatâs why sheâs determined to encourage ECE pros to focus on the positives.
âThere is no substitute for in-person interactions with early learners,â she says, âBut there are some positives. In some cases, teachers and families are developing stronger partnerships because having to do distance learning has put us all in each other's homes.â
And itâs not just relationships that have been given a boostâfor many people, even their work/life balance has improved.
âWeâre learning many things can be done online, and sometimes, more effectively. We don't have to stay at work late to have meetings. We can meet online from our homes,â Cindy explains. âProfessional development works well online when we use sites that allow for small and large group interactions. Early childhood settings are discovering that virtual tours of their buildings are another way to boost enrollment. People near and far can see your setting regardless of their work schedules.âÂ
The coronavirus crisis has shone the spotlight on the resilience of the ECE community.
But resilience doesnât just appear overnight: it develops from great people, teamwork and vision.
âThe ECE community realized we were ready for evacuations, lockdown and firesâbut not the possibility of a shutdown,â says Cindy. âNow, all learning models and businesses will need to add shutdown plans to their emergency management procedures. After this is over, we need to reflect, determine what worked and what needs more consideration. None of us want to live through what it was like the first couple of weeks of this again.â
It has been toughâbut the ECE community is bouncing back. And the best outcome is closer connections and the continued recognition of teachersâ incredible hard-work.Â
As Cindy puts it,
âIt would be wonderful if teachers and families continue to work closely together and to see each other as a team. I hope the work teachers do with children is as highly valued in the future as it is today.â
Weâve got the latest data, tips, and tricks to make your early ed organization a great place to work and the top pick for families looking for exceptional early learning experience.