Mindfulness and Purpose in Early Childhood Education

  You get out of the car to walk into your program and tears are already in your eyes.   You're tired and frustrated and you haven't even gotten in the door yet. You go through the morning drop off on autopilot, holding back snarky comments before you catch yourself staring around the playroom as if everything in front of you is just a rerun of a movie you've seen a hundred times before. When the children start arguing or try to show you their latest drawing, you can only muster up enough energy to grimace and redirect them back to play.   You just don't have the patience for this anymore. What is Burnout? The World Health Organization characterizes burn out as: A sense of exhaustion or depletion Mental distance, negativity or cynicism about work Decreased effectiveness in the workplace However burnout is defined, it all comes down to your tank is empty.   You simply don't feel 'it' at work anymore. What are the Signs of B...

  Ideas from Laura Fowler Massie at Calm Kids Yoga Holding Space - Role of the Educator Creating a loving environment for the children in our care is both an honour and a privilege. Cultivating a sense of inclusion, respect and friendliness supports and develops healthy social and emotional development. Through the practice of mindfulness & yoga educators can create spaces where children, all children, feel competent, safe and welcome. It is with great care and thoughtful intentional safe spaces emerge. It is from an accepting and open heart that educators are able to hold these safe spaces and welcome the children in. Teacher as Student Learning is a two-way street. As educators we are continuously learning and evolving. Remembering that each of us, big and small, are unique and bring something very special to this world. Each child has lessons to teach us if we are open their lessons. Through careful listening, thoughtful observation and with an open heart, we can b...

 WHAT CAN LOOK LIKE FOR EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATORS? EVERYDAY ACTS OF SELF CARE ·          Get enough sleep. ·          Do 5 minutes of Yoga to stretch out your back, legs and shoulders. ·          Take 10 minutes to drink your tea or coffee in the morning before starting your day. ·          Start the day by thinking of 5 things you are grateful for. ·          Prepare for your day the night before to avoid stress in the morning. ·          Carefully massage your body lotion into your skin instead of mindlessly applying it. Use your commute in a way that you actually enjoy it: read a book, listen to a podcast or music. ·          Have a healthy breakfast and continually nourish your body throughout the day...

FIVE MINUTES WITH:  Kelly Macdonald and Bonjour Childhood Wellness Centre Tell us a bit about your business, centre or school, home care or program, how does it tie into the field of Early Childhood Education? Bonjour Childhood Wellness is a Reggio Emillia inspired home-based daycare. Our focus is on expressive arts and wellness. We also have evening life skills workshops for young adults with Down syndrome. Who is your clientele?   Who uses your program the most?   Or, how can ECEs benefit from your business? Currently, the children attending are aged from one to four. The young adults attending the life skills workshops are late teens and early twenties. Do you do any workshops?   Can a childcare or classroom have you in to visit?                    Kelly is the ateilerista for the program. She visits local daycares to offer expressive arts programs. Add caption...