As early childhood educators, we all know the importance of the early years for young children, but what about the importance of the early years for early childhood educators? The journey of becoming an early childhood educator takes time, and it does not happen in isolation. The Early Childhood Educators of British Columbia (ECEBC) reports that as many as 50% of beginning early childhood educators leave the field within the first five years of work (ECEBC, 2012). This statistic does not have to include you or your fellow educators. Are you an Administrator, a Senior Educator, or a Team Leader? As a leader, you have the opportunity to make such a difference in the lives of beginning early childhood educators, including all of your staff and colleagues. How can you move beyond managing to leading – giving direction, offering inspiration, building teamwork, setting an example, and gaining acceptance (Rodd, 2006)? How can you develop a culture of learning and respect within the workplace? What aspects of mentoring are important to ensure a successful experience for both mentors and mentees?
In this workshop, you will learn about the Peer-Mentoring for Early Childhood Educators in BC Project. Information on how the project was set up, what components helped to make it a success, as well as what participants experienced will be shared. Through this project, participants found a safe space to share their everyday experiences as early childhood educators. As one educator shared, “The Peer-Mentoring [Project] gave us a space and an intention, a structure to come together and share our individual journeys and our different journeys”. Ideas for starting up a peer-mentoring program in your community will be shared.
Facilitator Biography
Dr. Laura K. Doan is an associate professor in the Faculty of Education and Social
Work at Thompson Rivers University in Kamloops, BC, where she teaches in the Early
Childhood Education and Master of Education programs. Laura recently completed a
province-wide peer-mentoring project for early childhood educators, that took place in
17 regions across British Columbia, Canada. Laura is inspired by the wisdom, strength,
and resilience of early childhood educators.
November 12, 2021
1:15 PM