Celebrating Teachers: Honoring Their Impact on Child Development
By: Carly Andrews
The Alliance has the honor of working with early childhood educators and primary teachers from 40 different schools across the region, as well as our region's school directors and school leaders. We provide virtual professional learning experiences through our Early Childhood Enrichment series and The Emotional Lives of Young Children cohort, and in-person professional learning through our day-long conference, The Preschool-Kindergarten Summit, held each February at the Chicago Botanic Garden. Each year teachers and school leaders across the region show up with their teams - eagerly diving into new research and thinking about child development.
We love the way Alliance teachers show up to professional learning experiences - engaged, thoughtful, and ready to take their learning back to their classrooms. Research in the developmental sciences reminds us that in order for children to develop healthily, they need a web of responsive relationships. We cannot raise a generation of healthy, well-rounded children without caring, loving teachers.
I am inspired by the caring, loving, and hardworking teachers who are a part of The Alliance network.
And so are you. Here are some of the kind words of appreciation for teachers that parents have shared this year:
My child loves school and that is in large part due to the way that you have created a safe and welcoming learning community.
Thank you for really seeing our child, and for the many ways you have connected with and encouraged him.
You always include the voices of your students.
You help your students become interested, engaged, and independent young learners.
For over 20 years, The Alliance for Early Childhood has honored teachers of young children and the work they do supporting children’s healthy growth and development. We invite you to join The Alliance in our long-standing tradition of honoring educators, administrators, and support staff at your school with an Alliance for Early Childhood Teacher Tribute.
Tell a teacher that you see them and that you are grateful for their work with children, by sending a Teacher Tribute. Our communities - our children, our schools, our families - benefit from their daily dedication and care.