“I have learned that there will never be enough time and/or money. We must get creative! We are, after all, the profession that can make a rocket ship out of cardboard, recycled laundry containers and other materials.”
How can you prioritize and find time for mentorship while upholding all of your professional responsibilities and maintaining work-life balance? For Council Chair Kristine Parsons RECE, Director of Operations at RisingOaks Early Learning in Kitchener, it’s all about being creative and intentional. Kristine shares her tips for incorporating mentorship into your setting.
- Early childhood educators often work in groups of two or three. If one of the educators in the team is a good mentor, then the mentoring relationship will happen naturally within the classroom environment.
- Get creative: When enrolment might be lower (e.g., due to child illness, a cultural holiday, or perhaps a number of children on vacation), these quieter moments can offer opportunities for educators and their employers to come together for conversation and idea exchange.
- Participate in group virtual chats: At RisingOaks, we have a staff Facebook account. Staff pose questions to each other; post pictures of curriculum the children are engaged in, or post interesting articles or podcasts. I often share the links to Connexions, the College’s newsletter for members, in this Facebook group, when it comes out.