Ellen Drolette opens her article, “Appreciatively Inquiring in Early Care and Education,” with the following:
What if every morning, you took a few minutes to think about what will bring you joy in the day ahead?
I do this first thing in the morning with my cup of coffee. (I am human though, and sometimes it just does not happen!) In the quiet of my living room, I think about what I hope for from the day. Often, it is the same thing I hoped for the day before: to have laughter, joy, dancing, and imagination filling my classroom, and to be my best self—asking open-ended questions, and having the utmost patience when children become frustrated.
This morning ritual is an example of appreciative inquiry, and it is one of my favorite subjects to talk and write about in the early years. Appreciative inquiry might sound a bit technical, but it is not—it is quite simple, and life-giving when applied well. Put simply, it is a way of tweaking your default, every day mindset, so that you pay more attention to the brightest moments.
Reflection
Drolette explains how her morning routine begins with a focus on what she hopes for from her day with children. What words would you choose to describe a positive day with children?*
Exchange Press is committed to supporting early childhood professionals worldwide in their efforts to craft early childhood environments where adults and children thrive - environments that foster friendship, curiosity, self-esteem, joy, and respect; where the talents of all are fully challenged and justly rewarded.
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