(Along those lines, I really appreciated how she skipped the data part — my partner and I are both experienced educators. She knows we know where our kid is from past convos; she even asked for curriculum advice. All we wanted to know was whether he’s the happy, healthy, kind kid we know & love.)

I don’t think there’s any special sauce to it, but I think the great value of PLCs—and a reason to invest more in them—is that teacher-directed spaces are way more responsive to teacher need than any random PD. Explicit community building around practice can help people emotionally & professionally.

This is my second year leading this PLC and people said the space feels like a break and that they’re gaining something they don’t from administrators. That’s the goal!

But before departing, a veteran announced they’re transferring and that this space was the one affirming space they’ve had.

Yo that’s a DEEP cut — I haven’t thought about that song in forever lol

what is lost:

opportunities to connect through play, express themselves spontaneously, and learn to self-regulate.

by insisting children behave in developmentally inappropriate ways, we impede the things that help them develop.