Early childhood lays the foundation for learning and human development. That is why I read across genres and disciplines, often returning to one question: How might this influence young children, their families, and the people who educate them?

This curiosity connects directly to my work on identity readiness, which emphasizes helping children develop a positive sense of self, belonging, confidence in their voices, and pride in their cultures alongside other areas of development (Long-Coleman, 2026a). My writing on Black identity and belonging also considers how language, family histories, and the right to define oneself inform culturally responsive practice (Long-Coleman, 2026b). Together, these works provide a conceptual lens for asking whether educational environments recognize and support who children are becoming…

As an educator and lifelong learner, I see education as one of society’s interconnected institutions, each depending on and strengthening the others. When I read about developments in other fields, I naturally bring them back to the question: “How might this influence early childhood education and learning?” Today, my mind is on Artificial Intelligence (AI) and teacher agency…

Learning across generations belongs at the center of early childhood leadership. That connection stayed with me after I facilitated my leadership workshop at Georgia Association for the Education of Young Children's (GAEYC) 60th anniversary conference. …

A father comforts his crying baby, helps his toddler use the toilet, reads bedtime stories, and patiently answers the same question again. We encourage that involvement. We call it responsible parenting. Yet when a man chooses to provide similar care and education professionally, his presence can invite hesitation. Why does nurturing seem appropriate for a father but unexpected for a male early childhood educator?…

Early childhood teachers need working arrangements that recognize the thinking behind their teaching. The classroom schedule shows when children eat, play, and rest. It rarely shows who anticipates a difficult transition, remembers a family concern, or checks whether tomorrow's materials are ready. When that responsibility falls mostly to one educator, dividing visible tasks evenly can still leave an uneven mental load…

After more than 50 years in early childhood, I believe teacher retention deserves a deeper conversation about how we organize the work. My experience as an educator, family child care provider, director, and coach shapes that position. When a teacher resigns, finding coverage is urgent. Understanding what made the position difficult to sustain deserves attention too.

I want us to ask better questions before deciding that another training will solve the problem…

Last year, I wrote about a complaint heard everywhere, “This new generation does not want to work.”  Early childhood directors pointed to callouts, turnover, missed interviews, and employees who resigned without “paying their dues.” I understood their frustration. Early childhood education depends on reliable adults, and children cannot build secure relationships with a revolving door of teachers. Still, I rejected the conclusion that younger employees were lazy…

A colleague shared Carter Rankin’s reflection, “MacKenzie Scott Is Drilling for Black Genius.” As an early childhood educator, I read it as more than an argument about HBCUs, leadership, or institutional investment. It raises a question that begins much earlier: 

What happens when a child’s brilliance is recognized, nurtured, connected to opportunity, and eventually allowed to shape the institutions around them? …

A recent argument that it may be time to retire the term African American in favor of Black American caused me to consider the issue through a particular lens - early childhood education. It also caused me to consider the question through the lens of my own life. I was born in the 1950s and came of age under the influence of the 1960s, a period in which the language of racial identity was undergoing profound change alongside the struggle for civil rights.

I remember the power of legendary soul singer and cultural icon James Brown’s declaration, a refrain that became a clarion call for a generation -  “Say it loud, I’m Black and I’m proud!”…

In an early childhood classroom, teacher agency appears in ordinary professional decisions -  following children’s investigation rather than ending it, adjusting a transition for an overwhelmed child, or drawing on a family’s knowledge. We may call it flexibility, responsiveness, or simply good teaching…

Before the day begins, many are already thinking about staffing, classroom ratios, children’s individual needs, family concerns, documentation, transitions, challenging behaviors, supplies, assessments, and the responsibilities waiting at home. Even when those tasks are not written into a job description, someone still has to anticipate them, remember them, coordinate them, and respond when something changes. 

That is mental load…

Early childhood leaders are expected to hold a great deal at once. A director may begin the morning reassuring an anxious family, coach an educator through a conflict, respond to a licensing concern, cover a classroom because of a staffing shortage, and make a financial decision that affects the entire program…

Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. once challenged the assumption that being “well-adjusted” is always a sign of health or success. He acknowledged that adjustment has value, but he also insisted that some conditions should never be accepted as normal…

The new NAEYC and NAFCC workforce findings (NAEYC and NAFCC, 2026) tell an important story about family childcare. Many of the numbers are troubling: long working hours, limited benefits, increasing costs…

There is a familiar pattern in early childhood education. A teacher is exceptional with children. Her classroom is organized, families trust her, she understands child development, and other teachers frequently seek her advice…

Recently, I had the opportunity to listen to a group of early childhood leaders talk openly about what was going well or a “rose,” what they were looking forward to or a “bud,” and what was challenging them or a “thorn.” I was there primarily to listen, and that is exactly what I did…

There is work we can see in early childhood education - teaching, preparing activities, communicating with families, supervising children, completing paperwork, cleaning, and managing routines.

Then there is the work happening inside an educator’s head.

Remembering. Anticipating. Monitoring. Prioritizing. Adjusting. Problem-solving. Making one decision while already thinking about the next three…

Image walking into an early childhood program after a challenging day.

• A teacher forgot to complete a required form.

• A child was injured on the playground.

• A parent complained about communication.

• A classroom schedule fell apart.

The immediate question many leaders ask is:…

As an early childhood coach, I often spend months working alongside programs preparing for QRIS assessments. At first, everything appears positive. Staff members are warm, friendly, and respectful…