76th Annual SECA Conference

Leadership begins with the participant being the ONE to be a positive leader presented through their actions.The letters a-c-t-I-o-n will be used to assign leadership words to motivate the participant to be a better leader.

This presentation addresses an important, yet overlooked, topic - planning time. The session will present data from ECE teachers and directors about planning time, curriculum, and working environments that connect with state and national administrative core competencies. Presenters will provide a snapshot of the field regarding planning time practices related to curricula and supportive work environments while addressing the practical barriers that administrators face. We will assist in applying this information and take a practical approach so administrators can construct individual plans for how they will support their staff through planning time and environmental best practices. Get ready to share perspectives with other administrators as we create our next step blueprints pulling from the collective expertise of everyone in the session. This presentation represents the diverse experiences of EC professionals by elevating the voices of teachers and directors at a variety of program types and draws on recent literature on teacher well-being. The presentation will provide applicable and relevant information to assist directors in meeting professional core competencies that are feasible and support their staff.

Join us as we share our attempts at minimizing the child care staffing crisis in our state, through two initiatives that are training high school students in early childhood education best practices. The University of Arkansas Fort Smith Early Childhood Education Program, in collaboration with the Arkansas Early Childhood Association, has piloted two models for offering college credit and early childhood credentials to secondary learners. After graduating from their local high schools, these students will have the training for providing the highest quality of care to children birth-five. Furthermore, they will be able to continue their education through the fully online Early Childhood Associate and Bachelor degrees, while employed in their local child development centers. We will have a time for brainstorming alternate solutions to the current staffing crisis, as we are all in this together!

Children and Lead: What You Don't Know Can Hurt Them

Children under 6 are the most vulnerable to the effects of lead poisoning. The good news is that lead poisoning is 100% preventable. In this fun and informative session, participants will learn about the dangers of lead, common sources of lead, lead exposure prevention, and community resources for families.

Running a program means doing 100 things in any given day. Managing all the tasks can be overwhelming.
There are always at least 3 arenas of activities you need to manage. You are a ringmaster. You need a whip, some music and talented lion tamers to keep everything moving along & safe.

If you don’t, the monkeys will get loose & cause mayhem…making it impossible for you to get your work done.
Join this session to identify your monkeys, tiger time, lion tamers & soundtrack.