Have you ever tried to support a child who displays challenging or mistaken behaviors? Do you often struggle with helping dysregulated children return to a regulated state? As Early Childhood professionals we aspire to promote safety, security, and a sense of belonging in the classroom. By using evidence-informed pedagogical practices as a foundation, our presentation will explore best teaching practices for preschool-aged children. As professionals we know the importance of providing a calm and regulated space for young children through the implementation of social emotional learning and trauma-informed practice. The purpose of our session is to assist early childhood professionals in supporting children who may become dysregulated, defensive, and reactive in the classroom. When children experience heightened states of arousal, they exhibit one of four primary reactions—fight, flight, freeze, and fawn. We will explore each of these responses in depth and provide resources for professionals as they navigate associated challenging or mistaken behaviors.

This session highlights the critical role of family engagement in fostering young learners' growth and development. Participants will explore the benefits of building strong partnerships with families and discover practical strategies, resources, and activities to actively involve families in the classroom. The training will provide creative, culturally responsive approaches to strengthen communication, promote collaboration, and create a welcoming environment for families to support their child’s learning journey.

It is not uncommon to hear the phrase, “Teaching is not what it used to be” these days. What brought on that phrase? Is it really that teaching has changed or is it something else? We also hear the comments such as “Since the Covid……” as well as the increase in challenging behaviors and increased social-emotional needs. Addressing the needs of these students and their families cannot be done by the classroom teacher alone. We will need to work together with the other experts and professionals internally within the program and externally within the community.

In this session, we will examine the concept of partnership and how to transfer aspects of the ideal definition to the existing early childhood education field.