Our infant/toddler Everday Interactions Matter (EIM) program encourages early childhood educators to reflect upon and learn from their daily moments with children. PEDALS designed this research-informed initiative for ages birth through three; however, it can work with any age.
Learning through relationships.
Through the infant program, educators observe and reflect upon powerful moments of growth, sharing, learning, and belonging in their everyday interactions with young children. The strength-based approach focuses on what educators do well and initiates dynamic discussions on what it means to interact.
Video footage of interactions between adults and children serves as the raw material for facilitating professional growth. Using the Simple Interactions tool developed through the Fred Rogers Institute, we nurture the following elements.
Connection
Being mutually present and in tune.
Reciprocity
To-way “serve and return,” balancing roles of engagement.
Inclusion/Belonging
Inviting and involving all, especially those who are the least likely or least able to engage.
Opportunities to Grow
Scaffolding and fading.
What to expect.
Learning through reflection.
After watching a video clip of an adult-child interaction, staff may reflect on the following questions:
- What did we notice? Describe what you see.
- What is our practice? What helps the educator make decisions in the moment?
- Share the practice. Discuss similarities and differences in practices across different settings.
- Re-watch the video clip. Do we see new things that we missed the first time?
A community of practice.
Participating educators have the opportunity to learn and grow from each other, building a community of their own. Mentors model connection, reciprocity, inclusion, and opportunities to grow during sessions, and focus on educators’ strengths to build trust and uplift the participants’ expertise.
Collecting real-time data.
PEDALS collects data throughout the program to measure progress, improve quality, and ensure sustainability. Early child educators report weekly progress through an online platform, while coaches complete a monthly tracking form that assesses teachers’ use of strategies. We use this data to set goals and adjust the curriculum based on the classroom’s needs.
Achieving meaningful results.
In post-program surveys, early childhood agencies unanimously report satisfaction with the curriculum and coaching. Our educational partners typically experience improved SEL skills (in both teachers and children) and a decrease in challenging classroom behaviors.
93% of teachers felt the EIM curriculum improved their student’s social-emotional development.
Find out if PEDALS is the right fit.
Complete the interest form to schedule a meeting with the PEDALS director.
