EIC Training

I am truly honored (and very excited!) to be presenting at the 48th Annual Early Childhood Conference at UW–Whitewater this spring. It means so much to be part of a community that continues to lift up the importance of our youngest learners — and the educators who support them every day.

In my session, Know Your Worth: Advocacy for Infant & Toddler Educators, we will explore how brain science, relationships, and reflective practice remind us that our work is not only meaningful — it is essential. When we understand the impact we have on early development, it becomes clear that advocating for children also means advocating for ourselves as professionals.

I am grateful for the opportunity to learn alongside such passionate educators and to be included in this incredible conference.

Hope to see some of you there! 💜

Advocating for our youngest learners starts with advocating for ourselves! 👶💪

We are honored to welcome Early Childhood Consultant Bonnie Spencer to the 48th Annual Early Childhood Conference. Her session, "Know Your Worth: Advocacy for Infant & Toddler Educators," is a powerful call to action grounded in brain science and early childhood research.

Register now to join us on campus Saturday, April 11!
🔗uww.edu/ce/ecc

❤️ Why don’t we allow children to play in the rain? What an amazing example why it is important to reflect on our practices to find a way to say “yes!” The learning that happens during experiences like this one are invaluable ❤️

🚀 Calling all School-Age Child Care professionals!

The SACC Conference is right around the corner, and trust me — you don’t want to miss this one! 🌟

On March 21st at Hofstra University, educators from across the region will come together to learn, grow, reconnect, and get inspired. With 6 OCFS training hours, incredible breakout tracks (Leadership, STEM, Directors’ Institute & more!), raffles, vendors, and even a carnival-style game area — this conference truly has something for everyone.

Plus, all attendees receive a copy of the keynote book Inspired Work by Erin Ramsey. 📘✨

Seats fill quickly every year, so if you’ve been thinking about it… now’s the time to REGISTER: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdkKSFp6eP2xAx6eBCcVL2i1OriBPZFVyGI1TxDtEJNLos2yA/viewform

👉 Don’t wait — grab your spot today and join a community of passionate professionals dedicated to showing up and shining bright for children and families.

I’m excited to be a presenter at the 2026 First Up Annual Conference on March 6–7 at the Hilton Philadelphia City Avenue! 🎉 Join with educators and community leaders for two days of connection and inspiration.
Get your tickets here: https://www.firstup.org/events/pre-annual-conference/

Lately, the world feels heavy.

Many of us are carrying more than we ever expected - personally, professionally, and collectively. For those of us in early childhood, that weight doesn’t pause when we step into classrooms, programs, or homes. We are still expected to show up regulated, responsive, and present for young children who depend on us to make sense of their world.

That’s no small thing.

Early childhood educators are holding space for big feelings: children’s, families’, colleagues’, and our own, often while navigating uncertainty, grief, burnout, and change. And yet, the work continues, rooted in relationships, care, and hope.

I’ve been thinking a lot about this question and wanted to ask our community:
How do you get through your everyday when the world feels especially heavy?
What helps you pause, reset, or reconnect to your “why”?

We are constantly reminded that educator well-being is not a luxury; it’s foundational. Our work emphasizes reflective practice, shared responsibility, and the importance of tending to our own social-emotional health so we can continue to support children’s development in meaningful, sustainable ways.
You are not meant to do this work alone.

If you’re willing, I invite you to share what helps you keep going, whether it’s a small ritual, a supportive colleague, professional learning, time outdoors, reflection, or simply being reminded that your work matters.

Let’s learn from one another. Let’s keep showing up—with honesty, care, and connection.
💛

Very excited to be presenting at this year's NAEYC Conference in Orlando. Reach out if you are attending, as I would love to see you there and talk about babies!

NAEYC Annual Conference 2025 Gathering early childhood educators from around the globe to connect, collaborate, and learn together.

Very excited to be a part of this upcoming conference and talk about schemas. The last day to register is tomorrow. Hope to see you there!

𝗝𝗼𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝗧𝗥𝗢𝗡𝗚𝗘𝗥 𝗧𝗢𝗚𝗘𝗧𝗛𝗘𝗥 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟱 𝗦𝘂𝗺𝗺𝗶𝘁

The path to strong, vibrant futures for our children and families is built together.
We invite every professional and advocate who impacts early childhood to join us at the 𝗦𝗧𝗥𝗢𝗡𝗚𝗘𝗥 𝗧𝗢𝗚𝗘𝗧𝗛𝗘𝗥 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟱 𝗦𝘂𝗺𝗺𝗶𝘁 on 𝗢𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝟭𝟳𝘁𝗵 & 𝟭𝟴𝘁𝗵 in Uniondale, NY.

This is a pivotal moment to unite the entire early childhood ecosystem:
• 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁/𝗖𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗴𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗙𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗹𝘆 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀 and 𝗔𝗱𝘃𝗼𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀
• 𝗣𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗮𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗻𝘀 and 𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀 (Day 2 offers CME credits!)
• 𝗖𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗘𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘀 and 𝗔𝗱𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘀 (Day 2 offers CEFS credits!)
• 𝗦𝗼𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗲𝗿𝘀, 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗶𝘀𝘁𝘀, and 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗲 & 𝗟𝗼𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁:
• 𝗢𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝟭𝟳𝘁𝗵: 𝗟𝗘𝗔𝗗 𝗧𝗢𝗚𝗘𝗧𝗛𝗘𝗥 A focused day of visioning and strategic action planning dedicated to building stronger systems and cross-sector collaboration. Your leadership is crucial to untangling complex challenges. (Day 1 attendance is free for participants dedicated to systems-level change!)
• 𝗢𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝟭𝟴𝘁𝗵: 𝗟𝗘𝗔𝗥𝗡 𝗧𝗢𝗚𝗘𝗧𝗛𝗘𝗥 Deep dive into educational tracks designed for your professional development. Gain knowledge, hone leadership skills, and secure essential credits while networking with peers who share your commitment.

Your work is the foundation for tomorrow. Let’s strengthen it, together.

𝗥𝗲𝗴𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝘂𝗹𝗹 𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗮 𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲: https://web.cvent.com/event/21a6b46e-f82d-494f-97c3-30fd869de9ed/websitePage:022599bf-219b-42a9-a422-dd0903883d54

I’m so excited to share that I’ll be joining inspiring educators from around the country at the Zero to Three Conference in Baltimore to help pilot a brand-new Synergy Circle session on PLAY with infants and toddlers!

This session will explore the power of play in early childhood across many different settings. Together, we’ll look at how play:
✔️ Supports infants’ and toddlers’ learning and development
✔️ Builds social-emotional skills through outdoor experiences
✔️ Transforms shelter environments into spaces filled with joy and discovery

Through rotating discussions, participants will leave with hands-on strategies to bring more meaningful play into the lives of all children. 💜

I can’t wait to be part of this important work!
👉 For more details or to register, visit: https://www.zerotothree.org/learn-conference/schedule/

Today I had the privilege of facilitating Exploring the Power of Play with school-age educators, and I left feeling so inspired by them! Their creativity, inventiveness, and willingness to dive into open-ended materials reminded me why this work matters so much.

Play looks different as children grow, but it never loses its importance. School-age children engage in constructive play, pretend/sociodramatic play, cooperative play, and games with rules, all of which help them practice problem-solving, negotiation, teamwork, and self-regulation.

When educators understand these stages of play, they’re better able to recognize learning moments, support social-emotional growth, and create classroom environments that truly spark curiosity and a sense of belonging.

If your program would like to explore this topic with your staff, I’d love to bring Exploring the Power of Play to your team. Together, we can create professional learning experiences that inspire and empower.

More amazing information from We Skoolhouse on bilateral coordination. The more freedom of movement we allow in our programs, the more we aid in brain development.

I was lucky enough to attend the Defending the Early Years Summer Institute Series this week. All of the Keynotes and Panelists were amazing and brought a great deal of passion and valuable insight that I'm still reflecting on. On the last day, there was a thought-provoking conversation about the pushback against using the terms "daycare" or "childcare" in our profession. The idea was that there is nothing wrong with the "caring" part of our profession, and by pushing back against those terms can make "caring" seem "less than." In my work as an advocate for the amazing Early Childhood workforce to see themselves as professionals, I have been endorsing using the term "Early Childhood Educators." It is imperative that, regardless of the title you decide to use, we are prepared to help EVERYONE understand the importance of what you do. We must be prepared to explain the critical, brain-building work that happens in our programs. I am curious to know, if you work in Early Childhood, what is the "elevator speech" you give when someone asks you what you do?