Advocacy for Early Childhood Educators
Speaking Up for Your Students, Your Colleagues, and Yourself

Become a better advocate?for your students, for your coworkers, and for yourself?with the valuable strategies in this accessible guidebook. Written with a candid and humorous style, this tool kit reinforces why effective early childhood education matters and the positive impact an effective advocate can have on a child?s classroom experience.

Chapters explore how to explain and support best practices, build relationships with students and families, speak up for English language learners and students with exceptionalities, reduce coworker conflict and negativity, and reach out for the help you need.

Equipping readers with practical takeaways and everyday examples of what advocacy in early childhood education actually looks like, Advocacy for Early Childhood Educators is perfect for teachers, coaches, and anyone seeking effective strategies to become a relentless advocate for their students, for each other, and for themselves.

Introduction: My Why is the Same, My How is Different Section 1: Advocacy for Children and Families 1. Research-Based Practices Matter 2. Classroom Expectations are Important, but Relationships are King 3. Reaching All Learners Through Advocacy 4. Negativity towards Children Section 2: Advocacy for Colleagues 5. Choose Collaboration Over Competition 6. Spark Learning and Create Joy 7. Power to the Profession Section 3. Advocacy for Yourself 8. Ride the Pendulum 9. Evaluations are your Friend 10. Self-Care Is Not Selfish Conclusion: Now What?

Colleen Schmit is a speaker, author, and adjunct facilitator for the CDA program through Teachstone. She began her career as an educator of young children in the Omaha Public Schools before earning her master’s degree in early childhood education at Concordia University, USA.