Creativity in Dealing with Adversity

Dear Exchange Community,

A tongue-in-cheek saying I see often is: “I miss precedented times.” I think we can all agree it becomes daunting to constantly keep meeting the challenges of unprecedented times. On the flip side, however, if there’s one thing we’ve learned from history, it’s that unprecedented times call forward the best of human creativity. Now is not just a time for loss, it’s also a time for growth, re-thinking and new opportunities.

We at Exchange have been talking with many of you throughout the early childhood community, marveling at your resilience and innovation. Here are two creative projects we’re working on together:

"Reimagining Our Work" Conversations:
Led by a diverse “Conveners Group,” hundreds of people from all facets of the early child field have now volunteered to take part in courageous action-oriented conversations about the future of our work. Want to join? There is room for all and we need your voice. 

Ed.Flicks as a Source of Connection:
A new project, led by Dan Huber and Roger Neugebauer who produced the wonderful “From Surviving to Thriving” video series, is coming together in exciting ways. Based on conversations with professors and program directors, Roger and Dan are creating new Ed.Flicks videos in a variety of creative formats and topics. Stay tuned for Wednesday’s ExchangeEveryDay to learn more.

Today I picked up the beautiful book, Treasures in the Thicket | Tesores en el monte by Bethica Quinn and Rosalina Rodriguez, where they describe the process of creating a class book together, and the deep learning that emerged. One of Bethica’s statements really struck me: “I sometimes think that, if you drew a map of our teaching and learning plan for any given year, it would look like a plate of spaghetti. ‘This is not a plan!’ an outsider might justifiably say. ‘This is a mess.’ But Rosalina and I have learned to have faith that our tangled path will lead us to important discoveries…In this way, we make sure to stop and pick up the treasures of learning that offer themselves along the journey – treasures that would pass unnoticed if we chose instead to lead the children in a straight line to a predetermined destination.”

My wish for us all is that with some creativity and faith, what now sometimes feels like “a mess,” may turn out to be a new journey filled with unexpected treasures.

Nancy Rosenow, Exchange Publisher
On behalf of the entire Exchange Team 

For more information about Exchange's magazine, books, and other products pertaining to ECE, go to www.ccie.com.

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