The Village Starts Before the Classroom in Warrenton, VA

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Today I had the opportunity to return to Fauquier Community Action Committee Head Start in Warrenton, Virginia, an agency I have had the pleasure of partnering with for three years.

One of the things I appreciate about this team is that every time I return, they are ready to learn, reflect, and add new strategies to their practice.

In fact, they were the first Head Start program to put the Acorn Affirmation on their bulletin board. So, they have been sipping the Top-Notch Kool-Aid for a while now!

Today, we spent three hours exploring Calm in the Chaos: Tools for Emotional Regulation in the Learning Environment.

The workshop created space for direct service personnel to talk honestly about something that matters when working with children: the adults who care for and engage children are human too.

Direct service personnel have emotions.

They have stressors.

They have triggers.

They bring their whole selves to work.

The goal is not to pretend those emotions do not exist.

The goal is to recognize when their emotional state is shifting and develop strategies that help them de-escalate so that their emotions do not determine how they respond to children.

During the final activity, teams identified practical strategies they can use to help themselves return toward baseline when emotions begin to rise.

And then the transportation team gave me one of my favorite takeaways of the day.

The bus drivers and monitors recognized that one of the ways they can help themselves remain emotionally regulated is by creating conditions that help the children remain regulated too.

So they created their own Bus Rules:

☀️ Talk to the child.

☀️ Play music.

☀️ Look at the sky, notice animals, and get children interested in the world around them.

☀️ Find colors, shapes, numbers, and ABCs.

☀️ Use exercise songs and sing along.

Simple strategies. Big purpose.

Because the bus ride is not separate from the child’s day.

For some children, the transportation team may be among the first Head Start professionals they encounter in the morning.

The interactions children experience on the bus can help set the tone for what comes next.

And at the end of the day, the transportation team has another opportunity to create a positive, engaging transition between Head Start and home.

That is what I mean when I talk about a Top-Notch Village.

Every village member has an opportunity to contribute to the conditions surrounding a child.

The classroom teacher matters.

The family advocate matters.

The office team matters.

The nutrition team matters.

The bus driver and monitor matter.

Different roles. Different responsibilities. Shared mission.

Thank you, Fauquier Community Action Committee Head Start, for another day of learning, laughter, reflection, and application.

You all didn’t just talk about emotional regulation today.

You put it to work.

BOOM!!!! ❤️🙌🏾🌰🌱🌳

#CalmInTheChaos #TopNotchVillages #HeadStart #HeadStartWorks #EarlyChildhoodEducation #EmotionalRegulation #ChildEngagement #FamilyEngagement #ProfessionalDevelopment #EarlyChildhoodProfessionals #SchoolReadiness #WholeChild #AcornToOakTree #AcornMovement

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Dr. El Brown is an early childhood keynote speaker, trainer, and engagement strategist who partners with Head Start, early childhood programs, and children and family service organizations to strengthen family engagement, support professional development, and build Top-Notch Villages™ where children and families thrive. ❤️🌰🌱🌳☀️

Interested in bringing Dr. El Brown to your organization or conference? Explore speaking and training experiences or submit a booking inquiry.