The Bigger Picture
If you work with young children, you know just how rewarding this work can be. You also know it can be very exhausting work. The days are long and often our work seems to go unnoticed by those around us. In fact, we can become consumed with the daily routine, forgetting to pause and notice the rewarding moments. We get so caught up that we often get to a breaking point and ask ourselves, “Why am I even here?” If we’re not careful, we can lose sight of the joy and spark that we brought with us when we started this work.
From the November 2, 2021 episode of the podcast “How to Build a Happy Life” the host poses this scenario:
“There are three men laying bricks. A man asks the first brick layer, “What are you doing?” He responds, “Laying bricks.” He asked the next worker, “What are you doing?” and he responds “Building a wall.” Finally, he asks a third, “What are you doing?” and he responds, “Building a cathedral.”
What are your dreams for your career? Are you laying bricks one by one, not sure what you are building? Or, are you taking steps each day, laying bricks with intention, to build a career and a better early childhood field for the future educators in our state? Making time to think about your dreams and vision as an educator can help guide your daily decisions in your program or home. It can provide you with a new purpose and passion, reignite our spark!
The Wyoming Early Childhood Professional Learning Collaborative holds a vision that aligns with the third worker. We believe that we are building a cathedral, a bigger vision for early childhood in our state. The small steps that we take each day to improve outcomes for children through meaningful professional learning opportunities for educators, like you, continuously add to the foundation of our cathedral. We need you to continue building with us. We can’t do it alone.
The PLC believes one of the ways to improve outcomes for children is by establishing relationships that lead to transformative practice. If you have any questions about learning opportunities that PLC facilitators can provide for and with you, please contact your regional facilitator. Their information can be found in the tab above labeled “Regional Facilitators.”
