February 25, 2025 How Early Educators Can Manage Stress and Burnout While the needs of children in their care is the top priority for early childhood educators, it is also important that they learn how to manage stress and burnout resulting from the job. Californians for Quality Early Learning (CQEL) has released a resource on how to practice self-care, set boundaries, be mindful, and seek professional support to ensure one’s well-being and productivity. Strategies for Managing Stress and Burnout There are many elements that make early childhood education a demanding and stressful profession, CQEL notes: long hours, high levels of responsibility, and the constant need for educators to stay alert and engaged with the young children in their care. CQEL suggests that early educators take breaks throughout the day to prevent burnout and reduce stress. It suggests that doing so will make them more effective in their work. In a recent blog post, CQEL recommends 10 strategies for early educators to manage stress and prevent burnout: Prioritize self-care Create a support system Practice mindfulness Set boundaries Practice effective time management Seek out professional development opportunities Practice positive thinking Practice effective communication Take breaks and vacations Seek processional support Activities that CQEL recommends to improve self-care include exercising (such as taking a walk or participating in a yoga class), meditation, taking breaks throughout the day, connecting with nature, engaging in hobbies, taking a mental health day, connecting with others, practicing gratitude, and getting enough sleep. For more information, read the CQEL blog post.
October 21, 2024 Playbook Provides Resources for Emotional Wellness Month The Genius of Play has released a new playbook that includes a variety of resources to celebrate Emotional Wellness Month in October. Learn More The aim of Emotional Wellness Month is to remind people to disconnect and take time for themselves. Emotional well-being can have a significant impact on one’s overall health, whereas mental and emotional stress can result in negative physical reactions, a weakened immune system, and poor health. The Genius of Play’s new playbook features activities to help children learn and practice the key components of emotional intelligence. Some of the activities that can be found in the playbook include: Doing a yoga pose is a low-impact method of strengthening the body Using calming bottles to encourage creativity and relieve tension Doing an emotions word search to boost overall brain power and improve concentration More ideas for play that can promote emotional wellness can be found in the playbook.
January 21, 2021 Helping Children Befriend Their Emotions Join Youth Yoga Project and the Children’s Museum in a two-hour workshop to learn how to support the emotional health of children ages three and up. This workshop will help educators build a greater understanding of the important role of emotions and imagination in the classroom. About By becoming more familiar with their emotions, and learning an emotional vocabulary, students are able to process and manage their emotions instead of allowing their emotions to overwhelm them. Through mindfulness, children learn accessible ways to befriend their emotions. This workshop is open to all educators who would like to learn strategies to incorporate these concepts into their work with students. Learn how mindfulness can be used as a practical tool for pre-k-12 students to build emotional awareness in children and teens. Educators will leave with specific strategies to empower their students to develop emotional awareness and emotion processing tools through mindfulness. Registration To register, visit the online registration page. Registration closes on January 29, 2021. Each participant will receive electronic workshop materials from Youth Yoga Project prior to the workshop. Two hours of Act 48 credit will be available for Pennsylvania educators. More Information For questions, please contact Taylor Dozier at tdozier@pittsburghkids.org.
October 2, 2020 Homewood Virtual Block Party We’re throwing you a BLOCK PARTY! Join the Homewood Early Learning Hub & Family Center and Homewood Early Learning Steering Committee (HELSC) on October 10 for a virtual celebration filled with storytime sessions, family yoga, a virtual bike ride, and a dance party! About Since the onset of COVID-19, Trying Together has been working with the HELSC to figure out a way to provide Homewood families, partners, and collaborators an experience that matches the energy and excitement of the events hosted in years prior. With this in mind, Trying Together and the HELSC are excited to announce the first Homewood Virtual Block Party! Homewood Virtual Block Party Saturday, October 10 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. While this year’s event is different, the virtual event still features many educational and fun activities that past attendees of the Homewood Block Party know and love. The Homewood Virtual Block Party will be pre-recorded and available for viewing on this event page via the Trying Together Vimeo player and on Facebook via the Trying Together page. Featured Events The Homewood Virtual Block Party will feature online events from the Homewood Early Learning Hub & Family Center, Homewood Community Engagement Center, Homewood Children’s Village, Kenny’s, YWCA Pittsburgh, Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, WQED Education, Fund My Future/Propel Schools, Mayor’s Office/Imagination Library, University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health, and University of Pittsburgh School of Dental Medicine. Family Dance Party Ready to get your groove on? Join the Homewood Early Learning Hub & Family Center, HELSC, and DJ Doug for a Virtual Family Dance Party from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. Family Fun Bags Want a swag bag? Complete your virtual block party registration and you may pick up a Family Fun Bag with information, resources, and giveaways from the activities and partners featured during the party. Coordinate your bag pick-up time on the day of the party (October 10) with one of our contacts listed below during their available hours: Homewood YWCA | 11 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. Cheryl Smith | 412.391.5100 The Homewood Early Learning Hub & Family Center | 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. Toni Beasley | 412.540.5732 Registration To register, please complete this online form by Friday, October 8 at 5 p.m. Registrants will receive the event link via email at least 24 hours before the start of the celebration. If you miss the registration deadline, you can still coordinate a time to pick up a Family Fun Bag. You can also watch the Block Party Livestream on the Trying Together website or Facebook page on October 10. More Information For questions, please contact Sarah Byrne-Houser at sarah@tryingtogether.org. Share this flyer with your network.
March 19, 2019 Wellness Wednesday: Partner Yoga Join the Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh for Wellness Wednesday in the Theater! Take a calming break in the Theater and join them for a 20-minute yoga class. Use breathwork and relaxation techniques while moving through poses. This month, they’ll practice building community by focusing on partner poses — bring a friend or make a new one! The first class will begin at 10:30 a.m. and the second class will begin at 11:00 a.m. Bring your own mat or borrow one of theirs! All ages and abilities are welcome. This program is drop-in, so guests may come and go as they please! This program is designed for our youngest learners (0-5) but is suitable for all ages. For more information, visit the event page!
