Creating a Culture of Reflective Practice: The Role of Pedagogical Leadership in Early Child Programs

As the field of early learning continues to grow and evolve, we must consider the impact of our approaches to working with adults and children. Early childhood professionals and leaders need to reconcile their responsibilities in never-ending administrative tasks, ensuring program quality, and supporting the growth of others. Creating a Culture of Reflective Practice: The Role of Pedagogical Leadership in Early Child Programs is a comprehensive practical look at creating systems, structures, and protocols for supporting people in large and small organizations, individuals working as mentors, coaches or pedagogical leaders to invite educators into a thinking and learning process about their work.

Readers will develop the skills and mindsets that can enhance their performance and effect organizational change. Creating a Culture of Reflective Practice offers stories and structures connected to four principles of pedagogical leadership with specific ideas to enhance the work of educational leaders.

Anne Marie Coughlin is the educational director at London Bridge Child Care Services in London, Ontario, Canada. She is an accomplished, passionate speaker who is known for her innovative work with Early Childhood Educators and her inspiring vision. Anne Marie works as a mentor for both classroom Educators and program leaders, exploring ways to work with and think about both children and adult learning. Over the past 35 years, she has held a variety of roles in the early learning sector including, preschool educator, center and program director, professional development coordinator, a community college teacher, and served as a provincial director with the Canadian Association for Young Children and as Director at Large for the Ontario Reggio Association.

Lorrie Baird has been actively working in the early learning field for over 30 years and currently is the executive director of pedagogy with Compass Early Learning and Care in Peterborough, Ontario. Lorrie has immersed herself in the early learning field strengthening her understanding of the teaching and learning process. As a pedagogical leader and professional learning facilitator, she believes in engaging educators in reflective practice and ensuring that our work in adult learning parallels what we want to foster with children. Deeply rooted in a social constructivist approach, her practice is to engage early learning professionals in opportunities to reflect and think together about their work.