While our team sincerely hopes you rest and recharge this summer, we also invite you to explore this summer activity list we put together for you. Think of it like a “summer reading list” but with more fun, reflection, and learning! We all know the school/program year is jam-packed with things to do and young children to care for. This list was curated with YOU in mind, and with the thought that you may have even just a little more time to spare. Try doing just a few of them, or work through the entire list! You’ll find that while we’re calling this a “summer activity list,” the activities can help prepare you for the school/program year to come. Enjoy and take care!
- Check out our blog: We aim to post weekly, so we know it can be challenging to keep up. Catch up on blog posts you may have missed and/or revisit some of your past favorites! Our blog is for any adult working with and caring for young children (birth through five). Explore posts about resilience, social and emotional well-being, how you can promote both in young children and in yourself, and more related topics!
- Reflect on your resilience: Remember that how YOU are, socially and emotionally, significantly impacts the care you provide for young children. Take some time this summer to self-reflect using the Devereux Adult Resilience Survey (DARS), a 23-item reflective checklist that provides adults with information about their personal strengths. Each item on the DARS relates to thoughts and behaviors that have been shown to support resilience. Are you in a leadership role? Check out the Devereux Resilient Leadership Survey (DERLS), a 23-item, research-informed checklist that helps professionals reflect on behaviors associated with resilient leadership. This tool can provide wonderful insight for leaders around areas of strength and growth opportunities.
- Take part in self-paced learning: We offer three self-paced online courses, which you can work through on your own time and at your own pace! Our FLIP IT course teaches participants about the FLIP IT strategy for transforming challenging behavior in young children (ages 3-8). Our Building Your Bounce course is more of a solo journey to becoming a more resilient version of yourself and, finally, we offer a course about how to best utilize the Devereux Early Childhood Assessment – Clinical for young children (ages 2-5).
- Watch our on-demand webinars: This is free learning at your fingertips. Find webinars about the science of resilience, the Devereux Early Childhood Assessment (DECA) Program, the FLIP IT strategy, and more! Watch them whenever you are able. (Please note that certificates are not provided for watching these recordings.)
- Stock up on resources: Do some online shopping or just download some free resources in preparation for the fall! We know it’s early on, but you can at least take a gander and start thinking about how you might want to utilize our resources. There is plenty to choose from!
- Keep up with us on social: If you’re a Facebook and/or YouTube user, then we hope you’ve seen our Facebook page and YouTube channel. We post daily on Facebook and strive to publish one new YouTube video a month. We hope you meet us there!
- Start prepping with our checklists: We offer two free tools for you to utilize as you prepare for the new school/program year. For those working with infants/toddlers, we offer the CARE Reflective Checklists, which will help caregivers and home visitors support the social and emotional quality of their care settings. For those working with preschool-age children, we offer the Reflective Checklist for Preschool Teaching Practices, which is designed to help teachers reflect upon and intentionally use practices that promote children’s social and emotional health.
- Stay tuned for the launch of our Instagram: We’ll soon be adding another avenue through which we can connect with you! We have been working on this project for a while now, because we want to make sure our Instagram is where you go when you’re in need of motivation and inspiration, quick tips and more related to your work with young children and supporting their resilience and social-emotional development. Coming soon! (It does actually already exist, so if you want to stay ahead, go follow us @centerforresilientchildren.)
June 17, 2024
