Practical Strategies
Early learning leaders who engage in reflective dialogue use these practices:
Collaborate to make data meaningful.
- Give staff regular time to reflect with others who have different points of view, including families. This helps everyone understand the data better.
- Join in conversations about using data to learn, not to judge. Focus on what the data tells us about the experiences of children and staff, rather than on performance scores.
Engage in impromptu and planned discussions that promote self-reflection.
- Encourage the entire team to look inward and self-reflect on data about the effectiveness of their practices. For example, do we plan many language experiences but only a few in math?
- How can we be more intentional to plan learning activities that meet children’s developmental needs, reflects their interests, and support families’ goals for their children?
Integrate data into planning.
- Encourage staff to always look for better ways to do their work because they feel inspired to, not because it is required.
- Look at both the numbers and stories in data to understand what it means. Help the team to see how data can improve teaching and understanding children’s learning.
- Use data to help make decisions.
Challenge, clarify, explain, and provoke thoughts to celebrate child and adult learning.
- Help education staff notice when they are doing well so they can see their own success.
- Take time to observe children and talk about what they are learning.
- Help education staff understand that one set of strategies does not work for all children. Provide support as staff tailor their approach for each child.
Create a safe space for trying new strategies.
- Encourage staff to try new things.
- Accept mistakes as chances to solve problems.
- Revisit past learning to use of new tools.
Value Statements for Engaging in Reflective Dialogue
Early learning leaders show the importance of planning and discussion time for education staff by making sure they have time to meet with coaches, trainers, supervisors, and each other. These meetings focus on child progress and learning data. Leaders share this data in ways that are easy to understand and useful. Staff talk about the data in both planned and casual ways to learn more about what helps children get ready for school.
Use the Values Statements for Engaging in Reflective Dialogue Worksheet to reflect, rate your use of these practices, and write down ideas to strengthen them. The statements remind early learning leaders of their daily commitments to improve staff use of data to guide decision-making.
