Appreciation 2024 Reflections – Part 2

Welcome back to part 2 of our Appreciation 2024 Reflections!

Our morning together at this Appreciation Event was a workshop “Focus on the 90%” facilitated by Darci Lang.

Darci shared such great ideas, inspiration and motivation with the group from her book “Focus on the 90%”. This idea aligns very well with the idea of focusing on more of what we want to see more of! We have received such great feedback from Darci’s workshop with us – if you know someone who attended, ask them what their thoughts about the workshop and any take-away thoughts they had.

We were able to share a copy of Darci’s book, “Focus on the 90%” with educators who attended the Appreciation Event. If you weren’t able to join us, we do have a copy of this book in our library to borrow.

Today I’m going to the second reflective question that educators were invited to think about was: Why do you choose to stay in this profession? Darci also asked the group this question, so the single words and phrases were from that. An additional question Darci asked of the group will also be shared below.

• Connection
• Self growth/reflection
• Love
• This is where I’m meant to be
• Joy
• I love what I do!
• The children!!
• I choose to stay in this profession to support families and children in my community.
• The families
• Because of the excitement from the children when you walk into the classroom and all their smiles and hugs.
• I choose to stay in the profession because if you help 1 person in a day, it’s worth it.
• I really love my job because it brings me joy and I really adore children and watching them grow.
• The relationships that I’ve built, and the relationships I’ll build in the future.
• Worked directly with children for 20 years and then the passion wanted to do more – to make a difference to the system and so I went to the municipal world.
• I have moved in and out of the field over the years.  Again, followed my heart and returned to what I know and love.
• Fulfilling – empowering
• I stayed in the profession to support and do whatever possible to make a positive difference for children and families.
• I would like to make a difference.
• Working in childcare can be hard, every day you show up and you give emotionally and physically.  It is commitment, it is passion, and it is trust and vulnerability.  You go home exhausted but you start your day with joy.  I would change it for the world.  As an educator in this field, I know I’m making a difference in each child every day that I’m there.  In this work, I get to be the adult that I needed growing up.  I cannot describe how healing and powerful that is.  Watching children grow, supporting families, building relationships, making community connections, building a culture of diversity, equity and inclusion, following curiosities, reflecting, laughing, and finding joy.  These are the best parts of my work and make it worth it every single day.  I am so profoundly lucky to work in this industry with the people at my program.

Darci asked the group another question that had some great responses. She asked: what is one trait needed in our work?

• Flexibility
• Compassion
• Sense of humour
• Patience
• Kindness
• Forgiveness
• Empathy
• Self love
• Understanding
• Reflection
• Open-minded
• Connection
• Passionate
• Communicator
• Team player
• caring

As you look at these photos from our morning with Darci, I invite you to reflect on the two questions: Why do you choose to stay in this profession? What is one trait needed in our work? Click on the first photo to look through the gallery of enlarged pictures.