The Hatch Early Learning Blog

I have devoted my professional life to progressing the field of early childhood education through the use of technology. Being the leader of a mission-driven organization, much of my time has been dedicated to how innovation can help solve challenges facing our field. One of the challenges we face is how to make developmentally appropriate technology an integral part of every classroom.

Happy Teacher Appreciation Week! (Though a week feels so insufficient.) Now more than ever, parents across the country have appreciation for everything teachers do for their children. Teachers are selflessly motivated to care for, influence, and inspire development in children. Every day, as we interact with members of our community, find comfort in books, and witness scientific and engineering feats, we see the positive impact of teachers.

First Days of School… One of my earliest memories revolves around my first day of kindergarten. Living outside of Boston, our house was right next to the elementary school. My mom took my hand in hers, and we walked together towards the beginning of my academic career. Donning a new yellow dress, tennis shoes, pigtails, and a yarn lanyard with my name printed in big letters, I was ready to go; in hindsight, I am certain my mom and I shared similar emotions: uncertainty, excitement, and anticipation!

In early April, after about two weeks working from home, I read an article about the psychological benefits of feeling and expressing gratitude on a daily basis. If you’re like me, you get caught up in the rush of the day and, more often than not, don’t set aside the time for gratitude. That day in April, I decided to grab a notebook and write three things for which I was grateful and pledged to repeat the practice daily. At first, the list was trite and generally repetitive: family, health, etc. However, as I participated longer, the list became deeply personal. It also became more external; I found myself expressing gratitude more often.