Coffee and Conversations will begin with a 30 minute conversation to discuss an idea relevant to the PD offered that morning. Grab your coffee, tea, or other beverage of choice and join us from home.
The conversation will be followed by a 90 minute focused professional development from early childhood educators, advocates, and experts. 2 hours of professional development will be earned.
Conversation 9 AM – 9:30 AM
Share preconceived notions about masculinity and men working in the early childhood profession.
Professional Development Session 9:30 AM -11 AM
Reframing masculinity to support families and advance equity in the early childhood profession
Early childhood teachers play a critical role on the path to gender equity. This role includes realizing and combating the toxic culture that depicts unhealthy and unrealistic expectations of our male students and turns men away from nurturing roles such as those found in the early childhood profession. This session will implement classroom anecdotes, research, and participant self-reflection to explore what stereotypical ‘masculinity’ looks like within the realm of early childhood, including perspectives on our profession. We will talk about participants’ own interactions with children, their self-reflections and anecdotes about classroom behaviors, and how to navigate these vital conversations with families and co-workers. We will plan together as early childhood professionals supporting children, families, and teachers on how we can reframe masculinity to empower all children and adults, regardless of their gender, to advance equity in and around classrooms and diversify the early childhood profession.
Bella Frueh is an Early Childhood Resource Coordinator for Learning Grove, a non-profit early childhood agency in Cincinnati, OH. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Psychology, with Minor Degrees in Mathematics & Physics, and obtained her Master’s Degree in International Child Studies from King’s College London, where she delved into diverse applications of children’s rights and global childhood experiences. She spent years fostering children’s learning in a high-quality, diverse early childhood setting, and she is proud to say that her agency’s constructivist curriculum allowed her to incorporate children’s creative thinking regarding gender expression and gender equity. She is a state-approved trainer, and currently serves as Vice President of Membership for Southwest Ohio Association for the Education of Young Children, and most recently was appointed to the Public Allies Cincinnati Advisory Board.
Ross Glen Chandler Nunamaker, who goes by Chad, is an Ohio licensed teacher, holds a Bachelor’s in Early Childhood Education from Wright State University, a Master’s in Early Childhood Leadership & Advocacy from University of Dayton, a Certificate in Financial Success for Nonprofits from Cornell University, and is a PhD candidate specializing in Early Childhood Education at Concordia University Chicago. Chad’s research interests are at the intersection of parent & teacher education, adult-child interactions, early childhood mental health, and prevention science. He has worked in the field of early childhood since 2004 and currently holds several roles related to facilitating learning for parents and teachers, behavioral health, research, advocacy, and leadership. Chad was a Selected Scholar in the Society for Research in Child Development Teaching Mentorship Program, an example Early Childhood Leader in the Exchange Leadership Initiative, and was recently one of ten men selected nationally for special recognition as an example of professional excellence among men in the field of early childhood by the Council for Professional Recognition.
Tucson Values Teachers is providing limited scholarships for educators to attend PD opportunities, if you are interested, click here for more information
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