The joy and versatility of early childhood education were on full display at the UFT’s eighth annual Early Childhood Conference on March 7. The theme of the conference was “Learning Together, Growing Together,” and more than 600 educators did just that in workshops that highlighted the multifaceted nature of early childhood education.

“When we are working through challenges together, we are growing together,” said Karen Alford, the UFT’s vice president for elementary schools.

In the opening session — which was so full that UFT President Michael Mulgrew quipped, “Look, another overcrowded classroom in New York City” — City Council member Antonio Reynoso told the audience that his own experiences as an English language learner in New York City classrooms had been shaped by his earliest teachers.

“To this day, I know the name of every teacher in my elementary school,” Reynoso said. “They were instrumental in teaching me English and making me who I am.”

‘It takes a special person’

Mulgrew drew laughs from the crowd when he admitted that he was “petrified” to read in front of young children in his first few weeks as UFT president. “It takes a special person to have that patience,” he told the audience.

Chancellor Carmen Fariña, who gave the keynote address, spoke about her vision for early childhood education.

“Early childhood is about experiential learning. It should be about joy. It needs to be messy,” she said. “We want children to learn through play.”

To conclude the whole-group gathering, Cassandra Dorcely, a music teacher at PS 251 in Springfield Gardens, Queens, led her students in a rousing performance of “It Don’t Mean a Thing (If It Ain’t Got That Swing)” that brought the crowd to its feet.

Many of the 16 workshops focused on ways to incorporate creative arts in the classroom. In a session on yoga, for instance, participants stretched out on yoga mats as they learned how to use picture books to help their students create movement stories.

“My class does not have gym this year, so I want to try to do something like this with them,” said Paule Faustin Gromer, a 1st-grade teacher at PS 384 in Bushwick.

Clair Delanty, a prekindergarten teacher at PS 274 in the Bronx, appreciated that the workshop helped her think about how to integrate creative movement with other subjects and standards.

“It seemed really easy to use in the classroom and practical,” she said.

Other workshops explored ways to infuse lessons with fun. In Playful Economics, there was raucous laughter as participants used Play-Doh to mold mock goods and services, all the while discussing the concept of classroom economies. And in a workshop on math games, 2nd-grade teacher and presenter Ruth Santiago encouraged participants to let go of any expectations for quiet in their classrooms.

“You want them to be noisy. You want that excitement!” she said.

Michelle Henriquez, a 1st-grade teacher at PS 239 in Ridgewood, Queens, said that she valued the camaraderie of participating in the conference with fellow early childhood educators.

“I forgot how motivational this is,” she said. “To feel supported and to be told, ‘You’re awesome’ — this is why I keep coming back.”

Paula McCurchin, a kindergarten teacher at PS 156 in Brownsville, also left the event feeling inspired.

“On Monday,” she said, “I’m going to be showing off these strategies and sharing with other teachers.”

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