Making Connections at NAEYC's Annual Conference
by Marica Mitchell
NAEYC Annual Conferences offer a
vast array of information, resources, and materials. Amidst the exhibits' posters, product
samples, magazines, and such, one resource is often overlooked—the opportunity to learn from
and form relationships with early childhood professionals from around the world.
If you read the name tags of fellow conference attendees, you will find a variety of
geographic regions represented. I met teachers from Sumter, South Carolina, and had a
powerful conversation with program directors from Cranston, Rhode Island. My most
interesting interaction took place in Anaheim, California, at NAEYC's 2004 Annual Conference.
In the Marketplace area of the Exhibit Hall, I was approached by a small-framed woman in a
brightly colored batik dress inquiring about an NAEYC publication. As I responded, I noticed her name tag—
Leticia Benni, Ghana, West Africa. We spoke for a while,
and I learned that she was a teacher of four-year-olds at the Solidarity School in Tema, Ghana.
This was her first trip to the United States, and she was amazed by all that the conference had
to offer.
I bumped into Leticia several times during the conference, and each time we managed to
squeeze in a conversation about the sessions she attended, the cultural differences she had
noticed, and the wonderful people she had met. On the last day of the conference, Leticia told
me she was not scheduled to return to Ghana for another two weeks but was unable to contact
the relatives she had planned to stay with in America. Instead of leaving Leticia to fend for
herself in Anaheim, I invited her to return to Washington, D.C., to stay with me and my
family. Two hours later, Leticia and I were headed to the airport.
Even though we had many conversations about the early childhood practices in Ghana, it was
most fascinating to witness Leticia's interactions with my 16-month-old son Samory. Every
ordinary caregiving routine was a learning experience for my son. When Leticia dressed
Samory in the mornings or changed his diaper, she massaged his feet to "help his brain grow."
Using a large rectangular fabric called a lappa as a sling, she carried him on her back as we
walked to the park or as she strolled through the aisles of the grocery store. This she said was
not only functional but also was important because it allowed Samory to listen to her heartbeat
and develop a relationship with her, and it too "helped his brain grow."
These practices reflect the latest brain research, which suggests that warm, loving, and
responsive caregiving not only comforts young children but also plays a vital role in healthy
brain development. But Leticia did not offer scientific theories to support her ideas. She said
that such practices were a part of her culture and that early childhood teachers were
encouraged to incorporate these beliefs in their classrooms.
Leticia was amazed by the availability of low-cost school supplies in America and quickly
fell in love with a local dollar store. She filled her shopping basket with construction paper,
glitter, glue, stickers, crayons, and pencils for the children in her classroom. She was not
interested in ditto sheets or coloring books but purchased open-ended materials to introduce
her students to a variety of art mediums. This taught me to appreciate and value the wealth of
resources we have available to teach young children.
Leticia and I are still in contact with each other via letters, photos, and brief phone calls. We
continue to learn from each other.
So the next time you attend NAEYC's Annual Conference and are hunting for useful resources and
materials, remember to bring home a bit of the intangible benefits. Strike up a conversation;
you never know where it may lead.
Marica Mitchell is a program associate in NAEYC's Professional Preparation and Practice Department in
Washington, D.C.
This article originally appeared in the September 2005 issue of Young Children on page 72.
Copyright © 2006 by the National Association for the Education
of Young Children. See
Permissions and Reprints online at www.journal.n
aeyc.org/about/permissions.asp.
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