I often tell the students in my capstone course, Student Teaching Practicum, how working with other teachers in the same child care room can feel like a marriage. In a good marriage, like any good working relationship, one accepts that a partner may have differences of opinions and attitudes, including having certain habits and frailties, but it is up to the other person to help bring balance and work around all of that. I have worked in classrooms where lead teachers have the ability to anticipate what co-teachers need before they ask, and where teachers can finish each other’s sentences. Too often, however, the reverse is also true. For instance, in a less-than-perfect teaching team, caregivers gossip to others in the center and can be passive-aggressive in their daily tasks by going out of their way to subtly or obviously annoy one another. And like with a marriage, children sense when things are going well and when they aren’t. In child care, children as young as infancy, can sense tension between those responsible for them. If they are held with tight hands or read to by a preoccupied teacher, they notice the difference. So, if you struggle with getting along with your co-worker, what can you do?
Be upfront. Just as your co-teacher does things that can bother you, you may also be doing or saying things that bother him/her. Suggest a meeting either before or after the children are in the center and sit together at a table to discuss the issue. Name three things that are not going well and ask the other person if they feel the same way you do. Suggest you both come up with solutions to make your interactions and your job more joyful. This is by no means an easy conversation, but if you are working with young children, the same techniques that you encourage them to use are the same ones that work for adults. Use “I-messages” that go something like this: “When you _______________, I feel __________________, which results in ______________________. I-messages work because you aren’t blaming the other person or labeling their behavior. You are simply telling them how you feel. So here is an example: “When I’m reading a story at circle time, I feel distracted when you don’t sit near the fidgeting kids, which results in me having to stop the story several times to speak to them. How can we make this work?” When you present an issue and phrase it in this manner, the other person should not feel threatened or judged. Also, the best part is that communicating in this way does work effectively. In fact, that’s why we model it daily to the children in our care.
Find something you admire about your co-teacher. Sometimes we only see the negative in someone else. Instead, choose one or two things you like about that person and focus on those traits each day. You may even comment by saying things like, “It was great when you took Jasmine to the bathroom right away today so that she didn’t have an accident. Your quick reaction shows how responsive you are to the children in our class.” Focusing on the positive is reinforcing and others want to repeat that for which they get positive feedback. Like I-messages, this is an effective technique!
Don’t expect your co-workers to be your friends. Working with children has been called one of the hardest and most important jobs you can ever do; you are helping young brains develop every single day. Focusing on the task of providing early education rather than socializing takes some discipline, but keeping that goal in mind will improve the quality of the work you do each day with the children in your care.
Nurture yourself in simple ways. It is easy to be impatient and critical to those around us if we are tired and frustrated by life’s events outside of the classroom. While none of us can eliminate stress in our lives, we can learn to manage it. Simple habits such as eight hours of sleep a night and eating a well-balanced diet will help you feel better throughout the day. Feeling better just might lead to more thoughtful interactions with those you share a classroom with and that’s bound to make little ones a lot happier too.
Working together can be frustrating at times but with a few tools to use when things don’t go as you wish, you will open up lines of communication in productive ways rather than letting issues fester and grow.
The month of June is rich with purpose and powerful reminders for those of us who support young children and their families. We celebrate National Safety Month, Family Health and Fitness Day, World Environment Day,...
Do you want to widen your career options in the early learning field and work with more than one age group of children? Many educators do, and the Council is giving you a new way...
The Council for Professional Recognition is proud to present the Child Development Professional™ (CDP) concept paper—presenting a bold vision for a nationally recognized credential to elevate early childhood education (ECE) by expanding professional pathways beyond...
The month of May is a time of heartfelt gratitude and thoughtful reflection. Not only is it the month we honor mothers, but we also celebrate Teacher Appreciation Week (May 5–9), Teacher Appreciation Day (May...
At the Council for Professional Recognition, we celebrate April as the Month of the Military Child—a time to recognize the resilience, adaptability, and global perspective that military-connected children carry with them throughout their lives. These...
A Shared Responsibility in Protecting Children Children’s well-being has always been the focus of attention in the early childhood field. However, the abuse and neglect of children remains a threat in our country. At the...
The Early Educators Leadership Conference (EELC) is an opportunity for ECE leaders to network and learn from one another. During EELC 2024, the Council engaged several trailblazers in the field to discuss the importance of...
March 2025 marks a milestone for the Council for Professional Recognition’s 40th anniversary. While we recognize early childhood educators’ invaluable contributions every day, this month is an opportunity to highlight key milestones, share inspiring stories,...
March is National Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month, a time to highlight and celebrate inclusive early childhood programs where children and families are thriving. The Council for Professional Recognition’s CEO Dr. Calvin Moore, Jr. states, “All...
Vice President of Strategic Alliances
Elisa Shepherd is the Vice President of Strategic Alliances at the Council, where she leads initiatives to advance the Council’s mission and strategic plan through designing, managing, and executing a comprehensive stakeholder relationship strategy.
With over 25 years of experience in early childhood education (ECE), Elisa has dedicated her career to developing impactful programs, professional development opportunities, and public policies that support working families, young children, and ECE staff. Before joining the Council, Elisa held numerous roles within the childcare industry. Most recently, she served as Associate Vice President at The Learning Experience and as Senior Manager at KinderCare Education, where she influenced government affairs and public policies across 40 states.
Elisa’s commitment to leadership is reflected in her external roles on the Early Care and Education Consortium Board of Directors, the Florida Chamber Foundation Board of Trustees, and as the DEI Caucus Leader for KinderCare Education. She has been recognized as an Emerging Leader in Early Childhood by Childcare Exchange’s Leadership Initiative.
Elisa earned a Bachelor of Science in Psychology with a focus on child development from Pennsylvania State University in State College, PA.
Chief Operations Officer (COO)
Andrew Davis serves as Chief Operating Officer at the Council. In this role, Andrew oversees the Programs Division, which includes the following operational functions: credentialing, growth and business development, marketing and communications, public policy and advocacy, research, innovation, and customer relations.
Andrew has over 20 years of experience in the early care and education field. Most recently, Andrew served as Senior Vice President of Partnership and Engagement with Acelero Learning and Shine Early Learning, where he led the expansion of state and community-based partnerships to produce more equitable systems of service delivery, improved programmatic quality, and greater outcomes for communities, children and families. Prior to that, he served as Director of Early Learning at Follett School Solutions.
Andrew earned his MBA from the University of Baltimore and Towson University and his bachelor’s degree from the University of Maryland – University College.
Chief Financial Officer (CFO)
Jan Bigelow serves as Chief Financial Officer at the Council and has been with the organization since February of 2022.
Jan has more than 30 years in accounting and finance experience, including public accounting, for-profit and not-for-profit organizations. She has held management-level positions with BDO Seidman, Kiplinger Washington Editors, Pew Center for Global Climate Change, Communities In Schools, B’nai B’rith Youth Organization and American Humane. Since 2003, Jan has worked exclusively in the non-profit sector where she has been a passionate advocate in improving business operations in order to further the mission of her employers.
Jan holds a CPA from the State of Virginia and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Lycoming College. She resides in Alexandria VA with her husband and dog.
Vice President of People and Culture
Janie Payne is the Vice President of People and Culture for the Council for Professional Recognition. Janie is responsible for envisioning, developing, and executing initiatives that strategically manage talent and culture to align people strategies with the overarching business vision of the Council. Janie is responsible for driving organizational excellence through strategic talent practices, orchestrating workforce planning, talent acquisition, performance management as well as a myriad of other Human Resources Programs. She is accountable for driving effectiveness by shaping organizational structure for optimal efficiency. Janie oversees strategies that foster a healthy culture to include embedding diversity, equity, and inclusion into all aspects of the organization.
In Janie’s prior role, she was the Vice President of Administration at Equal Justice Works, where she was responsible for leading human resources, financial operations, facilities management, and information technology. She was also accountable for developing and implementing Equal Justice Works Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion strategy focused on attracting diverse, mission-oriented talent and creating an inclusive and equitable workplace environment. With more than fifteen years of private, federal, and not-for-profit experience, Janie is known for her intuitive skill in administration management, human resources management, designing and leading complex system change, diversity and inclusion, and social justice reform efforts.
Before joining Equal Justice Works, Janie was the Vice President of Human Resources and Chief Diversity Officer for Global Communities, where she was responsible for the design, implementation, and management of integrated HR and diversity strategies. Her work impacted employees in over twenty-two countries. She was responsible for the effective management of different cultural, legal, regulatory, and economic systems for both domestic and international employees. Prior to Global Communities, Janie enjoyed a ten-year career with the federal government. As a member of the Senior Executive Service, she held key strategic human resources positions with multiple cabinet-level agencies and served as an advisor and senior coach to leaders across the federal sector. In these roles, she received recognition from management, industry publications, peers, and staff for driving the creation and execution of programs that created an engaged and productive workforce.
Janie began her career with Verizon Communications (formerly Bell Atlantic), where she held numerous roles of increasing responsibility, where she directed a diversity program that resulted in significant improvement in diversity profile measures. Janie was also a faculty member for the company’s Black Managers Workshop, a training program designed to provide managers of color with the skills needed to overcome barriers to their success that were encountered because of race. She initiated a company-wide effort to establish team-based systems and structures to impact corporate bottom line results which was recognized by the Department of Labor. Janie was one of the first African American women to be featured on the cover of Human Resources Executive magazine.
Janie received her M.A. in Organization Development from American University. She holds numerous professional development certificates in Human Capital Management and Change Management, including a Diversity and Inclusion in Human Resources certificate from Cornell University. She completed the year-long Maryland Equity and Inclusion Leadership Program sponsored by The Schaefer Center for Public Policy and The Maryland Commission on Civil Rights. She is a trained mediator and Certified Professional Coach. She is a graduate of Leadership America, former board chair of the NTL Institute and currently co-steward of the organization’s social justice community of practice, and a member of The Society for Human Resource Management. Additionally, Janie is the Board Chairperson for the Special Education Citizens Advisory Council for Prince Georges County where she is active in developing partnerships that facilitate discussion between parents, families, educators, community leaders, and the PG County school administration to enhance services for students with disabilities which is her passion. She and her husband Randolph reside in Fort Washington Maryland.
Read our monthly e-newsletter and keep up to date on all Council programs and services, as well as the latest news in the world of early care and education. Subscribe today to stay connected with us. You’ll receive timely information on events, webinars, special promotions, and more.
