Vanessa Hunter didn’t set out to work in early education. In fact, her career happened almost by accident. As a frequent volunteer at her son’s childcare center, Hunter employed the skills she honed as the assistant director for a program serving adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Her ability to manage a classroom and keep students engaged caught the attention of the center’s director, who offered Vanessa the job as site director when the program was expanding.

“I’ve always been drawn towards caring for people of all ages and abilities,” Hunter said, noting that the transition was a smooth one.

Still, she was eager to develop even more skills for her new role as the site coordinator for Teeter Tots Preschool and Childcare in Raynham. After reviewing professional development options with her director, she opted to enroll in our Early Education Instructional Leadership program. Her decision was driven, in part, by logistics. The 10-week course, structured with two-and-a-half-hour weekly sessions, fit perfectly into her busy schedule as a single mother.

The Early Education Instructional Leadership program cultivates leadership mindsets and strengthens the knowledge, skills, and competencies of early education instructional leaders. Educators learn about organizational change, and new research on methods for accelerating improvement and creating a culture of collaborative learning. They also learn strategies to implement what they learn in their programs.

As she worked her way through the curriculum, Hunter’s confidence grew as she expanded her knowledge about childhood curriculum, job-embedded professional learning, and the role of instructional leaders in early education settings.

“What I got out of the program was an understanding that I really do have the ability to be a strong leader,” Hunter said. “I second-guessed myself a lot because I’m so new to the field. But hearing from other teachers who had some of the same questions that I did even though they had been at it much longer than I did made me realize that I’m not alone and I can do this.”

Another important takeaway for Hunter was the realization that leadership is not about tenure or title, but about the creativity, ideas, and commitment that educators from all levels of the field bring to their role.

The knowledge and skills Hunter acquired have had a direct impact on her daily practice. She has a much greater appreciation of the importance of managing emotions as a leader. “Your classroom setting starts with how the teacher manages their emotions,” Hunter said. “Children will key off of you. If you’re distracted, they’ll get distracted. If you smile and greet them with a big hello at the start of the day — even if you’re not really feeling like giving anyone a big hello — they smile, too, and give that energy back to you.”

Hunter also appreciated the program’s emphasis on the role of family culture in education. Learning about and respecting the diverse cultural backgrounds of her students is critical, Hunter said, to ensuring that students feel a sense of belonging. Many of her Haitian children do not celebrate Halloween due to cultural and religious beliefs. So, she has adapted celebrations of the holiday, calling it a “dress-up harvest festival.”

Reflecting on her experience, Hunter said she’d love to take the course again — not because she missed anything, but because of how much she gained from it. The program was demanding — two and a half hours of learning after a full workday, coupled with a 40-minute commute and parenting responsibilities—but the rewards were worth every effort.

“If I could take the course again, I absolutely would do it in a heartbeat,” Vanessa declared. “It was so informative and worth every effort.”