The NEA Early Career Learning Labs (ECLL) is a member-led, member-driven professional learning program developed to support early career educators (ECEs) around problems of practice (PoP). The Labs occur in a blended learning format in both face- to-face and online environments.
Our Theory of Change
By creating blended learning opportunities to address ECEs’ problems of practice, by the end of their learning cycle, early career educators will have a supported path to improve each student’s learning environment.
What does the ECLL learning cycle look like?
- Discover: ECEs identify an instructional problem of practice and social emotional challenges.
- Engage: ECEs engage in a group process to refine problem of practice and build community.
- Learn: ECEs learn strategies to address problem of practice and social emotional challenges.
- Teach: ECEs apply new knowledge techniques with students.
- Reflect: ECEs share experiences, refine teaching strategies, and build community.
What are the program goals?
- Inspire, engage, and retain ECEs through personalized professional and social emotional supports.
- Provide learning communities to foster collaboration, develop reflective practices, enhance student learning, and build relationships.
- Increase the value proposition of membership for ECEs and empower them with personal experiences of how the union supports their professional growth
- Build the capacity of the local affiliate to engage members around professional learning by developing local professional practice and association leaders to mentor ECEs.
- Early Career Educators develop and improve on a problem of practice based on student needs to improve student learning.
The NEA Early Career Learning Lab Experience
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Two ECLL leads, Java Robinson and Tyrone Terry, model a coaching conversation between an early career educator and a virtual coach to a group of virtual coaches.
Ambereen Khan-Baker
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An early career educator identifies a problem of practice and receives coaching around it.
Ambereen Khan-Baker
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A group of early career educators participating in a conference to learn strategies and network.
Ambereen Khan-Baker
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ECLL lead, Rachel Croft, models how to conduct a one-on-one with an early career educator to build relationships.
Ambereen Khan-Baker
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ECLL virtual coaches and coordinators meet yearly to reflect on the program and plan for the coming year.
Ambereen Khan-Baker
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