On Friday, I had the opportunity to work with the staff and some of the board members of the National Trust. Our soft skills focus for the session was emotional intelligence.
We explored the importance of emotional intelligence and how it benefits us in our everyday work—supporting stronger relationships with our colleagues and creating more meaningful, positive experiences for the guests who visit our islands.
The session was a great mix of learning, discussion, and problem-solving, and of course, we shared a few laughs along the way. It was an engaging and enjoyable experience that highlighted just how powerful emotional intelligence can be in the workplace.

It is no secret that DEI is a passion of mine, so I was very happy to start off the academic year looking at Gender and Diversity in the Early Childhood classroom. On January 6th, the Department of Education hosted a webinar for its K–2 teachers that focused on gender diversity in the classroom.

I am a strong believer that, in today’s world, diversity is already present in every classroom. Our role as teachers is to notice it, to value it, and to plan for it. To do so, we not only have to take time learning, but also examining our biases. We must be open to the fact that many of our biases function at a subconscious level. We must do the work to challenge norms—and know that when we are asked why we do things the way we do, “it’s the way we’ve always done it” is no longer an acceptable answer.

In preparing for this webinar, I reflected on my childhood in the 80s. Yes, I am an 80s baby. During that time, there was an intentional shift in toys. I was part of the generation where toys that were traditionally considered “boys’ toys” started to be marketed toward girls. Saturday morning commercials began to shift, and suddenly we saw girls in overalls, hair pulled back, planning and building with blocks and LEGO. Somewhere along the pipeline, it was realized that if we want more female engineers and mathematicians, we need to expose girls to the development of these skills early.

By the time my daughter was born decades later, LEGO had become a normal and acceptable toy for girls. Still, I remember when she pointed out that she would appreciate having LEGO sets that included more than just pinks, beiges, and purples. At that point, I began supplementing her collection with more traditional sets that included bold colors not typically marketed to girls.

Over the years, we have seen that toys such as LEGO not only improve spatial awareness, but also other cognitive skills such as planning and organization, math skills, problem-solving, and, of course, creativity and imagination. These skills are in addition to the fine motor and executive functioning skills required for longer, sustained tasks like building LEGO creations.

In addition to reflecting on the opening up of the LEGO world for us 80s girls, I also dug deep into my memory to consider how this shift looked for boys. Does anyone remember My Buddy? My Buddy was a toy introduced by Hasbro in the mid-80s to help normalize nurturing play for boys. Traditionally, dolls were marketed almost exclusively to girls. My Buddy was an effort to support the development of social-emotional skills in boys, particularly caring and nurturing behaviors.

Whether you are a parent or a teacher, it is important to take time to reflect on your biases and your ideas about what is “gender appropriate.” Is there such a thing? Does that question—is there such a thing?—comfort you or make you nervous? All of these are worth exploring when making an intentional effort to create inclusive spaces.

If you are a teacher wanting to be intentional about creating a gender inclusive classroom, here are some quick suggestions to help. 

Consider the Environment

• Diverse books and visuals
  Include characters of all genders, abilities, and backgrounds.
• Toys and centers not labeled by gender
  Avoid “girl corner” or “boy corner.”
• Inclusive language
  Use terms like “children,” “friends,” or “everyone.”

Teaching Practices

• Offer choices in how students learn and show understanding
  Drawing, building, acting, writing—avoid steering choices based on gender.
• Normalize emotions for all children
  “It’s okay to feel frustrated—let’s work through it together.”
• Avoid reinforcing stereotypes
  For example, avoid phrases like “Big boys don’t cry.”
• Encourage risk-taking across subjects
  Girls in math, boys in storytelling—really, everyone in everything.

Teacher Language Tips

• Praise effort and persistence rather than gendered traits:
  “I noticed how carefully you planned that tower.”
  “You kept trying until it worked—that persistence is excellent.”

Responding to Gender Policing
Things children might say:

• “Only girls wear pink.”
• “That’s a boy toy.”

Simple, developmentally appropriate responses:

• “Toys are for everyone.”
• “Colors don’t belong to boys or girls.”
• “Everyone can try.”

As the year comes to a close, I am really excited to share that Learn and Lead was featured in the Winter Issue 2025/2026 of Times of the Island Magazine. Pick up your copy at the center, as well as a number of other community hubs including grocery stores. An electronic version of the magazine can also be found here. ​https://www.yumpu.com/en/document/read/70877106/times-of-the-islands-winter-2025-26

During the month of November, the staff at Mr. Groupers Restaurant had the opportunity to take part in a set of dynamic collaborative experiences to 'Elevate the Guest Experience.' We look forward to completing our sessions in the New Year!

Goal setting is an important part of Strategic Planning. Sometimes we get so used to setting goals, that we need an refreshed approach. I had the opportunity to conduct a number of workshops with middle managers at Pelican Energy to discuss setting SMART(ER) goals. Our workshop objectives were to:

• Understand how the SMARTER framework creates clear, actionable goals
• Align individual and team goals with strategic objectives
• Navigate challenging conversations about progress and motivation
• Keep goals dynamic and maintain accountability
• Practice goal-setting in real scenarios with peer feedback
• Foster a culture of growth, reflection, and continuous learning

On November 11th, I had the opportunity to facilitate a webinar that was hosted by the Department of Education - Early Childhood Development Division. This webinar was geared towards parent and these were the objectives:

• Empower you to help your child fall in love with reading... no matter how busy life feels.
• Share practical, research-backed strategies that fit into real family life.
• Give you simple, doable steps you can start using right away.
• Remind you that you already have what your child needs to become a reader.

Last week I had the opportunity to work with this group of young leaders at the Edward Garland Youth Center. Our time was filled with great learning, discussion and play 😊. Never underestimate how much can be learned through play…at any age.

We wish them all the best as they continue to grow as young leaders!

This weekend I had the pleasure of working with some lovely women from the Soroptimist Club of Providenciales. As part of their 'EmpowerHer' Learning Skills program, we looked at Emotional Intelligence and Public Speaking. I wish them all the best as they continue to inspire and empower young women in our community!

Leading From the Middle is a great opportunity for middle managers to come together, brush up on their leadership skills, learn best practices and work together to gain strategies to excel in management. Ports Authority of the Turks and Caicos Islands has now put two cohorts of their middle managers through this dynamic training.

🎥 Episode 3 – Planning & Organization Skills
Is your child constantly losing homework or forgetting school supplies?
Planning and organization are learned step by step:

• Preschoolers: try simple routines and picture charts.
• Primary kids: use a homework folder and practice packing bags the night before.
• Teens: teach planners, to-do lists, or digital reminders for tracking assignments.

Let kids try — and even make mistakes — so they learn to self-correct and build independence.
Organization isn’t about perfection — it’s about giving kids tools to succeed.
​

🎥 Episode 2 – Building Focus & Attention
Does your child struggle to finish a task without getting distracted?
Focus is like a muscle — it grows stronger with practice.

• Preschoolers: keep activities short and interactive (puzzles, matching games, storytime).
• Primary kids: break homework into smaller chunks with quick breaks in between.
• Teens: create distraction-free study zones and plan realistic work sessions.

And remember — kids model what they see. Put your phone away during shared activities to show them what focused attention looks like.
Little by little, their attention span grows — and so does their capacity to learn.

Connected Literacy - Where the Science of Reading meets the Art of Connection. It was a pleasure hosting teachers from Providenciales and North Caicos at Learn and Lead for this important topic! To find out moe about our Connected Literacy Program, visit HERE. 

🎥 Episode 1 – What Are Executive Functioning Skills?
Did you know that skills like planning, focus, and self-control matter as much as IQ for school success?
Executive functioning skills are like the brain’s air traffic control system — they help kids manage their thoughts, actions, and emotions to reach goals.
These skills include:
🧠 Working memory – holding and using information
🎯 Focus and attention – staying on task
⏱️ Planning and organization – managing time and materials
💡 Flexible thinking – adapting when things change
😌 Self-control – managing impulses and emotions
These skills grow from preschool into early adulthood. Parents can help by creating routines, modeling problem-solving, and letting children practice decision-making in safe, age-appropriate ways.
Strong executive functioning skills set kids up for success — in school and in life.
​

The School Year Start-Up is a one-hour interactive workshop designed to help parents and caregivers lay the groundwork for a smooth, confident, and connected start to the academic year. This session offers practical strategies and helpful tools for creating the kind of home environment that supports academic success, emotional resilience, and a positive school mindset.
Parents will learn how to:

• Establish consistent routines that reduce stress and support learning.
• ​Encourage motivation, independence, and a growth mindset.
• Communicate with children in ways that build connection and trust.
• ​Partner effectively with teachers and school staff.
• Stay grounded and intentional as a parent throughout the school year.

Whether your child is just starting school or entering a new grade, this workshop is an opportunity to reflect, reset, and feel more equipped to support the months ahead. You will leave with actionable insights and a printable Parent Start-Up Kit to help put it all into practice.

​Does your child have trouble following directions or sitting for a story?
This is Episode 7 in our Reading Readiness Series, and we’re focusing on a skill that often gets overlooked: listening.
Before children can become strong readers, they need to be able to listen, focus, and follow along. If a child struggles with listening, they may also find it difficult to process stories and understand what they read.
You can help build listening skills through simple, playful activities:
🎯 Games like Simon Says
👂 Two-step directions like “Touch your nose, then hop once”
📚 Shared storytime with gentle reminders to listen
Start small, be consistent, and make it fun. Strengthening listening now lays the groundwork for reading success later.

Do you point to the words when you read with your child?

This is Episode 6 in our Reading Readiness Series, and it focuses on a foundational skill: print awareness.
​
Print awareness means understanding that printed words carry meaning. It’s the knowledge that we read from left to right, top to bottom, and that words are made up of letters.
You can nurture this awareness every day by:

• Letting your child hold the book
• Pointing to words as you read
• Encouraging page-turning
• Noticing print on signs, menus—even cereal boxes

These simple habits build familiarity and confidence—key ingredients for reading success.
Let print become part of your everyday moments. It’s a small shift that leads to big growth.

Does your child have trouble following directions or sitting for a story?
This is Episode 7 in our Reading Readiness Series, and we’re focusing on a skill that often gets overlooked: listening.
Before children can become strong readers, they need to be able to listen, focus, and follow along. If a child struggles with listening, they may also find it difficult to process stories and understand what they read.
You can help build listening skills through simple, playful activities:

• Games like Simon Says
• Two-step directions like “Touch your nose, then hop once”
• Shared storytime with gentle reminders to listen

Start small, be consistent, and make it fun. Strengthening listening now lays the groundwork for reading success later.

Why are nursery rhymes and silly rhyming books so important for reading?
This is the fifth video in our Reading Readiness Series, and it shines a light on a fun—and powerful—early literacy skill: rhyming.
Rhyming helps children hear patterns in words, which is a building block for recognizing word families like cat, hat, and bat. These patterns make it easier for kids to decode new words when they start reading. But that’s not all—rhyming also boosts memory, listening, and prediction skills, all of which support reading comprehension.
So pull out a rhyming book, read it aloud, and enjoy the rhythm and repetition.
You're not just having fun—you’re building a reader.

The Mirror of the Classroom: Reflecting on Growth and Impact

Yesterday I had the opportunity to spent time with Dr. Williams and the educators in this year’s mentorship group. We reflected on resilience, classroom culture, and how far they’ve come in 2024-2025 — while sharpening their vision for the year ahead.

Is your child learning letter names—or letter sounds?
This is the fourth video in our Reading Readiness Series, and it focuses on a critical early literacy skill: understanding letter sounds.
While letter names are useful, what really builds a foundation for reading is knowing the sounds each letter makes. For example, the letter B makes the /b/ sound. Recognizing this sound helps children begin to blend sounds into words—an essential step in learning to read.
You can support your child by making sounds a part of everyday life. Try pointing to letters in books, on signs, or in toys and asking, “What sound does this letter make?” That simple question encourages sound recognition and boosts reading readiness.
Shift the focus to letter sounds, and watch your child’s reading skills begin to grow.

Can your child clap out the beats in a word or hear the first sound in “banana”?
This is the third video in our Reading Readiness Series, and it highlights a key early literacy skill: phonological awareness.
Before children can read words, they need to hear and play with the sounds in them. Activities like rhyming, clapping out syllables, and noticing beginning or ending sounds might seem simple—but they’re powerful. These fun, sound-based games help build the brain pathways needed for decoding words later on.
Play a sound game today—it’s building reading skills in disguise.

Did you know that every conversation with your child helps prepare them to read?
This is the second video in our Reading Readiness Series, and it’s all about the power of language.
Talking to your child builds their vocabulary, helps them understand sentence structure, and strengthens their ability to make connections—all of which are essential for reading. Simple conversations in the car, at the store, or during playtime all make a difference.
Describe what you’re doing. Ask them to explain things back to you. These everyday moments are building blocks of literacy.
Talk, listen, and explore language together. It all counts.

Does your child know the alphabet—but still seem unsure about reading?

This is the first video in our Reading Readiness Series, where we explore what it really means to be ready to read.

Reading readiness is more than just knowing letters. It includes listening skills, vocabulary, sound awareness, and a love for stories. If your child enjoys being read to, plays with sounds, and shows curiosity about books, they’re already on the right path—even if they haven’t started reading yet.
Reading is a journey that begins long before the first word is read. Pay attention to their curiosity and the conversations they start—that’s where reading truly begins.