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Fostering Flexibility in the Toddler Classroom

Reflections from the Field

Infant toddler teacher Janette Rivera explains the importance of being flexible when working with young children and provides an example of how she fosters children's ability to be flexible themselves. Routine and a predictable schedule are necessary in a toddler classroom, but it's also essential to know how to navigate changes in the routine. Rivera discusses the use of modeling flexibility as a strategy teachers can use.

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  • Video Transcript for Fostering Flexibility in the Toddler Classroom

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    Janette Rivera, Infant Toddler Teacher, Windham Early Head Start: No day is the same when working with children. We had a friend, she’s actually 19 months old, she came in, we had a two hour delay, she came in and she walked right to the table and expected to eat breakfast. At that point breakfast was no longer served because it was past, you know, breakfast time.

    Routine is important, but within that routine being able to do other things, just for example, if there’s a snow day, and you’re not able to go outside, what else can we do inside that can still incorporate some things we do outside? Being flexible, it’s great because it shows children to be flexible also.


    © 2016 Center for Early Childhood Education at Eastern Connecticut State University
    May be reprinted for educational purposes.

  • Producers: Terry Surprenant, Sean Leser
    Script: Terry Surprenant
    Editing: Sean Leser
    Videography: Sean Leser, Ken Measimer

  • Special thanks to Windham Early Head Start in Columbia, Connecticut. The development of this video was funded by the Connecticut Office of Early Childhood.