You Belong Here: The Hub, an Early Childhood Education Professional Learning Community

At Teaching Strategies, we understand that now, more than ever, educators need flexibility in their professional learning. The recent staffing shortages and teacher burnout¹ in the field of early childhood reported by the National Education Association have elevated the need for timely, flexible, accessible, and inspiring professional development. That is why we have created a new center of learning for early childhood educators: The Hub.

Introducing The Hub

The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines the word hub as “a center of activity,”² and that is exactly what we envision The Hub to be. This groundbreaking, new, online professional learning community serves as the center for professional learning and collaboration for educators in the Teaching Strategies community. The Hub brings early childhood educators together to engage, connect, and collaborate through discussion forums, community groups, and the open sharing of ideas. The Hub also plays a central role in our new Teacher and Coach Memberships.

You belong here.

Through the Teaching Strategies platform, educators with access to The Creative Curriculum Cloud, GOLD, the Teacher or Coach Membership, or Digital Curriculum Resources can now access The Hub. In The Hub, all educators can

• participate in threaded discussions on hot topics and best practices in early childhood education;
• personalize their profile with photos and background;
• connect and communicate with other educators in the community;
• stay informed about what’s happening at Teaching Strategies;
• draw inspiration from the “Learning in Action Library” filled with curated creative examples of our studies;
• explore the events calendar, including upcoming live webinars, conferences we’re attending, and community events; and
• share feedback on our solutions or The Hub itself, including the ability to vote for other members’ feedback through “The Suggestion Box.”

This is a place you can trust.

In addition to the benefits above, educators with access to the Teacher Membership enjoy

• unlimited access to registration for scheduled, live, virtual professional development classes;
• exclusive access to expert moderated discussion forums that focus on a variety of early childhood education topics;
• a 24-hour response time to your questions from our panel of experts via the “Ask an Expert” feature; and
• seamless access to the Quorum eLearning platform and a robust catalog of flexible, modular, engaging courses.

This is a safe place to explore.

Educators with access to the Coach Membership benefit from all the features of The Hub for everyone and those of the Teacher Membership listed above. Additionally, educators with the Coach Membership enjoy access to

• a dedicated, personal Coach Mentor with private coaching sessions;
• mentor-moderated discussion forums;
• exclusive community groups, including a “Coaches’ Corner”;
• interactive, small-group coaching sessions; and
• weekly live discussions through The Hub.

And, of course, The Hub provides a unique source for coaches and leaders to gain insights into teacher needs and challenges.

This is a good place to be.

We are thrilled that The Hub is now a reality, and we want you to dive right in. As you participate in The Hub, you will earn engagement points. As you accumulate engagement points, you will earn contributor badges that will be added to your profile in the community.