September 15, 2023 with Carla Ward and Diane Kashin
Navigating Professional Friendships
In this episode, Carla welcomes Diane Kashin, a prominent figure in the world of early childhood education in Ontario, Canada, and a retired ECE professor. Diane highlights the importance of professional friendships in the ECE community and shares her experiences as a blogger in the field, where she explores various aspects of early childhood education.
Carla and Diane delve into the significance of early childhood friendships for children and educators. They emphasize the role of educators in modelling positive friendships for children and helping them develop essential social skills. Diane also introduces her upcoming book, “Cultivating Professional Friendships in Early Childhood Education,” which explores the value of professional friendships, the challenges they may face, and the deep reflections that come from such relationships. She underscores the importance of self-awareness in fostering healthy professional friendships and shares stories of her own friendships in the field.
The podcast includes a powerful message of gratitude and the idea that understanding one’s identity is crucial in building and maintaining successful personal and professional friendships.
Diane Kasin
Diane is a registered early childhood educator from Ontario, Canada. Diane taught early childhood education at both the degree and the diploma level for over 30 years. Diane received a Bachelor of Honours Degree from York University, an Early Childhood Education Diploma from Seneca College and master’s and doctorate degree from University of Toronto. Diane’s doctoral thesis on emergent curriculum was published in 2008 and she has co-written three ECE textbooks. Diane has a new book coming out this fall from Redleaf Press titled, Cultivating Professional Friendships in Early Childhood Education. Diane has presented webinars, workshops, and keynote addresses in Ontario, across Canada and internationally. Diane also writes a blog to support professional learning in early childhood education: Technology Rich Inquiry Based Research.