Educating Young Children Volume 1 - Summer 2025 | Page 85

Creating intentional spaces for educators can impact their productivity, quality of work, and joy. Best, these spaces don’ t need to be expensive! By repurposing materials and furniture and making small adjustments in how spaces are used, programs can increase educators’ well-being, helping teachers and other staff become as successful and happy as the children they serve.

› Does your program have spaces where teachers and other staff can relax and reset? If not, where could that space be created?

› How can you engage the educators in your program to consider new uses of space with a focus on teacher well-being?

› Is there room in your setting for educators to prepare and store materials away from children?

› Is there outdoor space that could be designated for teacher well-being and rest?

Heather DiGiovanni, MA, is the director of operations at the Henry Frost Children’ s Program in Belmont, Massachusetts.

Iris Chin Ponte, PhD, is the executive director at the Henry Frost Children’ s Program in Belmont, Massachusetts.

Photographs: pp. 78, 80-83 courtesy of the authors; p. 84 © NAEYC Copyright © 2025 by the National Association for the Education of Young Children. See permissions and reprints online at NAEYC. org / resources / permissions.