Meredith McMahon is the prominent Executive Director at Smithsonian Early Enrichment Center, and an inspiring early education advocate.

 

What first inspired you to enter the field of early childhood education, and how did your journey lead you to the Smithsonian Early Enrichment Center?

I worked at a summer camp when I was in college, and I was assigned to the youngest ones—the rising kindergartners. I thoroughly enjoyed their enthusiasm for everything, and that experience led me to a part-time floater position at a nursery school on the campus of the university I attended. I went from that part-time position to a full-time lead teacher position, and ultimately I took over as the center director. That was over 30 years ago, and my joy for early learning has never gone away!

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What continues to encourage you to stay in this field, especially given the challenges early childhood professionals face today?

While my initial draw to the field came from the children, it's working with educators that keeps me in the field. As a director, I have the opportunity to work with teachers who range from very tenured to newly entering the field. Their commitment to the children and creating vibrant learning experiences for children provide the foundation for our work, and for me, it's the educators who are fundamental to everything we do.

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From your perspective, what does high-quality early learning look like in practice, and how do you ensure it is happening every day at SEEC?

For me, high-quality learning must be hands-on; children are tactile learners who should be actively engaged for new experiences to really resonate in a way that's lasting. With high-quality early learning, the educators should strike that balance between supporting the children's learning while also making space for them to explore and learn independently. In my opinion, high-quality early learning must always include an anti-bias approach.
At SEEC, we continually look at our practice and consider where we can do more, do better. Our ongoing professional development for our faculty regularly focuses on our object-based, community-based approach, which links the learning happening in our classrooms with the children's wider world. We talk about challenges and look for possible solutions, and we encourage collaboration across our faculty.

 

SEEC is known for its unique approach to early learning. What are some of the elements of your program that you feel make the greatest impact on young children?

At SEEC we take learning outside of our classrooms and into our community, and for us, that's a world-class system of museums. When we explore a concept with children, we can offer children opportunities to make real-world connections. When exploring a topic like music or dance, we're not limited to what we can bring into the classrooms, we might go to see an outdoor sculpture of a drumming bunny or a painting of ballet dancers in one of the art galleries. A more abstract concept like space comes alive when you can visit an astronaut's space suit and look at it up close. We might take gloves that we wear and compare them with the gloves we see displayed. We ask open-ended questions and encourage critical thinking as we utilize the resources around us. I think when children have an opportunity to make connections, their learning deepens, and they develop the ability to not only learn information, but also how they can use it to understand new ideas.

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Families are such an essential part of children’s growth. How does SEEC engage families in meaningful ways, and what lessons have you learned from that partnership?

At SEEC we really see our work as a partnership with families, and we're not as impactful without those partnerships. We encourage families to be involved, either formally or informally, to whatever degree they feel comfortable with. SEEC is fortunate to have an active Parents Association, which all caregivers are a part of. Our doors are always open, and we share numerous ways that families can get involved, from joining us on community visits to sharing their family traditions with their child's class, to simply hanging out and reading books when dropping off or picking up. Like many schools, we also hold community events and caregiver meetings for families to connect with us. What I've learned over my years of experience working with families is that when we have solid communication with them, we're best positioned to give the children the best possible learning experience.

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What practices or approaches have you found most effective in supporting and encouraging your educators so they can thrive in their work?

What I've learned is that educators need to feel heard and need to feel supported, which sounds simple but is actually incredibly complex, since each person's perspective is uniquely theirs. My aim is always to listen for understanding, and to respond, not to react, when concerns or issues are raised. I want my educators to know they are trusted for the expertise they bring to their roles, and they have latitude to decide what works best for their individual class of children. Most importantly, I want my educators to feel respected within our community.

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Equity and inclusion are central to our field. How do you and your team make sure children of all backgrounds feel represented and valued in your program?

At SEEC, we're intentional in taking an anti-bias approach, as we're committed to everyone in our community feeling safe to be themselves. We thoughtfully select the books we use in our classrooms, and our library is a constant work in progress. We're purposeful about the language we use, with an effort made to remove common words and phrases that are gendered, ableist, or simply less clear. When we use objects and our community, we do so very carefully and intentionally, and we're fortunate that our faculty includes a team of museum educators who offer guidance to classroom educators about both the what and the how.

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Working closely with young children often changes the way we see the world. What are some of the most important lessons you have personally learned from them?

In working with children, I'm constantly reminded to find the simple joys, and to not overcomplicate matters unnecessarily. They remind me that it's important to laugh, and to sing. And they remind me every day how incredibly capable they are, far more than the world often gives them credit. That's a reminder to me to not underestimate what people of any age are capable of.

 

Finally, what recommendations would you share with other early childhood educators and leaders who want to strengthen their practices and better support children, families, and staff?

My advice is to never stop learning, never believe you've acquired all of the knowledge you need. And learning does not have to be formal, in fact, I'd submit that it should be varied. As much as I love a good book, and reading will always be a key way to continue my own growth, I've also learned so much from podcasts, content creators, and documentaries. I think as long as we remain open to learning, in all of its forms, we're more open-minded. And that, for me, is the biggest key to supporting others.

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Read the interview in Voices of Early Learning Magazine here!