First-year teachers Cardisha Thurman and Savannah Gallardo stepped into the Kingdom Builder’s Center on Jan. 27 with the same excited energy they had when classes began back in August. Both educators began their teaching careers in August 2023 at Sheldon ISD’s Cravens Early Childhood Academy, but at this year’s Early Childhood Winter Conference (ECWC), they once again took on the role of eager students.  

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More than 500 early childhood educators from the surrounding area gathered in southwest Houston for the 38^th annual ECWC, hosted by Harris County Department of Education’s (HCDE) Center for Educator Success (CES). The annual event is one of the largest early childhood conferences in the nation and provided educators with a day of professional development focused on early literacy.  

During opening remarks, HCDE Superintendent James Colbert Jr. and conference namesake Raymond T. Garcia addressed the crowd to emphasize the day’s purpose. From there, keynote speaker and New York Times bestselling author Eric Litwin engaged the educators through music and movement.  

“After a little bit of movement, you’re more focused,” Litwin said to the group of educators after leading them in a musical rendition of “Pete the Cat: I Love my White Shoes.” His keynote address emphasized the essential role educators play in early literacy, highlighting how the use of tools like movement, song and repetition can bring language and print alive for early learners.  

Klein ISD pre-k teacher Juivya Alexander has been attending the conference for four years, and leaves with valuable information each year. An eye-opening session at this year’s event was Maria Mercedes Champion’s session titled “Scribbles to Letters.”  

“It focused on the science of writing, about getting our kids ready to write,” Alexander explained. “There are steps you need to take and practice to be ready to hold a pencil. It’s refreshing to hear that what you’re doing in the classroom is developmentally appropriate for young learners.”  

Alexander also uses the conference to exchange ideas, resources and experiences with educators from other districts.  

New this year, closing remarks included a comedy set by Devin Siebold. As a former teacher, Siebold pulled from his 13 years of education to connect with the group and bring levity to some of the challenges teachers often face.  

“We intentionally started the day with movement and ended the day with laughter,” said CES Senior Director Andrea Segraves. “We know that movement and music make such a difference for humans in general, but especially our youngest learners, so we want educators to come, get connected to other educators and have tools to take back to their classroom.”  

At the end of their first ECWC, Thurman and Gallardo left with tangible reading strategies, techniques for addressing behavior and a renewed energy as they begin their journey as educators.  

“All of my teachers from pre-k to fifth grade inspired me in different ways,” said Thurman. “I want to make a difference in a child’s life and help prepare them for the future.” 

Gallardo echoed the sentiment and emphasized the important connection between students and their teachers. 

“I feel like I impact their lives,” Gallardo said of her students. “Even in the short amount of time I’ve been with them.” 

For more information about the conference, visit www.hcde-texas.org/ECWC.