Community Voices - April 27, 2026

Guiding young children is a sacred-terrifying-exhilarating-all-at-the-same-time willingness to “stay all the way human.” We have all been told about the required “breaking open” of one’s heart as an adult to grow and gain access to our true selves and to community. In acts of “guidance,” when you get closer to the earth to get closer to them, you will come to see that young children are the teachers we need in this human journey.

This is the foundational premise in the course called “Guiding Young Children” I taught for over 15 years in three university and community college settings. Each semester we examined one children’s book, one reading, one film at a time and asked ourselves every question we uncovered. It was a course a la “Lynda Barry syllabus” with parts moving as needed. One thing that remained though was the “Guidance Plan,” a requirement of those “certifying” the university or community college setting. No one can leave the class without one.

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“When the whole world is silent, even one voice becomes powerful.” This thoughtful quote by Malala Yousafzai, who began advocating for women’s education at just 11 years old, inspired each of us in different ways, but led us to the same realization: even the smallest voices can spark the greatest impact.

In early childhood classrooms, those voices often belong to the children. Their words, actions, smiles and silences teach us lessons we never expected to learn. As early childhood educators, we, three education professionals with unique experiences, have witnessed how children advocate for themselves and others in very authentic ways. These voices have changed the way we teach.

In this essay, we share six classroom stories of children’s voices advocating for others, and reflect on how our listening to them changed our perspectives and our teaching. These stories show how children’s voices opened our eyes to more love, inclusion, and diversity from within the world of children. We invite you to consider how your teaching would change if these experiences happened in your classroom.

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Generation Z—those born in the late 1990s and early 2000s—is the newest generation to enter the early childhood education workforce. Often referred to as Gen-Z, this generation has navigated the world shaped by unique experiences. Gen Z has emerged with both distinct strengths and unprecedented challenges. Their deep digital fluency and comfort with rapid change position them as innovative, resourceful, and socially conscious individuals. However, their upbringing in a highly virtual world—compounded by the isolation and disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic—has led to noticeable gaps in real-world interpersonal experience, emotional resilience, and professional readiness.

From our experiences, these emerging professionals bring notable strengths, including digital fluency, fresh perspectives and a strong desire for purpose, belonging, and meaningful impact. Early childhood leaders often report that many arrive confident and eager to contribute, others are still developing the preparedness, resilience, and professional expectations required in early childhood settings. Although these experiences are not universal, such challenges can influence how effectively Gen Z educators engage with young children and collaborate with their teaching teams—making it essential for leaders to understand and respond thoughtfully to this evolving workforce. This first begins by understanding the perspective of a Gen Z staff member.

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