Heidi Echternacht
Hello!
My name is Heidi Echternacht and I have been an educator for over 20 years. Author of the new book, The Kinderchat Guide to Elementary School Projects and the Kinderchat Guide to the Classroom published by Routledge, I founded Kinderchat with Amy Murray in 2010. Kinderchat is a weekly, online, global discussion among Early Childhood Educators that is still going strong ten years later!
This website is my "internet home". WELCOME!
THE BOOKS
"From the founders of #Kinderchat, this book provides a comprehensive, friendly guide to teaching in the early childhood classroom. Organized around the same core topics as #Kinderchat, conversational yet authoritative chapters cover everything a novice teacher needs to know, from setting up your classroom to establishing routines and engaging with parents. Learn how to effectively incorporate play, meet the needs of diverse learners, and cover curriculum like a pro. With helpful tips for working with a range of program structures, this is a must-have read for anyone new to the kindergarten or pre-K classroom."
KInderchat
Kinder= 1. children 2. nicer
I stumbled upon Amy one day on twitter back in 2010 and we began a public, teacher-led conversation about Early Childhood Education we called Kinderchat. Since then, along with teaching full-time, I have focused on fostering conversations surrounding reflective teaching practices, developing global networks and building online resources for Early Childhood Educators.
Kinderchat is a global online leader in fostering ongoing reflective practice and conversation, teacher leadership and best practices in the classroom.
SCHOOL
School! The most fun place to be! At least it should be! I believe that school, especially in Early Childhood, should be FUN! Why? Because LEARNING IS FUN! Not a chore, obligation or duty, but an actual enjoyable and pleasurable experience for both teachers AND students! My classroom is a playground, a laboratory and a home for fostering children's learning, friendships, citizenry and development.
ABOUT
I started out in the field of education as a teenager working as a babysitter, in After School programs, summer camps and as a gymnastics instructor. After over 20 years in the classroom, I still cite those early experiences working with children as some of my most valuable and worthwhile as I learned and observed many different children of various ages for large amounts of time and in various settings.
Outside of education, I love music, art, design, nature, animals, reading on the internet and photography. I live with two cats in PA, USA!
Finally, one of the nicest things I’ve ever heard about myself:
RT @MaternellePSmd #FF @hechternacht qui relie les passions enseignantes du monde. (who links teaching passions of the world) 05:12 AM – 04 Oct 13
.