McCormick Institute for Early Childhood

BY Erin Cetera | November 16, 2020

This document may be printed, photocopied, and disseminated freely with attribution. All content is the property of the McCormick Center for Early Childhood Leadership.

As many of us continue our work on diversity, equity, and inclusion issues, it becomes clear that complexity exists, even in preschools and other early childhood programs. Families rely on early childhood professionals to accept and educate their children; children rely on teachers to understand, care for, and protect them. Teachers rely on their colleagues and administrators to support them and work together to discuss and decipher the complex issues that emerge.


What happens when circumstances arise that challenge teachers’ personal beliefs? In some cases, when children’s expressed desires conflict with the ideas of the adults around them, the adults are called on to check themselves. They must acknowledge the external, societal influences on themselves, families, the classroom community, and their programs. Then they have to determine a course of action that is caring and inclusive.


As a program director, I was called on to support a team of teachers as they navigated a developing relationship with a gender nonconforming preschooler’s family. The child had a gender-neutral name (we’ll use Jamie), and the family had not responded to the question asking for a binary gender designation in the enrollment paperwork. The teachers referred to the child as a boy but had expressed confusion and, to be honest, some judgment about the hairstyles and clothes that the child wore to preschool.


The teachers’ discomfort came to a head on Picture Day. Jamie arrived with braids and barrettes, wearing a skirt and tights. As the preschool had a drive-through drop-off routine and program assistants who helped children out of cars, the teachers had not spoken directly to the child’s mother as they arrived. They called me to ask what they should do. Uncertain about the question, I asked them about their concerns, which they framed as wondering if Jamie’s outfit were one the parents would want to be photographed.


It quickly became clear that their concern was limited to Jamie’s outfit. It centered around the teachers’ personal beliefs, which were biased about gender and sexuality. After quickly reviewing the communications about Picture Day, and remembering that retakes were always an option, I determined that we should trust that the parents knew it was Picture Day and move on without calling them.


Later, the teachers and I reflected on what happened and the bigger issues we discovered we needed to understand. We considered the child’s needs, the family’s needs, and those of the teachers and their colleagues within our program. Some of our thoughts and questions included:


  • What is the program’s mission? Is there a statement about non-discrimination or inclusivity? How is that interpreted and lived in the classroom and program?
  • What are our personal beliefs about gender and sexuality? Are they in line with the program’s expressed mission and policies? If not, what do we do about that?
  • Do all children feel supported and affirmed in our classrooms?
  • What can and should families expect from program staff around sensitive issues, especially as they begin to know one another?
  • How can administrators support staff, so they have enough time and the required knowledge to build trusting relationships with families?
  • What classroom practices support the inclusion of all children and families? Do we have current practices that should be evaluated and changed to ensure inclusion?
  • What administrative practices do we currently have that lead to exclusion or do not actively support every family’s sense of inclusion?


As we met and talked, it became clear that our assumptions about gender and sexuality were equity issues. The labels we use can be inclusive or exclusive. One classroom practice that was eliminated almost immediately was calling children to activities by gender (e.g., “It’s time for all the girls to come to the door.”). There are so many other ways to refer to groups of children; calling them by name is preferred, but not always practical. Try “children,” “class,” or “everyone.”


We also agreed to reconsider the practice of required drive-through drop-off and pick-up. While the convenience was desired by many (and may be the best practice during the pandemic), encouraging children’s important adults to join the teachers and children in the classrooms at the beginning or end of each day made it easier to develop friendly relationships. When those relationships exist, conversations about sensitive subjects become easier.


For more ideas and tips, these articles may be helpful, Using Gender-Inclusive Language with Children & Families and Good Morning, Boys and Girls. The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) also provides guidance for supporting families of gender nonconforming children, along with research about Gender Identity and Expression in the Early Childhood Classroom.


The McCormick Center for Early Childhood Leadership is dedicated to empowering early childhood leaders so they can positively impact outcomes for children and families. No child should have to choose between being themselves and pleasing their teachers. For more information about transgender children and youth and being an ally, visit PFLAG and GLAAD.

Erin Cetera is an Assessor and Training Specialist and a member of the McCormick Center for Early Childhood Leadership Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Task Force.

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The Ants Go Marching

By Cara Murdoch • February 16, 2026
In early childhood education and care (ECEC), we know that some of the simplest ideas can carry the biggest lessons—and many of us have been singing “The Ants Go Marching” for years without realizing it might also be a leadership guide. Ants may be tiny, but their colonies run on teamwork, communication, flexibility, and a clear sense of purpose—all things ECEC programs rely on every day. By taking a closer look at how ants work together to support their colony, early childhood leaders can discover practical and familiar ways to strengthen teamwork, value every role, and lead programs where everyone is marching in the same direction for children and families. Ants are busy creatures; they work with a purpose and know their jobs in the colony. Ants exhibit teamwork and collective effort. Ant colonies demonstrate intelligence, division of labor, communication systems, and cooperative behaviors. They can recognize and respond to the colony's needs. They overcome their challenges through trial and error, learning from their experiences, and sometimes even develop innovative strategies. In the ant colony, individual ants work together as a unit, each with a unique role that determines the colony's survival and success. The ant colony functions just like a superorganism, where the actions of each individual ant are a part of the highly efficient system that supports the whole colony. This concept of collective action is closely related to human teamwork! Ants have a lot to teach us, as we work in ECEC. teamwork Just as ants collaborate, relying on their communication and coordination to complete tasks, humans thrive when working together, as each individual brings their own unique skills and perspectives to their “colony.” Ants depend on each other. Each ant has a specialized job, and the colony relies on the cooperation and coordination of all its members to thrive and survive. Each ant’s contribution, no matter how small it may seem, is vital to the success of the colony as a whole, and the strength of the group is built on the cooperation of each individual. Similarly, in ECEC programs, teamwork — working together and helping one another —leads to better results than trying to do everything alone! When we collaborate, we pool our strengths, share our knowledge, and support each other, which can lead to more creative and efficient solutions. Each person in the program brings unique skills and perspectives, filling gaps and helping compensate for one another’s weaknesses. This shared effort allows your program to tackle tasks and achieve goals that would be difficult, if not impossible, for one individual to accomplish on their own... just like in an ant colony! Adapting to face challenges Ants are highly adaptable creatures. Have you ever watched a disrupted colony hurry to move the uncovered eggs to a protected space? They respond quickly to changes or disruptions in their environment. Their ability to quickly assess new situations and adjust their behavior will help the colony continue to function efficiently, even when the unexpected happens. Their adaptability is the key to their survival, allowing them to overcome obstacles and thrive. Early childhood programs also need to adapt to challenges. When unexpected changes occur, each person needs to be flexible and find new ways to contribute to the program's success. Just as ants adjust, programs must reassess their strengths, collaborate, and develop alternative solutions. Adaptability is essential for proper teamwork! honoring individual roles In an ant colony, different ants take on very specific roles. There are worker ants, soldier ants, and the queen ant. Each ant’s role is crucial to the success and survival of the colony, and all roles are interdependent; they work together to achieve common goals. This division of labor that exists in an ant colony can be compared to the different roles and unique talents found in an ECEC program. Just as ants rely on each other to perform specific tasks, each ECEC team member brings their own expertise and skills to the program. In a project or workplace setting, one person may excel at brainstorming creative ideas, another might be skilled at organizing tasks and managing timelines, and someone else may be particularly adept at technical skills or problem-solving. This diversity of roles within a team ensures that every aspect of a project or goal receives focused attention. In center-based programs, there are the director, teachers, kitchen staff, and other roles as needed. The diversity of roles in a program helps to ensure that the program is successful and thrives. clear purpose and goals In an ant colony, survival is the common goal. The colony’s success depends on each member performing its specific role. Their unwavering focus on the survival of the colony is connected to their success. It demonstrates the power of their collective action, driven by a clear and unified goal. ECEC programs thrive when they are aligned around a shared and clear purpose and goals. When program members understand and commit to their common goals, the well-being and growth of children and families, their efforts will become more effective and coordinated. Just as ants bring different strengths to the program, each person brings different strengths to the program. It is alignment around shared goals that enables the program to overcome challenges and succeed. When everyone in the program is clear on the goals and helps work together toward them, the whole program becomes more focused, resilient, and motivated - just as an ant colony becomes stronger when every member is working toward survival! Ants work together harmoniously to achieve their common goals; they set aside individual competition in favor of colony cooperation. Each ant focuses on its specialized task. This spirit of ant cooperation is key to the colony's survival and success, as it enables the colony to accomplish more complex tasks than any single ant could manage alone. ECEC programs can benefit from adopting a similar approach that emphasizes collaboration and shared goals over individual achievement. In an ECEC program, when members support each other and work together, they can leverage each person’s strengths to accomplish more than they could individually. Instead of competing for recognition or resources, each member can focus on the program’s success, fostering a more positive and productive environment. learning from ants Ants have so much to teach ECEC programs when it comes to cooperating and working together as an effective team. Whether it's knowing your own role and abilities, supporting each of your fellow team members, communicating clearly and effectively, being flexible, or avoiding competition, the ant colony is an excellent example of these qualities! Let your ants go marching!!! Ant Life, author unknown I am just an ant, A small life is what I live, But I have dreams for bigger things And so much more to give If only I could grow A foot or two would do I could live a life That others look up to.
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