August 12, 2026

Supporting Early Childhood Educators

What does it actually take to support the adults who shape our youngest learners? Nicol Russell, chief academic officer at Teaching Strategies, argues that early educators deserve the same intentional investment as engineers, not treatment as replaceable hires. Dr. Nneka McGee, founder of Muon Global, brings that same philosophy to how five year olds encounter AI, starting with conversation instead of screens. Both guests land on the same idea from different angles: good tools fail without good follow-through.WHAT YOU'LL LEARNNicol Russell points to a study out of NIEER at Rutgers that found teacher retention increased 23 percentage points when curriculum, assessment, and coaching functioned as one connected system rather than separate tools.Russell draws a line between teacher exhaustion and burnout, and she recommends that program leaders protect a set block of time each week where teachers have complete control over how it is used.Dr. Nneka McGee led a session at ISTELive that pairs Play-Doh with generative AI, using the activity to teach young learners about anthropomorphism while building creative thinking and questioning skills.McGee recommends introducing AI to young children through conversation rather than devices, citing both her own research on early learner readiness and guardrails like COPPA that already limit generative AI use for this age group.STORIES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODEStory 1We Talk About Whole Children. What About Whole Educators? by Nicol RussellStory 2AI for Young Learners (Jump Start Guide) by Nneka McGeeSTAY CONNECTEDSubscribe to EdSurge newsletters at edsurge.com.Find the latest education news at edsurge.com/news.Follow EdSurge on LinkedIn, X, Facebook, TikTok, and Instagram.HOST AND CONTRIBUTORSHost: Ira ApfelFeaturing:Nicol Russell, Chief Academic Officer, Teaching StrategiesDr. Nneka McGee, Founder, Muon Global

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