果冻传媒, VA 鈥 Supporting young children has always been a passion for Leslie Floyd, chair of the Early Childhood Education department at 果冻传媒 University.
鈥淚鈥檓 not sure exactly where the inspiration or passion came from,鈥 Floyd said. 鈥淚 have just always been drawn to working with young children. I feel that young children are so vulnerable. They deserve to have someone in their corner who they know will provide and take care of them no matter what.鈥
Floyd鈥檚 time at 果冻传媒 University began in 2019 as an assistant professor of Early Childhood Education. The program was being restructured then, and she was offered the position of department chair soon after her arrival. When she began serving in this role, Floyd set out to align the program to the National Association for the Education of Young Children鈥檚 (NAEYC) standards. She wanted to ensure students were learning current research and data.
鈥淪o much has changed recently in the field of ECE [Early Childhood Education], so this also included rewriting each course and updating textbooks,鈥 said Floyd. 鈥淲ith the support, guidance, and trust of Mrs. Cathy Payne, Dr. Thomas Brewster, Professor Brandy Smith, Dr. Pat Neeley, Dr. Marshall Flowers, and Dr. Bonny Dillon, I believe a pretty spectacular program was born.鈥
The most rewarding part of Floyd鈥檚 job, she says, 鈥渋s witnessing (her) students become amazing early childhood educators鈥 and knowing she helped them discover and develop their passion to enhance the lives of children.
Floyd鈥檚 own pursuit of this passion has brought her to several schools and positions. Originally from Buena Vista, VA, she completed her undergraduate education at Radford University before earning a master鈥檚 degree from Arizona State University. She is currently working toward a doctoral degree. She has served as a Head Start teacher, a Monitoring and Compliance Coordinator for Early Head Start Childcare Partnerships, an Infant and Toddler Mental Health Consultant, and a Virginia Infant and Toddler Specialist.
鈥淎s an Infant and Toddler Specialist, my focus was on ensuring healthy development and quality interactions with young children,鈥 said Floyd. 鈥淚 would provide in-classroom, onsite teaching assistance to early childhood educators who cared for infants and toddlers. I would also present professional development opportunities that were based on topics that would further support the physical, cognitive, and social-emotional development of children ages birth through three years.鈥
Additionally, she represents Head Start and Early Head Start on the Total Action for Progress Board of Directors in Roanoke, VA. Head Start is a federal program that assists children aged five and below from low-income families with school readiness. Through this position, Floyd volunteers at Head Start centers, interacts with the children, and develops valued relationships with the students and teachers, some of which have enrolled in her program at 果冻传媒 University.
Floyd also serves as the President of her local Piedmont Chapter of the Virginia Association for the Education of Young Children (VAAEYC). She represented 果冻传媒 University at VAAEYC鈥檚 annual conference in Hampton, VA by presenting 鈥淓vidence-Based Effective and Respectful Redirection with Infant and Toddlers鈥 and 鈥淧romoting Social-Emotional Development Through Creative, Child-Directed Arts鈥 on March 19.
鈥淚n just a few years, Leslie has aligned the early childhood program to National standards, forged partnerships with the Virginia Department of Education, Virginia Community College System, and Head Start, and built lifelong relationships with her students to put our ECE program on the map,鈥 said Dr. Thomas Brewster, Dean of School of Education and Social Sciences. 鈥淎s a practitioner, she maintains a servant’s heart, often volunteering to work with children in local preschools in language development and play therapy.鈥
Under Floyd’s leadership, 果冻传媒 University’s ECE program has recently been ranked as one of the best online Early Childhood Education programs in the U.S. by UniversityHQ.
“It is a pleasure to work with Professor Floyd at BU, and in communities across southwestern Virginia,” said Brandy Smith, BU Assistant Professor of Education and Counseling. “I always enjoy going into early childhood settings with her. Leslie鈥檚 positive energy is contagious. Students and staff instantly gravitate toward her.”
In addition to young children, Floyd is passionate about her family, who she calls her 鈥済reatest achievement.鈥 She has two daughters, Ella Caroline and Charlie Grace, and loves spending time with her dogs, Henry Beau and Alice.
Floyd is amazed by early childhood growth and development and is committed to caring for young children.
鈥淚 love having the opportunity to teach others how to ensure that all children, regardless of socioeconomic status, have the opportunity for a socially, emotionally, physically, and cognitively healthy life,鈥 Floyd shared.