Spring was in the air at the UFT’s 14th annual Early Childhood Conference, where laughter, play and learning emerged after a difficult winter.

“From seasons of challenges and changes arise possibility,” said UFT Vice President for Elementary Schools Karen Alford as she welcomed nearly 400 educators — a blend of in-person and remote attendees — on March 19.

“It’s a breath of fresh air to be back,” said Katrina Thomas, a special education teacher at PS 289 in Crown Heights, Brooklyn. “UFT conferences always have great vibes, great energy.”

UFT President Michael Mulgrew, a former high school teacher, drew knowing laughs as he told educators he was “in awe of the love and patience you have for young children.”

“New York City has the preeminent early-childhood education program in the country, and that’s your work,” he said. “Your work is building the foundation for the best future for children.”

Keynote speaker Raquel Ortiz, a cultural anthropologist and author of children’s books, joined the conference remotely from Ohio. She described her books using an analogy from Rudine Sims Bishop, who has been called the mother of multicultural children’s literature. Ortiz said her books are “windows, mirrors and sliding-glass doors” for children: windows to help them see the unknown, mirrors to help them see themselves in literature and glass doors to help them enter into different worlds.

Attendees at UFT headquarters in Manhattan chose from among 11 workshops for CTLE credit, with topics including gross motor skills in young children, culturally responsive books and the art of listening. Nine other workshops were offered virtually for remote participants.

A hallmark of UFT conferences is the opportunity to engage in practices that can be replicated with students in the classroom. In a workshop on using oral language development to promote literacy skills in English language learners, UFT Teacher Center intervention specialist Stephanie Cullaj encouraged educators to join her in a “spirit read” — participating in reading aloud whenever the spirit moved them — and then discuss how they might use that same activity in their classrooms.

“We love protocols, and we’ll be showing you more that you can use with students,” she said.

At the end of a workshop on multisensory approaches to phonics, participants had the opportunity to begin building their own resources to take back to their classrooms, such as interactive paper-plate spinners to display the phonological units of a word.

“It was very informative and enlightening, with no room for boredom,” said Jacqueline Clovis-Noreiga, a 2nd-grade teacher at PS 6 in Flatbush, Brooklyn. “I chose this workshop because I’ve been a bit stressed with my students not being able to sound out words, and now I feel motivated not only to use these strategies in my own classroom, but also to share with my colleagues who have the same frustrations.”

Sharice Richards, a first-year teacher at CS 55 in the Bronx, said the conference was an opportunity to get new ideas from experienced educators.

“I started in my classroom in December, and I’m just starting to get my footing,” she said. “Coming here makes me feel reinvigorated, rejuvenated — it’s a boost that keeps me going.”