Workshops
I want to support and inspire others in their journey to grow in their knowledge and
skills.
Workshops
I strive to support and inspire those who work with children to continue to grow their knowledge and skills in a safe and comfortable environment. I offer a variety of workshops for all types of centres and groups. I believe in honest conversations and open dialogue in the groups.
I want to provide an atmosphere that the participants feel safe enough to ask questions and share their opinions. We all learn in different ways and every time we have an opportunity to network and talk with each other and we all come with a variety of experiences. Workshops are great opportunities to talk, share and realize others are experiencing the same issues as we are.
My goal is for a positive, comfortable, and safe environment. I only have 2 rules in my workshops; respect each other and respect yourself. I have 2 goals for every workshop; have fun and learn something new. If you are having fun, you will be able to find more takeaways to implement in your own programs.
Workshop Topics:
The following are workshop topics we can explore
(scroll down for in-depth descriptions)
- Making the Most out of Loose Parts
- Just Let Them Play! A journey in understanding how children learn
- “…but they are just playing!” Understanding and advocating for children’s play
- Feeling confident in Risky Play
- A Deep Dive into Schema Play
- Art. Why it’s all about the Process!
- Emergent Curriculum. Playfully Learning – Being Intentional
- Embracing a Forest and Nature Practice Without a Forest.
- Positive Behaviour Management Through Building Positive Relationships with Children and Coworkers
- “I am a Scientist!”
- Taking the Inside Out
- What is Your Work Culture?
- Evaluations and Professional Development – Making it worth it!
- Coaching & Mentoring
Making the Most out of Loose Parts
Join me for an opportunity to explore the amazing world of loose parts.
Let’s look at what large and small loose parts look like, how they enhance our inside and outside environments, as well as how they support children’s play and learning from infants to school age including risky play and schema play. We will also explore where we can find them for free or at very little cost.
Just Let Them Play! A journey in understanding how children learn
We have heard “children learn best through play” but what does this mean? How do children learn through play?
Join me as we explore what exactly happens when children are allowed the time, space, and materials to play. We will look at developmental domains, curriculum areas, emergent curriculum, schema theory, risky play and how this all fits with children playing.
We will look at different kinds of activities and play environments. We will push the boundaries of traditional practices and dig deep into why we do what we do with children and where we might want to make some changes.
“But they are just playing!” Understanding and Advocating for children’s play
We as early childhood educators know children learn best through play
There is all kinds of research that supports this. How can we create a program that follows this belief of play-based learning? How can we share this with others including peers, parents, administrators, and boards?
With a strong understanding of play based learning, we are better equipped to advocate for children and play.
Feeling Confident in Risky Play
There is a lot of talk of risky play
And how important it is that we allow children to engage in it. We will explore what risky play really looks like. We will look at why we are nervous about it and how we can support children in this type of play including using risk assessment. We will also look at rough and tumble play and gunplay.
What is Schema Play?
Why is everyone talking about Schema Play? How does Schema Play impact our understanding of how children develop? What do we do as Early Childhood Educators once we start to see Schemas in children play?
Do you have any of these questions? We will unpack them all and any others you might have. We will define Schema Play and look at what that looks like in children’s play. We will take that information and explore where we go from there; enhancing children’s play and development using our understanding of many different Schemas.
Art. Why it’s all about the Process!
Why is the process so important for children?
What is it about the process of art that children need to be able to explore? We will look at the differences between art and craft and unpack how open-ended art supports developmentally appropriate practice for early childhood education. There will be time to get your hands dirty and really delve into the process!
Emergent Curriculum. Playfully Learning – Being Intentional
We will explore what emergent curriculum is all about and the benefits of it for children and staff.
We will walk through the process starting with various types of observations, reflection, making a plan, and then documenting with different kinds documentation including learning stories. We will also look at how to share with peers and parents what the children are involved in and learning through being immersed in their play through an emergent curriculum.
I will help you overcome the fear of the unknown and help you make the jump from Theme based to Emergent!
Embracing a Forest and Nature Practice Without a Forest
Forest and Nature based programs are more about the practice and values than it is about the actual space we are in.
Programs for children of ALL ages can take place in any space we have available to us. We will explore the definition, the pillars and the principles of forest and nature programs and how they can fit into the spaces we have. We will delve into the importance of loose parts and risky play in children’s growth and development in all developmental areas. There will also look at a variety of tools and how to use them with children. We will test our own comfort zones and explore how they impact children’s experiences.
Positive Behaviour Management
…through Building Positive Relationships with Children and Coworkers
WOW! that is a long title but its always on our minds!
Whether you are new to the field or just feel like you need a refresher, it is always good to look at how others deal with challenging behaviours.
We start by looking at what we believe about children and the people who care for them. From there we go on a journey exploring all the aspects of our programs that affect children’s behaviour both positive and negative and how we can assist them in growing in their relationships with others and themselves.
“I’m a Scientist”
Children are born to explore.
How can we, the adults, not only incorporate science in every day but see it in the children’s play? Let’s throw out the science area and bring science into all the activities and play we do.
We will unpack all the kinds of science there are and look at how we can identify it, support this play and share all this learning with others.
Taking the Inside OUT!
Everything we do inside our programs we should be able to do outside!
Let children explore housekeeping, art, block play, literature, science, sensory play… and anything else you can think of and ways to take it outdoors. There is a great movement in the child care community to reconnect to outside play and nature… let’s look at how this works and what we can dream up!
We will explore how to take our program outside, the hurdles you see and how we can overcome them.
Evaluations and Professional Development – Making it worth it!
It’s no secret that our time as Administrators and Directors is stretched to the limit and child care budgets are tight.
We want our staff to self-reflect and grow in the Early Childhood profession and engage in professional development that is meaningful to their individual needs. Our staff, just the our children, need to be seen as individuals, each on their own journey.
We will look at a road map that will help the staff evaluation process and assist staff in self reflection; identifying their strengths, their challenges and their interests and then create a feasible plan for achieving them. We will also explore ways to incorporate checkins and accountability into the plan.
Coaching & Mentoring
I want to support and inspire others in their journey to grow in their knowledge and skills.
Packages
Packages contain visits to your program for observations, meetings with management to create a plan, specific workshops and continuing support and more.
Let’s talk.
Booking Workshops or for more information
For information on booking workshops and the cost contact me using the form provided below. I look forward to being able to work with your group or organization.