CHILDCARE Courses

2020 was a year that brought mental health to the forefront with words like stress, self – care and resilience.  Let’s explore the myth that all stress is bad and learn practical strategies and the mindset that help can help Educators, Directors, and Owners handle stress like a pro at work and in life.  Because let’s be real – stress is part of the job and the sooner we accept that it gets easier.

Unlock better relationships, increased self-awareness, and a happier work environment by understanding the role your brain plays in every interaction you have.  This presentation will shed light on what’s at play in your brain when that co-worker is driving you nuts and give you some easy tools to help you be the best version of yourself in every situation.

When an early childhood classroom teacher is promoted to a supervisory role, he or she must transition from guiding young children to supporting staff members.  Based on the book series Winning Ways for Early Childhood Professionals, we will explore topics that will encourage, empower, and equip leaders with knowledge and confidence to work with other adults.

Is teacher-led programming, based on children’s interests, truly child-centered?  Explore the dichotomy of teacher-led programming based on children’s interests and child-originated, inquiry-based programming.  Explore factors that assist in identifying authentic group interests, including the role environment and material plays.  Through reflection we will consider the role educators play as co-researchers in engaging, supporting, and documenting the learning of the child/group.

Do boys really learn differently than girls?  How do I deal with challenging issues with boys?  What does a supportive environment for boys look like?

What about those boys? Rings out around the country.  Many teachers and parents are asking these questions and more.  Increase your awareness of boys:  how they learn, how to educate them based on brain science research, and how to create the ultimate environment that supports boy’s needs.

Tweens are children that fall between the stages of childhood and teenager.  They are not quite “children” but can’t yet be considered “teenagers:  They are somewhere in the middle … they are Tweens.  Tweens are children between the ages of 9 – 12 years of age.  In order to effectively offer a positive experience for this age of children, we have to ensure we are aware of the issues and concerns they face every day.  Once armed with the knowledge of what this group wants from you as a school-age care provider you are able to move forward in meeting their needs and providing them with a fun and exciting program.

Learn practical strategies that will improve child and adult enjoyment of outdoor play.  What if the kids asked to stay out longer than planned and wanted to go outside when it wasn’t planned? 

What if after you “enforced” these strategies you saw how you and your team actually preferred being outdoors - seeing the benefits within behaviour, regulation, attitude, and well being...not only in the children but within the adults :) 

I have personal experience seeing the shift in mindset children and my team underwent as we embraced being outdoors. I am confident that with good attitudes and proper gear your team will experience the same and you will see All-Season Outdoor Play is indeed possible.

Learn to develop the skills in yourself and others to build your team, solve problems, and resolve conflicts.  Join us as we dig into the myth that conflict is bad and how our attitudes and skills prepare us to enter difficult conversations with good intentions and seeking win–win solutions.

As we examine the social-emotional growth of children, it is imperative we look at each child in particular within the context of the classroom. The Heartfulness Curriculum has created 9 domains of growth, with this focus on the domain of empathy. As an abstract concept, it is challenging for even adults to grasp but with a

gentle build of domains, creating the environment of empathy, and working with the innate temperament of each child, teachers can begin the work of expanding the intentional exposure of empathy. As with many early

learners, it begins with the right questions.

If you are the leader of a school and you are struggling with getting everything done, the first place to start is TIME MASTERY!  Learn the importance of tracking your time, creating theme days and time blocks.  This roadmap will have you moving from overwhelm to becoming the Master of Your Time.

This informative and engaging workshop will introduce participants to Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) and its impacts on health and social outcomes throughout the lifespan.  Participants will learn how to recognize children with FASD who are often seen as ‘difficult,’ and will explore evidence-based, effective approaches for supporting students in the classroom along with disability awareness. This session will emphasize the recent efforts of the Calgary Fetal Alcohol Network (CFAN) and its members to create an FASD-informed community of practice and to build an integrated system of support for individuals and families impacted by FASD.

Cara Milne of M-Powered Planning will explore the value of community and connection even during a pandemic.  Her stories of how we can support people to be “in the community” will bring hope – since the community is right where you are!  Cara will also share ways in which we can help all children connect.  The audience will come away with real and practical ideas!  Come and be inspired! 

Learn bully basics, bully tactics, bully buttons, and BullyProof strategies so that when a bully shows up on your radar you’re prepared to meet and defeat a bully. P.S. Don’t believe a bully—they give terrible advice. 

When the whole classroom learns how to stay calm in the face of upsets, the focus lands on the person as a human – being, not the problem – and that allows kids to blossom.  The intention of the strategies in The Kid Code is for everyone involved in a conflict to get ‘right now relief’ in an upset child (or anyone else).  Many of the strategies taught are the practical application of restorative justice, a growing movement in the education system that unifies and ensures justice is met while retaining the dignity and integrity of everyone involved.

WestEd Justice & Prevention Research Centre, a nor – profit research and service agency that conducts research into school safety, violence, and crime prevention says that restorative justice in schools led to increased connectedness and decreased fighting, suspensions, and bullying.

Nobody wants kids to suffer, yet according to the CDC, our kids are suffering more than ever.  This contradicts the evolutionary law the next generation should be mentally, emotionally, and physically more developed than us, yet there are 4.5 million kids in the US that have behaviour problems, 4.4 million with anxiety, and 6.1 million with ADHD and I imagine Canada is not far behind in comparison.  Those numbers tug at the heartstrings of kids of today.  Where are they going to end up if they don’t have strategies that take them back to their joyful, wise, and carefree nature?

And how are teachers doing?  Many are understandably stressed out.  They are not only dealing with kids who can’t self-regulate to emotional health, but also with micro-managing or distant parents, and that’s before they have to deal with the rigors of administration – and on top of that, they have their own lives that are not without problems.  Teachers deserve a rewarding teaching experience and kids deserve a peaceful teacher.

If you’ve ever needed to make a decision and have put it off because you’re waiting to feel confident, this is the session you need to attend. Learn how confidence and decision-making are skills. 

Learn practical ways to practice to build your confidence and decision-making muscles!

Intentional gratitude is a skill that feeds the emotional piggy bank of those we come in contact with.  Why is this important?  Educators feel appreciated and valued and in return are more receptive to feedback on their own development.  It creates a team dynamic where each person works hard and supports one another?  It supports resiliency and creating a safe space to try new things and fail forward.  Learn the secrets to intentional gratitude and start a ripple effect in your program.