Registration for workshops & videochats closes 2 hours before the event.

Loose Parts Workshop
with Wendy Gelsanliter
Thursday, Nov 6th, 4:00-5:30 PM (ET)

Come to the Materials Center in Manhattan and join our team for a Loose Parts Workshop. We will introduce educators to the history and thinking behind materials work with children and share actual footage of children playing, creating, and building. Afterwards, we’ll discuss concrete ideas for integrating this work into your program or curriculum. At the end of the session, participants can shop for materials to take back to their own classrooms.

"Transforming Classroom Culture Through Intentional Words of Kindness" VIDEOCHAT
with Karen Levenberg
Thursday, Nov 13th, 3:00-4:30 PM (ET)

Daily intentions, special words of kindness and empathy, that can be visualized and physicalized, form the foundation of this social/emotional framework developed by Karen Levenberg and Annabelle Baylin. As an extension of a daily mindfulness routine, teachers select special words (intentions) based on observations and values that they want to cultivate in the classroom, establishing a classroom culture with a shared set of moral principles: generosity, integrity, persistence, gratitude. Each word is defined, modeled, discussed during morning meeting, and put into action over a two-week period. Throughout the school year, this set of words creates the container for children to take action to make their world a kinder and fairer place.

In this workshop, Karen will share video footage of her PreK classroom conversations, videos of children speaking about the intentions, and lead the group through their mindfulness practice and intention conversations. She will also share how she incorporates this language and values throughout the school day and reflect with participants on what intentions they might incorporate into their own classrooms. Lastly, she will speak about how she shared this work with families and how she supported parents to also use the language of the intentions at home. 

BIO: Annabelle Baylin has taught pre-K through first grade at schools in New York for 10 years and works as a literacy professor and educational consultant. She enjoys bringing mindfulness into the daily routines of the classroom, facilitating an emergent curriculum, supporting early literacy, and having conversations about social justice with children. Annabelle holds an MSEd in early childhood general and special education from Brooklyn College and a BA in mindfulness in education from New York University.

BIO: Karen Levenberg is an Early Childhood Education Consultant. She was a classroom teacher for 17 years, teaching at the Blue School in Lower Manhattan for 10 years. Prior to teaching, she helped initiate early literacy Even Start programs in public schools in administrative capacities. Karen holds an MSEd in early childhood education from Brooklyn College, an MPH in public health from Hunter College, and a BA in studio art/art history from Oberlin College.

"Building Teacher Relationships" VIDEOCHAT
with Yeshnaya Dougherty
Wednesday, Dec 3rd, 3:00-4:00 PM (ET)

Relationships are the heart of each classroom and community. Just as we value and support friendships between children, the significance of teacher relationships is instrumental in providing a powerful space for growth, reflection and shared joy! Being in partnership with teachers brings built-in opportunities for ongoing professional development, creativity, and support.  Coming together as co-teachers, lead teacher and associate, director and teacher can often be overlooked. Taking time and space to implement meaningful reflection and shared values on these roles can be the beginning of one of your most rewarding relationships. In this session, we will explore the value of teacher relationships and unpack this process by identifying personal values and how to build a classroom community on shared goals.

BIO: Yeshnaya is an Early Childhood Educator and certified coach who is passionate about developing meaningful relationships with educators and leaders as they explore and grow their practice. Most recently, she was a coach with the Efshar Network supporting Jewish Early Childhood programs in the Denver and Boulder area. She began her journey as a coach with Teaching Beyond the Square in 2015, where she worked alongside early childhood educators across the Tri-state area. Passionate and inspired by the curious minds of young children, Yeshnaya's practice and philosophy are largely shaped by her work with the Reggio Emilia approach. She received her M.A. in Early Childhood Education from Lesley University and her B.A. in Environmental Studies from the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology in Australia.

Loose Parts Workshop
with Wendy Gelsanliter
Thursday, Dec 4th, 4:00-5:30 PM (ET)

Come to the Materials Center in Manhattan and join our team for a Loose Parts Workshop. We will introduce educators to the history and thinking behind materials work with children and share actual footage of children playing, creating, and building. Afterwards, we’ll discuss concrete ideas for integrating this work into your program or curriculum. At the end of the session, participants can shop for materials to take back to their own classrooms.

Loose Parts Workshop
with Wendy Gelsanliter
Thursday, Jan 8th, 4:00-5:30 PM (ET)

Come to the Materials Center in Manhattan and join our team for a Loose Parts Workshop. We will introduce educators to the history and thinking behind materials work with children and share actual footage of children playing, creating, and building. Afterwards, we’ll discuss concrete ideas for integrating this work into your program or curriculum. At the end of the session, participants can shop for materials to take back to their own classrooms.

If you previously attended a videochat and need a certificate of participation,
you can request one here.