Upcoming Events

SETTING UP SYSTEMS FOR A YEAR OF DOCUMENTATION

Tuesday, September 15th 5:00-6:00pm

Documentation is a dynamic process of listening, observing, analyzing to make learning visible. It is an ongoing journey that is developed over time with practice and thoughtful systems. Andrew Hauner will share how everyday systems for observation, note-taking, and data collection lead to a reflective and research-based approach. If you are new to documenting or are working on finding ways to build it into your practice this is a great opportunity to integrate systems that can carry you throughout the year. 

Andrew Hauner, M.F.A., is an early childhood educator and artist–researcher. He is a head teacher at the Reggio-inspired Beginnings Nursery School. He has worked with children and families across educational contexts in NYC, including Brooklyn Public Library, Brooklyn Children’s Museum, Imani House, Blue School, and P.S. 10K. His arts-based research into creativity and education has been exhibited internationally. He has presented on artist biofiction in children’s picture books at College Art Association and early intercorporeality at New York City’s Art of Play and Wonderment Conference. Hauner’s recent articles are “Artistic Research as Citational Practice” (Acta Academiae Artium Vilnensis) & “Creative Documentation: Making My Research Lens Visible” (Innovations in Early Education: The International Reggio Emilia Exchange). His forthcoming work is a chapter entitled “There is No Arts-Based Research Without Arts-Based Learning” to be featured in a volume addressing the interplay between creative practice and pedagogical practice (Vernon Press, 2026). He is interested in the Reggio Emilia approach as a way of seeing, challenging, and leveraging his teacher subjectivity and cultural lens.

BEGINNING EMERGENT CURRICULUM 

October 6th 3:00-4:00pm

Are you interested in beginning the process of using an Emergent Curriculum? In this session Yeshnaya Dougherty will share the what and how of starting an emergent approach. She will be joined by Lola Stafford who is in her first year of implementing emergent curriculum. If you are interested in exploring Emergent Curriculum, come and learn from Lola about her process of moving from a more traditional approach to developing her first study with her students.

Yeshnaya Dougherty is the Senior Educational Director for Teaching Beyond the Square. She is an Early Childhood Educator and certified coach who is passionate in developing meaningful relationships with educators and leaders as they explore and grow their practice. 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. 

Lola Stafford is the owner, director and lead teacher at Sunshine Daydream child school. An in-home program with values centered on intimate learning at an exploratory level. She embraces curiosity in each child in everyday moments of learning.

WELCOME TO MY STUDIO: Cardboard with Robin Koo

Wednesday, October 14th 3pm-4pm

Cardboard is such a ubiquitous material, making it easy to acquire on a regular basis. Incorporating it into daily classroom life can pave the way for joyful open-ended learning. In this Videochat, Robin Koo will offer participants a peek into her early childhood art studio at Packer’s Early Learning Center in Brooklyn, and go over the types of cardboard that can deepen and enrich children’s learning experiences. Examples of lessons and projects, and the tools that help make this material manageable, will be shared, with time for discussion throughout the session. 

BIO:

This is Robin Koo’s 25th year in early childhood education, and her 9th year at Packer Collegiate Institute in Brooklyn Heights as Early Childhood Art Teacher and Curriculum Support Specialist. Prior to her role at Packer, Robin served as the Program Director of Teaching Beyond the Square and Materials Center Coordinator from 2013 to 2018. In 2015, when Teaching Beyond the Square hosted the Wonder of Learning Exhibit, Robin was the chair of the Atelier Committee, which created the Natural Materials and Light & Shadow Ateliers. During her tenure as Program Director, Robin worked closely with a variety of public schools, UPK centers, and independent early childhood school communities, supporting them as they moved towards an inquiry-based approach to teaching. She began her teaching career at Beginnings in 2001, first as a classroom teacher in the 2s and 4/5s, and then as the Studio Teacher starting in 2006. In 2007, she helped establish the Materials Center and has coached school communities across the country in establishing their own materials resources. Robin was an Adjunct Instructor at NYU SCPS teaching courses for their Childcare Management certificate program. She received her M.A. in Art & Art Education from Teachers College, and her B.A. in Visual Art & Art History from Bowdoin College.

CLASSROOM CONNECTIONS: Intentional Words of Kindness with Karen Levenberg

Wednesday, November 4th 3pm-4pm

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

BIO:

Karen Levenberg has been an early childhood educator for over two decades. She coaches for Teaching Beyond the Square and is a teaching artist and coach for Studio-in-a-School. Prior to coaching she was a classroom teacher for many years. She has a particular interest in introducing young children to science and art and observing their discoveries as they construct knowledge through play and exploration within an emergent curriculum. Karen holds a master's degree in early childhood education from Brooklyn College, a master's in public health from Hunter College and a BA in studio art/art history from Oberlin College. Karen lives with her husband in Brooklyn, close to her young adult children.