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

Loose Parts Workshop
with Wendy Gelsanliter
Thursday, April 9th, 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.

Supporting Language Development in Play-Based Classrooms
with Alex Levine
Wednesday, April 29th, 3:00-4:00 PM (ET)

Join Alex Levine of Levine Language and Learning for a look at how language grows in the context of early learning environments and how educators can intentionally support expressive and receptive language during play, routines, and child-led exploration.

BIO: Coming Soon!

Loose Parts Workshop
with Wendy Gelsanliter
Thursday, May 7th, 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.

How Materials Can Support Separation, Inclusivity, and Collaboration
with Jahidah Diaab
Thursday, May 21st, 5:30-7:00 PM (ET)

Join Jahidah Diaab, author and founder of The Blended Garden, to discover how innovative materials can transform the learning environment and empower every child to thrive. Separation and community building should not have to take months. These curated resources and classroom experiences support:
-Separation: Comforting and predictable materials ease transitions
-Neurodivergent Learners:  Materials that cater to diverse learning styles to support separation and build classroom community early on
-Inclusive Collaboration: Shared creativity and communication foster mutual respect
Come and explore the transformative power of Marvelous Materials!

BIO: Jahidah Diaab is the Curriculum Specialist at Barrow Street Nursery School in NYC. Jahidah has worked with young children for 20 years, ranging from autistic to gifted. She began her first introduction to children at the Herbert G. Birch School. She then went on to teach the arts at Hunter Elementary School for the Gifted, The Dalton School, and Ethical Culture Fieldston School. She joined the team of teachers at Beginnings Nursery School where she began her role as a classroom teacher. Jahidah joined  The Blue School during its developing stages supporting the admissions process, then becoming a lead 2’s teacher in the Pre- Primary Program which was a parent- child half day program. She has spent 10 years as a Head 2’s teacher at Chelsea Day School.  She has also spent time at Brooklyn College as the Creative Arts Curriculum Director. Her role at the center was to make the children’s learning visible through videography and documentation.  Simultaneously, she enjoyed working as an Adjunct Instructor, teaching aspiring students the value of play in early childhood development.  Jahidah Diaab has a B.A. in fine arts and a Master’s in Early Childhood Education—Birth through Second Grade. She enjoys writing, producing plays and short films in her spare time. She is raising two wonderful loving boys and enjoys all things that revolve around nature.  She has had the opportunity to present on several educational platforms, most recently The Little Sprouts Conference  'Using Nature to Teach D.E.I.J Work' as well as The P.O.C.C Conference where she presented in person The Beauty of Brown.

"Reggio Refresher" VIDEOCHAT
with Jennifer Carvajal
Thursday, May 28th, 3:00-4:00 PM (ET)

Do you need a reminder or review of the main components of the Reggio-Emilia approach to teaching? Jennifer, TBS’s Senior Educational Director, will touch on the classroom environment, image of the child, roles of parents and teachers, emergent curriculum, and more, as she covers the many elements of this philosophy. This videochat would be useful for anyone new to the Reggio approach or educators looking to broaden the scope of the philosophy in their classrooms.

BIO: View HERE.

Loose Parts Workshop
with Wendy Gelsanliter
Thursday, June 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.

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