Connections Early Childhood Mental Health Consulting
Training Topics for Professional Development
Welcome Teachers! You are among the most important people in young children’s lives and are therefore essential to young children’s healthy social-emotional development. Warm, positive, secure child-teacher relationships are the foundation of a high-quality early learning environment for both children and teachers! Check out the teacher training topics that are designed to empower you with the tools you need to facilitate a deeper understanding of young children’s emotional, behavioral, and mental health needs in the classroom and to respond in helpful ways even in the most challenging situations.
Keep in Mind
Training topics can be modified to fit the specific needs of your community. I'm happy to talk with you about creating a personalized training experience for your families, teachers or staff.
Training Topics for Early Childhood Teachers
ACEs and Trauma Happen to Young Children Too Learn how to recognize how adverse childhood experiences and trauma show up in the classroom and how you can support and respond to young children who are struggling.
Aggression in Young Children Learn what's developmentally appropriate behavior and what behaviors may signal a need for specific support and intervention and how you can help!
Challenging Classroom Behaviors Learn how children communicate their needs, wants, wishes, and worries and be empowered with skills for helpful responding in tough moments
Encouraging Self Esteem and Capability in the Classroom Learn strategies for building children's self esteem and sense of capability in the classroom
Normal or Not? Understanding Typical Sexual Development in Young Children Early Childhood teachers must understand all aspects of child development including what behaviors are part of normal sexual development. It’s important for EC teachers to also be aware of sexualized behaviors that may be indicative of sexual abuse. This workshop outlines normal sexual development behaviors to expect in young children and addresses sexualized behaviors that may be of concern. We’ll also talk about next steps including the when and how of reporting suspected abuse.
Putting the Oxygen Mask on Your Self First: The Importance of Taking Care of Your Self So You Can Take Care of Others Being an early childhood educator can be both physically and emotionally overwhelming. The good news is that you can take action to counteract your own stress. In this workshop we will acknowledge that self-care is essential to countering feelings of burn out and stress. We will explore practical ideas that you can implement to take care of yourself and therefore be better able to enjoy your work with young children. Family and Community Relationships
Sensitive Kids: What Early Childhood Educators Need to Know About Sensory Processing Disorder According to Jama Pediatrics 1 in 6 children has Sensory Processing Disorder. Early childhood teachers are among the first to notice when a child is struggling. This interactive workshop helps EC teachers better understand the complex nature of Sensory Processing Disorder and offers tips on recognizing signs and behaviors that may indicate a child is experiencing sensory difficulties in the classroom.
Showing Up for Each Other: Building Community Among Early Childhood Educators (For Administrators) The education and care of young children is a rewarding but demanding job—far more complicated than most casual observers realize. (NAEYC, 2022). As an administrator of an early childhood campus, you know first-hand the joys and difficulties EC educators experience. You also know a key component of high-quality early childhood education is positive interactions between colleagues. Building these collaborative relationships requires intentional planning and attention by campus leadership. In this workshop we will discuss strategies for facilitating and maintaining professional, supportive relationships among staff members to ensure your campus is a positive community for all.
There is No Magic Wand but Positive Classroom Relationships Can Be Magical! “Discipline is the second most important thing you do for a child. Love comes first, and discipline second. Discipline means teaching, not punishment. The goal is for the child to incorporate his/her own limits. Each opportunity for discipline becomes a chance for teaching.” Terry Brazelton, MD Throughout this workshop we will explore how children use behaviors to communicate a wish, want or a need and how you can respond helpfully in challenging situations while maintaining a warm, positive child-teacher relationship in which teaching can occur.