Workshops for Teachers

Conflict among children is a natural part of a developmental process which marks the growth of important social skills. This workshop focuses on supportive intervention techniques which help children learn to resolve their conflicts peaceably. Appropriate for use with children age 2 and over.

This workshop is based on the premise that effective limit setting not only means stopping misbehavior, but also helping children develop a sense of responsibility and high self-esteem. Even young children can recognize how their behaviors impact others, and develop a sense of self-control. When this happens, the classroom becomes not only a place of learning, but also a community where children work together and feel deep pride in doing so. This workshop provides teachers with effective limit-setting techniques that work within and beyond the classroom.

Do you blush at the thought of teaching your child about sexuality? Do you believe that you have time to wait until their older? Are you prepared to answer your children when they ask tough questions? What about if they don't ask??? It has been proven that parents are the most effective teachers for children to learn about intimacy, love and sexuality. In fact, studies show that children want to learn this information from their parents, that it can actually decrease the amount of sexual activity and promote more responsible sexual behavior.

The child's world is very different from the world of an adult. Many times the way in which we speak to children, as well as our body language and tone of voice, communicate something entirely different from what we mean. In other words, what children "hear" us say differs from what we actually said. Learn to speak and act in ways that won't be misinterpreted, learn to hear things the way children do, and learn how to turn a situation around if a child has "heard" you incorrectly.

In order for children to get the most out of their day care and early school experiences, it's best if teachers and parents work closely together as a team. Often, teachers best efforts in this direction seem to be thwarted by parents whose attitude can make communication difficult. This workshop will illuminate some causes of the difficulty, and give teachers practical techniques that will help keep the lines of communication open and will enable them to handle even the most frustrating of parents.

Repetitive misbehaviors in a classroom often occur because a child feels misunderstood. But it's often difficult to understand children - sometimes because they're screaming, or sometimes because they don't have language yet. This workshop focuses on listening skills, and interpreting children's behaviors by quickly assessing what their goals are, even if they're preverbal. How to use these techniques to diminish repetitive behaviors will also be covered.

Before handling aggressive or mean impulses, teachers must become fluent in the language of children and be capable of translating their behavior. This workshop will introduce a hands on translation technique, as well as focusing  on the relationship between gender and behavior.

Respectful communication is the key to successful relationships. Yet many times respect is lost when conflict arises, or when others make decisions with which we don't agree. And when respect is not maintained, relationships deteriorate. In this broad-based workshop participants will learn the value of respect and the skills involved in maintaining a respectful attitude even in the face of anger or belligerance.

This unique workshop will give you an invaluable "problem solving model" which enables you to discern how to handle any problem that might arise in your classroom. Specific techniques with clear examples will be given which will help you effectively enhance cooperation while maintaining order (and your sanity). These techniques are not only effective, they also build children's self-esteem. Designed for children of any age, this invaluable model will give you the specifics of what to say when, and how to say it.