Early Childhood Conference

(Ty Howard, Keynote Address)

An engaging, insightful, energizing, funny, fun, and inspiring training session filled with advice on how to become an extraordinary person with a resilient and brilliant outlook on work and life. Using real-world examples and powerful, relatable stories, Mr. Howard will help participants see, strive for, and achieve higher levels of excellence in early childhood development daily. Whether you are starting as a new hire, an early childhood development teacher, a provider, or a caregiver, this substantive and empowering keynote session will be the jump-start and boost we all need to develop and soar above and beyond our amazingly capable “Attitude of Excellence!”

(Jenniffer Truitt)

This training provides an overview of the 8 sensory systems responsible for a child's interactions, communication, behaviors and understanding of self. A beginner to intermediate dive into the fun world of Sensory Play and Processing will enable providers to bring new activities to their classroom the moment they leave session. Activities provided will be actively built upon during our time together to ensure that each task is modified to the specific needs of the providers' group of children.

(Stacey Holmes)

This training empowers early childhood educators with strategies to support their mental well-being while maintaining professionalism in the field. Participants will explore stress management, self-care techniques, and how professionalism can foster a healthy work-life balance and sustain their passion for teaching young children.

(Stacy Lindsey)

Participants should leave the session with a better understanding of how to build positive relationships with children in their classroom. They will be able to define milestones of development related to mental health in children and should be able to apply the tactics and lenses discussed to their own classroom.

(Mary Jewell)

It’s ok not to not be okay in situations but how can we improve? Identifying your triggers is important because it allows you to understand what situations or behaviors can cause strong negative emotions, enabling you to proactively manage your stress levels, improve your emotional well-being, and respond more effectively to challenging situations, ultimately contributing to a healthier work environment for yourself and everyone around you. We will work to identify your triggers and discuss possibly ways to cope and understand what’s happening. As a group we will discuss things that trigger you, brainstorm healthier outcomes, we will be very interactive, including role playing.

(Jessica Cooper)

FLIP-IT is a strategy that offers a simple, kind, strength-based, commonsense and effective four step process to address children’s day-to-day challenging behavior (ages 2-5). Participants will be able to identify a large array of emotions and demonstrate how this step supports healthy attachment relationships, initiative, and self-regulation in young children. This session is provided in an interactive, lecturing format. There will be some movement across the room.

(Marilyn Goodwin)

When the love tank is full the child genuinely feels loved by the parents or in our case by the teachers. We will look at how to help children feel loved in our classroom. We will review the 5 love languages of children and identify ways we can meet those love languages. During the session we will explore together the 5 Love Languages and spend time in small groups brainstorming ideas on how as teachers we can meet those love languages.

(Jessica Page)

This workshop will offer a brief, hands-on illustration on how to teach grounding and guided imagery with students in the classroom. The presenter will utilize concepts of sensory training for a creative, proactive approach towards self-regulation and de-escalation with high intensity emotions. This session will specifically focus on interventions and practical approaches that can be applied to children and families of individuals diagnosed with neurodivergence and sensory processing disorders. Additionally, we will discuss and engage in interventions that can be applied in the classroom through aspects of play. Participants will leave this session with resources and hands-on tool kits.

(Diana Aubrey)

Ride the Music Train to Nurture Young Hearts and Minds is an informative and interactive session that explores the ability of music to benefit young students in academic and mental health development.

(Lindsay Fohl)

Come join me and have some fun learning about what fosters the most important brain growth in your students: PLAY! The goal of this session is to provide early childhood educators with the confidence to apply simplistic, yet meaningful resources, ideas and lessons connected to play therapy in a classroom setting. Participants will learn about developmentally appropriate art activities connected to social and emotional lessons intended to help all learners navigate their BIG emotions and feelings in a safe way. All participants will leave this session with play and art resources, visual coping strategies and hands-on tool kits. Additionally, they will have instant access to social and emotional digital links they can use in their classrooms or early childhood centers with their students and families.

(Ty Howard)

This workshop will guide the learner through the latest research on the importance of mental health in early childhood education and shares practical strategies for creating a safe, supportive, and joyful learning environment. All participants will leave feeling inspired and equipped with the increased understanding and tools they need to help their children, students, families, team members, and themselves thrive in mental health and well-being!

(Jasmine Exum)

Participants should leave the session with a better understanding of how to build positive relationships with children in their classroom. They will be able to define milestones of development related to mental health in children and should be able to apply the tactics and lenses discussed to their own classroom.

(Melanie Watts)

Developing empathy for young children and their mental health challenges will be understood as the presenter shares personal experiences about her children and the journey on which the family continues to travel.