Renew, refresh, and revitalize – the Power of Professional Development
Menbi, Lisa, & Stacy with Hanoch Piven
Renew, refresh, and revitalize – the power of professional development to reinvigorate our approaches to classroom techniques is limitless. And that’s why B’nai Shalom ensures that our teachers have the opportunity to take advantage of cutting edge conferences, workshops, & webinars throughout the year.
In November, Preschool Director Lisa Lasovsky and Older Toddlers Teachers Menbi Hailu and Stacy Schneid attended the Paradigm Project Conference at the Capital Retreat Center in Pennsylvania. The Paradigm Project is a growing network of practitioners bound by a shared commitment to multiply and nurture seeds of excellence in Jewish Early Childhood Education programs. As far as professional development goes, the Paradigm Project offers perfection - learning developmentally appropriate practices through a Jewish lens.
Themed “The Year of the Child,” the conference focused on early childhood advocacy and policy with an emphasis on nature-based education, that is, how can we transform outdoor spaces into learning environments that connect students with Jewish values? Practitioners shared best practices as well as techniques that they had successfully used to weave Jewish values and ideals into early childhood education.
In addition, the conference was infused with hands-on learning experiences. Lisa, Menbi, & Stacy baked Chanukah themed challah using edible add-ins and workshopped with Artist Hanoch Piven, exploring and creating faces with open-ended materials (known at B’nai Shalom as Loose Parts). They frolicked in the woods, collected natural objects, and designed Stars of David with what they found.
Menbi, Stacy, & Lisa in DC
Spending time with other Jewish Early Childhood educators during this challenging time in the world was very special. It reinforced that the work we all do with preschool aged children is vital to create a better and more peaceful future for all. After the conference, Lisa, Menbi, & Stacy joined other conference attendees in Washington DC, where they attended the historical rally for Israel.
But that's not all! On their way home, Lisa, Menbi, & Stacy made a stop at The Congregation Beth Israel Forest School in Charlottesville Virginia to see, in practice, how a nature-based school works and to gain insight into the unique differences that it offers. Lisa, Menbi, & Stacy left feeling motivated to integrate elements from their visit to enhance our programming at B’nai Shalom.
Upon their return, Lisa, Menbi, & Stacy shared all that they learned with our own Preschool teaching team. They shared photos and ideas that have triggered inspiration in the classroom, but there are pieces from their conference that you can do at home too!
Stacy, Lisa, & Menbi at the Forest School
Did you know that research indicates that you can improve behavior by 80% just by pointing out what someone is doing correctly! When your child is exhibiting behaviors that you want to see more of, try pointing that out and offering praise. Shifting the focus from attention for misbehavior to acknowledging positive behaviors creates the conditions for behavior to change.
Explicitly teaching your children expectations, rules, and routines ensures clarity and understanding of expected behaviors and teaches social emotional competencies. Try introducing the expectation, rule, or routine, and providing a rationale (the "why" behind it). You can also try modeling what it looks like (and what it doesn't look like) to show your child clear examples. Then practice, practice, practice, and provide behavior-specific praise.
Teach and model coping skills that children can use instead of engaging in challenging behaviors. At B’nai Shalom, we believe that behaviors serve a purpose and are directly related to the context and environment in which they occur. When we understand why a challenging behavior is occurring, we can help the child learn a more appropriate way of getting their needs met. For example, if a child is hitting their peers because they are seeking connection, adults and caregivers can teach the child a more appropriate way to connect with their peers such as asking, "Can I play with you?". Another example may be that the child is kicking peers and/or adults because they need some space. This is an excellent opportunity for the child to learn how to say "Space, please".
Renew, refresh, and revitalize- the power of professional development to reinvigorate teachers' approach to the classroom is limitless. And after this particular opportunity, the whole staff at B’nai Shalom is feeling the benefit.
