TUESDAY, JULY - Preschool Teachers Adventure Conference - Home · Session 1 Workshops Tuesday, July 25, 2017 ... and the International Reading ... Dr. Jean Feldman All Conference

PTAC DAILY SCHEDULE TUESDAY, JULY 25, 2017

Session 1 Workshops Tuesday, July 25, 2017 9:30 - 10:20 am

Class Title Workshop Leader Audience Location

STEM for Infants & Toddlers: Putting Little Problems in Their Way to Engage *(1,2) Dr. Carrie Cutler MDO C145

Child Growth & Development Natasha Owoseni MDO A126

Connecting Games to Play With Infants & Toddlers *(1,4) Diane Goyette MDO C114

The First 12 Days of School Dr. Jean Feldman MDO/PRES Sanctuary

Early Intervention, INCLUSION & Special Ed. 101 *(1,2) Erika Sanchez MDO/PRES C126

Teaching With Power Dr. Rick Chromey MDO/PRES Summit

Making Your Discipline Problems Disappear! Karl Bastian PRES C150

Art “Smart”ies — Teaching Through the Arts *(1,4) Chris Smith PRES Journey

Teaching Preschoolers About Praise *(1,4) Tina Houser PRES F110

Keeping the Brain in Mind: Calming the Emotional Tides *(1,3) Stacie Williams PRES C101

Hooked on Books! *(1,2) Devora Miller PRES C125

Fun With Physics! *(1,2,3,5) Barbara Cargill PRES Youth

The Importance of Answering the Question, “Why?” *(1,4) Lori Buxton PRES M103

I’m Sorry or I Was Wrong. . .Which is Best? *(1,2) Peggy Osborne PRES C116

Girls, Girls, Girls! *(1,3) Courtney Osborne PRES C112

Gather Round, It’s Circle Time *(1,5) Marlyn Kramer PRES M105

Developmental Milestones 3.0 (3 to 5 years) Christi Priddy PRES M104

Assessment Made Easy — Simplifying the Process of Assessing the Children Bradley Smith PRES A128

Let’s Process Art! *(1,3) Kendolyn Pope PRES M106

Room Set-Up Kara Gore PRES A120

Registration: 7:30 am Praise & Worship: 7:50—8:05 am Welcome: 8:05—8:10 am Keynote Speaker: 8:10—9:00 am

Keynote Speaker — LaDonna Gatlin LaDonna Gatlin grew up on stage performing with her brothers, the legendary Gatlin Brothers. In the mid-1970’s this “gutsy” Texas native chose to follow her heart and “sing a different song” apart from her famous family. That “song” has taken her from corporate powerhouses to the prison cells of death row — and just about everywhere in between! She is the author of The Song in You: Finding Your Voice, Redefining Your Life. She is also a contributing writer in the best-selling book series, Chicken Soup for the Soul. Through her experience as a performer, professional speaker, and author, LaDonna has developed an expertise in show-ing people how to tune up their lives, so that their success becomes — well — music to their ears!

Footnote Speaker — Dr. Jean Feldman Dr. Jean Feldman’s noteworthy educational career has spanned more than 40 years. She has served as a class-room teacher, instructor of adults, author, and consultant. She is a member of the National Association for the Education of Young Children, the National Kindergarten Alliance, and the International Reading Associa-tion. Her list of degrees include a B.A. from the University of Georgia, a D.A.S.T. from Emory University, and both a M.A. and a Ph.D from Georgia State University. Dr. Feldman inspired teachers across the country with her engaging songs and creative activities that help make teaching and learning FUN! She is the author of sev-eral books and has also published a number of recordings that are used by school systems across the country.

Note: Asterisk (*) denotes sessions that a particular workshop REPEATS.

Session 3 Workshops Tuesday, July 25, 2017 11:30 am - 12:20 pm



Supporting Skill Development Natasha Owoseni MDO A126

Fostering Language & Literacy for Infants & Toddlers Through Play *(2,5) Diane Goyette MDO C114

Singing & Dancing Letters Dr. Jean Feldman MDO/PRES Sanctuary

Early Intervention, INCLUSION & Special Ed. 101 *(1,2) Erika Sanchez MDO/PRES C126

Why Do Kids Misbehave? *(2,5) Dr. Rick Chromey MDO/PRES Summit

Partner with Parents to Provide “Lifestyle Learning” *(2,5) Karen Apple PRES F112

Whomp! Swish! Beep! Silly Sounds All Around! *(2,5) Chris Smith PRES Journey

Grey Matters *(2,5) Tina Houser PRES F110

Connect to CALM: The Four Essential Tools of Engagement *(2,5) Stacie Williams PRES C101

Hooked on Books! *(1,2) Devora Miller PRES C125


Ten Things That Really Great Teachers Do! Lori Buxton PRES M103

I’m Sorry or I Was Wrong. . .Which is Best? *(1,2) Peggy Osborne PRES C116

Music & the Brain *(2,5) Courtney Osborne PRES C112

Play: The Springboard to Learning *(2,3) Marlyn Kramer PRES M105

Temper Tantrums 101 Christi Priddy PRES M104

101 Transition Activities Bradley Smith PRES A128

Earth Science for Preschool *(2,5) Kendolyn Pope PRES M106

Teaching Special Children *(2,5) Kara Gore PRES A120

Class Title Workshop Leader Audience Location ***Lunch #1 is served during this session***

Infant & Toddler Development Kara Gore MDO A120

Responsive Interactions & Guidance Natasha Owoseni MDO A126

The Benefits of Music with Infants & Toddlers Brooke Wright MDO C145

Keep Your Cool So the Kids Around You Don’t Lose Theirs! Karen Apple MDO/PRES F112

Tips for Teaching Tots *(3,5) Karl Bastian MDO/PRES C150

Learning Through Play — Centers & Circle Time C. Baxter/L. Davis PRES M103

Keeping the Brain in Mind: Calming the Emotional Tides *(1,3) Stacie Williams PRES C101

Dealing With Those Little Angels (and Devils): Connecting Spiritual Life & Behavior Rev. Kevin Rudolph PRES F110


Play: The Springboard to Learning *(2,3) Marlyn Kramer PRES M105

Let’s Process Art! *(1,3) Kendolyn Pope PRES M106

Girls, Girls, Girls! *(1,3) Courtney Osborne PRES C112

Session 2 Workshops Tuesday, July 25, 2017 10:30 - 11:20 am

Session 4 Workshops Tuesday, July 25, 2017 12:30 - 1:20 pm


Music Magic for 2’s & 3’s *(4,5) Devora Miller MDO C125

Potty Training 101 Christi Priddy MDO M104

Connecting Games to Play With Infants & Toddlers *(1,4) Diane Goyette MDO C114

Communicating with Parents: We’re All on the Same Side *(4,5) Dr. Carrie Cutler MDO/PRES C145

The Inclusion Classroom: How to Build & Execute LRE Albert Wright MDO/PRES Sanctuary

Teaching with Style Dr. Rick Chromey MDO/PRES Summit

Art “Smart”ies — Teaching Through the Arts *(1,4) Chris Smith PRES Journey

Teaching Preschoolers About Praise *(1,4) Tina Houser PRES F110

Fit & Fun for Everyone! Stella King PRES C126

Music for Preschool *(4,5) Shelley Akins PRES M105

The Importance of Answering the Question, “Why?” *(1,4) Lori Buxton PRES M103

Making the Connection: Math & the Bible? Yes! *(4,5) Peggy Osborne PRES C116

Session 5 Workshops Tuesday, July 25, 2017 1:30 - 2:20 pm


Music Magic for 2’s & 3’s *(4,5) Devora Miller MDO C125

Developmental Stages of Children (Infant/Toddlers) Natasha Owoseni MDO A126

Fostering Language & Literacy for Infants & Toddlers Through Play *(2,5) Diane Goyette MDO C114

Communicating with Parents: We’re All on the Same Side *(4,5) Dr. Carrie Cutler MDO/PRES C145

Impossible Co-Parenting: How to Deal with Difficult Parents Albert Wright MDO/PRES Sanctuary

Why Do Kids Misbehave? *(2,5) Dr. Rick Chromey MDO/PRES Summit

Tips for Teaching Tots *(3,5) Karl Bastian MDO/PRES C150

Whomp! Swish! Beep! Silly Sounds All Around! *(2,5) Chris Smith PRES Journey

Grey Matters *(2,5) Tina Houser PRES F110

Partner with Parents to Provide “Lifestyle Learning” *(2,5) Karen Apple PRES F112

Fit & Fun for Everyone — Pumped Up! Stella King PRES C126


Helping Children with Separation Lori Buxton PRES M103


Music & the Brain *(2,5) Courtney Osborne PRES C112

Gather Round, It’s Circle Time *(1,5) Marlyn Kramer PRES M105

Music for Preschool *(4,5) Shelley Akins PRES M104

Connect to CALM: The Four Essential Tools of Engagement *(2,5) Stacie Williams PRES C101

Earth Science for Preschool *(2,5) Kendolyn Pope PRES M106

Teaching Special Children *(2,5) Kara Gore PRES A120

Afternoon Speaker Tuesday, July 25, 2017 2:35 pm - 3:30 pm Dr. Jean Feldman All Conference Attendees should report to the Worship Center at this time.

WORKSHOP DESCRIPTIONS TUESDAY, JULY 25, 2017

101 Transition Activities PRES The content of this workshop is based on the book, “101 Learning & Transition Activities,” by Bradley Smith & Adam Smith (published by Thomas Delmar Learning ©2006). And is a collection of fun and engaging activities for teachers to share with children. Participants will learn the definition of transition activities, be introduced to the Seven Elements of Good Transition Activities, and will then apply those seven elements into seven activity categories. Speaker: Bradley Smith FA: Age Appropriate Curriculum

Art “Smart”ies — Teaching Through the Arts PRES Are you willing to dance, paint, act and jingle some bells? Then join our marching band to teach Literacy. “Sculpt” your way to number sense and be “dramatic” when learning social skills. The Arts have it all when it comes to engagement, creativity, and learning. So let’s think, plan, and behave in more creative ways! Offered in sessions 1 & 4. Speaker: Chris Smith FA: Age Appropriate Curriculum

Assessment Made Easy— PRES Simplifying the Process of Assessing the Children Every teacher in every age group needs an assessment system. This workshop will focus on the importance and need for early assessment and early intervention. Classroom observation strategies and a child assessment format will also be discussed. Participants will be given di-rection and instruction in the use of an assessment format and discuss the value of parent/teacher communication. Speaker: Bradley Smith FA: Observation & Assessment

The Benefits of Music with Infants & Toddlers MDO Studies have shown that early musical training benefits children even before they can walk or talk. Your infants and toddlers that participate in interactive music classes will smile more, communicate better, and show earlier and more sophisticated brain responses to music. This session will show you how to integrate music into your everyday routine. Speaker: Brooke Wright FA: Music & Movement

Child Growth & Development MDO Our early childhood programs are essential for the advancement of in-fants and toddlers. In this session, we will explore classroom strategies to enhance the children’s developmental skills. Speaker: Natasha Owoseni FA: Child Growth & Development

Communicating With Parents: We’re All on the Same Side MDO/PRES Preschool is the best time to lay positive foundations for home/school relations. This session offers suggestions for back-to-school events, par-ent conferences, and everyday teacher-parent interactions. The present-er will also give ideas for overcoming barriers to communication. Come learn how to build powerful partnerships between home and school! Offered in sessions 4 & 5. Speaker: Dr. Carrie Cutler FA: Parent Communication

Connecting Games to Play With Infants & Toddlers MDO Building strong relationships between adults and children is the most important part of infant and toddler caregivers’ jobs. Participants will come away with at least 20 ideas for songs and games to help them con-nect with their young children. Offered in sessions 1 & 4. Speaker: Diane Goyette FA: Age Appropriate Curriculum

Connect to CALM: The Four Essential Tools of Engagement PRES Do you find that some days you are just trying to survive? Are you often-times bewildered by children’s oppositional, disruptive, and defiant be-haviors? During this session, participants will learn four essential tools for responding to the most difficult behavior situations. Join us as we apply these tools to the most common and difficult behaviors. Offered in sessions 2 & 5. Speaker: Stacie Williams FA: Discipline & Guidance

Dealing With Those Little Angels (and Devils): PRES Connecting Spiritual Life & Behavior James Dobson was famous for encouraging adults to “shape the will” of children without “breaking the spirit”. That’s a wonderful thing to say, but just how does one accomplish that in the classroom? Just what can young children understand about being spiritual people? How can we shape their wills without breaking their spirits? This session will look at the extraordinary opportunity to teach spiritual truths to children that will last them their whole lives! Speaker: Rev. Kevin Rudolph FA: Child Growth & Development Developmental Milestones 3.0 (3 to 5 years) PRES This workshop contains an overview of developmental milestones for preschool-aged children. Speaker: Christi Priddy FA: Observation & Assessment Developmental Stages of Children (Infant/Toddlers) MDO This session will discuss foundational learning stages for infants and tod-dlers. We will discuss developmental milestones and potential delays in the development of children. Speaker: Natasha Owoseni FA: Child Growth & Development Early Intervention, INCLUSION & Special Ed. 101 MDO/PRES Children’s special needs are evident sometimes long before they are formally diagnosed. Preschool personnel often need to address tough issues when realizing that a child’s development is atypical. This session focuses on the basics of effective documentation, the Early Intervention process, Special Education in the public school setting, as well as partner-ing with parents. Offered in sessions 1 & 2. Speaker: Erika Sanchez FA: Care of Children With Special Needs Earth Science for Preschool PRES Have you observed student examining rocks, watching clouds or being fascinated by the wind? Children are naturally curious about the earth. Come learn how to build upon spontaneous experiences and lay the foundation for success in science classes. Leave with more than 25 activ-ities to share immediately! Offered in sessions 2 & 5. Speaker: Kendolyn Pope FA: Math & Science The First 12 Days of School PRES It’s often been said that, “People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care!” That is particularly true with children and their parents! This session will offer some great ideas to help your children get to know you and for your children to build relationships with each other. Speaker: Dr. Jean Feldman FA: Age Appropriate Curriculum Fit & Fun for Everyone! PRES Come join us for an interactive session to learn a variety of ways to exer-cise your heart for preschool children in a large group, small group, in-doors, outdoors, on a fit & fun budget — or no budget at all! Exercising your heart can be done anywhere and everywhere! Come learn ways to exercise your heart in the classroom, outside & everywhere in between! Speaker: Stella King FA: Music & Move-ment Fit & Fun for Everyone — Pumped Up! PRES Come join us for an interactive session where you will learn ways to add exercise to any activity. You can add exercise to everything that you do! From science, to math, to letter learning — there is always time to exer-cise your heart! Come learn how you can make ‘activ’ ities active! Speaker: Stella King FA: Music & Movement

WORKSHOP DESCRIPTIONS—CONTINUED TUESDAY, JULY 25, 2017

Fostering Language & Literacy for MDO Infants & Toddlers Through Play Play is the best way for children to learn and develop, including language and literacy. Participants will learn over 15 games & playful experiences that help children develop language & learn literacy skills — and they will have fun doing it! Offered in sessions 2 & 5. Speaker: Diane Goyette FA: Age Appropriate Curriculum Fun With Physics! PRES This session introduces teachers to the wonders of physics through mag-nets, sound, simple machines, flight, and color and light. Participants will do attention-getting experiments, such as using a ping pong ball and blow drier to teach about air pressure. Sound cups, tuning forks, spinning pen-nies and feathers bring understanding about sound and flight. Using mag-nets for car races and painting are part of the fun! Catapults and shadow puppets round out this hands-on session. Your students will love learning about physics! Offered in sessions 1, 2, 3, and 5. Speaker: Barbara Cargill FA: Math & Science Gather Round, It’s Circle Time! PRES Ever wonder, “Why didn’t I think of this sooner?” Participants will learn a collection of innovative organizational tips, classroom management tech-niques, transition activities, behavior management plans, and ways to repurpose materials. Fun and fast-paced! Good for new and veteran teachers of all ages! Offered in sessions 1 & 5. Speaker: Marlyn Kramer FA: Age Appropriate Curriculum Girls, Girls, Girls! PRES Girls are uniquely designed by God. Join us in learning how to use their unique design to foster educational, spiritual, and emotional growth in them. Offered in sessions 1 & 3. Speaker: Courtney Osborne FA: Child Growth & Development Grey Matters PRES Mind-blowing — that describes the grey matter that we call the brain! The more you know about what’s going on in the preschooler brain, the better you’ll be able to teach them. Go ahead and practice saying, “Now I totally get that!” What’s actually happening in the grey matter of a pre-schooler? And how do you tweak your teaching now that you understand their brains better? Offered in sessions 2 & 5. Speaker: Tina Houser FA: Age Appropriate Curriculum Helping Children With Separation PRES Young children can really struggle with this critical transition and it’s not just leaving Mommy or Daddy at the beginning of the day. They often struggle with leaving their beloved teacher or their favorite friends at the end of the day. Children are still developing their sense of time and space and can have a difficult time understanding that each goodbye isn’t forev-er. In our time together we will talk through what a child experiences during separation and create strategies to support and equip young chil-dren for these daily changes. Speaker: Lori Buxton FA: Child Growth & Development Hooked on Books! PRES Children love picture books! Join Ms. Miller as she presents supplemental music and game activities that coordinate with age appropriate picture books featuring familiar and new book authors. Offered in sessions 1 & 2. Speaker: Devora Miller FA: Age Appropriate Curriculum The Importance of Answering the Question, “Why?” PRES Oh the magical question, “Why?” — A preschoolers most favorite ques-tion in all the world! It’s not always a fan favorite with adults, but it really should be! This question should be gold to a teacher because it means a child is listening, that they are tuned in and want to know more! This

question can be a gateway to explosive learning if we are ready! Offered in sessions 1 & 4. Speaker: Lori Buxton FA: Teacher-Child Interactions Impossible Co-Parenting: MDO/PRES How to Deal With Difficult Parents Building relationships with parents is a huge part of an educator’s job, but dealing with difficult parents can seem impossible at times. This session will show you how to take on the idea of co-parenting, even with individu-als that seem impossible to get along with. In these types of situations, it’s important to focus on the outcome, and not the current turmoil! Speaker: Albert Wright FA: Parent Communication I’m Sorry or I Was Wrong. . .Which is Best? PRES What is the best way to lay a foundation when they are young so that they can have deeper, more long-lasting relationships when they are older? Join us as we discuss conflict resolution with young children. Learning to say the right words early can make a difference for a lifetime! Offered in sessions 1 & 2. Speaker: Peggy Osborne FA: Child Growth & Development The Inclusion Classroom: How to Build & Execute LRE MDO/PRES LRE refers to the setting where a child with a disability can receive an ap-propriate education designed to meet his or her educational needs, along-side peers without disabilities. Least restrictive environment (LRE), is one of several vital components in child development and plays a critical role, influencing where a child spends his or her time at school, how services are provided, and the relationships the child develops within the school community. Speaker: Albert Wright FA: Care of Children with Special Needs Infant & Toddler Development MDO The physical, mental, and social/emotional health of every person begins to develop at birth as our bodies grow quickly, our brains experience enor-mous activity and we begin to build trusting relationships with those around us! Let’s discuss the who, what, when, where, and how of infant/toddler development! Speaker: Kara Gore FA: Child Growth & Development

Keeping the Brain in Mind: Calming the Emotional Tides PRES This workshop offers numerous practical and indispensable strategies for teachers who struggle to find solutions to children’s challenging behav-iors. Teachers will examine evidence-based brain research on the causes of children’s difficult behaviors and the role of the teacher in providing safe and responsive environments that promote cooperation and connec-tion. Offered in sessions 1 & 3. Speaker: Stacie Williams FA: Discipline & Guidance Keep Your Cool So the Kids Around You Don’t Lose Theirs! MDO/PRES Preschoolers are on a behavioral learning curve. They look at us to pro-vide models they are bound to follow. Adopt attitudes, strategies, and simple techniques to maximize classroom management and teach young learners how to “cool their engines, keep cool & successfully motor on.” Speaker: Karen Apple FA: Teacher-Child Interactions Learning Through Play — Centers & Circle Time PRES Centers and circle time are exciting ways of learning for little minds and hands! We will share many teaching games and manipulatives that are fun and can be incorporated in with your lesson plans. A fun and exciting learning experience promotes a confident and joyful child and sends them on their way better prepared for the next step in their education — and beyond! Speakers: Cindy Baxter & Leisha Davis FA: Age Appropriate Curriculum


Let’s Process Art! PRES Art isn’t only about making projects, it’s about exploring materials, crea-tive expression and experimenting with new ideas! Children don’t always have to end up with a perfect product. Let’s explore how to implement process-focused art explorations into the early childhood classroom. Offered in sessions 1 & 3. Speaker: Kendolyn Pope FA: Age Appropriate Curriculum Making the Connection: Math & the Bible? Yes! PRES Join us to learn how to lay a strong foundational understanding of math with preschoolers. You will leave with ideas for hands-on math activities and will also learn how to connect math with well-loved Bible stories! Offered in sessions 4 & 5. Speaker: Peggy Osborne FA: Math & Science Making Your Discipline Problems Disappear! PRES Learn how to PREVENT discipline problems, how to deal with them effec-tively when they arise, with a special focus on what is going on in the minds and hearts of children when they misbehave. With this under-standing, you can better know how to respond and mold them. Speaker: Karl Bastian FA: Discipline & Guidance Music & the Brain PRES Join us in learning how music affects our brain and it’s development. How can we use music properly to benefit our children? Offered in ses-sions 2 & 5. Speaker: Courtney Osborne FA: Music & Movement Music for Preschool PRES Are you ready to get energized? Come to this high-energy session that will introduce you to ways to help keep those little one’s attention through a variety of popular songs that keep kids enthused and excited to participate in music! Learn how to incorporate puppets and visual aids into your music! You don’t have to be a strong singer to teach children how much fun music, movement, and learning can be! Offered in ses-sions 4 & 5. Speaker: Shelley Akins FA: Music & Movement Music Magic for 2’s and 3’s MDO Need some new song and game ideas to “get the wiggles out” of your little ones? Join Ms. Miller for an active session of music activities appro-priate for 2 and 3 year olds. Offered in sessions 4 & 5. Speaker: Devora Miller FA: Music & Movement Partner with Parents to Provide “Lifestyle Learning” PRES Many young parents want to provide integrated, school and home learn-ing experiences for their kids. Teachers can equip them with teaching strategies and activities that reinforce classroom lessons. The intentional “lifestyle learning” parents provide cements abstract concepts, helps kids hone new skills and provides the repetition and relevance needed to make learning meaningful and memorable. Offered in sessions 2 & 5. Speaker: Karen Apple FA: Parent Communication Play: The Springboard to Learning PRES Participants will discover the characteristics of play; the importance of play on the neurological and cognitive development of young children; how play can foster problem solving, pre-math, pre-reading, and science skills in the young child. Classroom management techniques to promote play and open-ended play manipulatives will also be introduced. Offered in sessions 2 & 3. Speaker: Marlyn Kramer FA: Advance Physical & Intellectual Comp.

Potty Training 101 MDO Come learn the ins and outs of potty training! Learn how to read a child’s cues to know when they are ready to conquer potty training and how to partner with parents to make this transition easy and exciting! Speaker: Christi Priddy FA: Child Growth & Development Responsive Interactions & Guidance MDO Daily guidance and positive interactions with the children in your care helps the child to actively engage in activities conducive for their age and development. Speaker: Natasha Owoseni FA: Discipline & Guidance Room Set-Up PRES Your classroom environment is extremely important to your teaching success! Let’s discuss how to create a room that makes sense to a child, increases learning, and decreases negative behaviors. Children should be inspired by your classroom, not overwhelmed or bored. Your room is the most important teaching tool you have! Speaker: Kara Gore FA: Child Growth & Development Singing & Dancing Letters MDO/PRES Music is MAGIC! Come and learn songs that are a delightful way to put letter and sounds in children’s brains. You can use them at circle time to start your day, or use them for a “brain break” when children need to release wiggles. Speaker: Dr. Jean Feldman FA: Music & Movement STEM for Infants & Toddlers: Putting Little Problems MDO in Their Way to Engage It’s never too early for children to begin to make sense of the world around them. Join us to discover how thoughtful questioning and inten-tional planning will magnify the STEM already present in your classroom centers. You will leave this session with 12+ play-based STEM activities to nurture the habits of mind (persistence, generalization, creativity, organi-zation, etc.) necessary for scientific inquiry with your bottle-toting bab-blers! Offered in sessions 1 & 2. Speaker: Dr. Carrie Cutler FA: Professional Development Supporting Skill Development MDO Classroom structure & routines help children advance in their various skill development. Speaker: Natasha Owoseni FA: Child Growth & Development Teaching Preschoolers About Praise PRES God inhabits our praise — lives in it, makes Himself known through it. Where God inhabits, Satan cannot be. Ooooh, that’s good! Therefore, we need to teach kids to praise in all situations. We will look at the seven words for praise and give you examples you can incorporate to release preschoolers to praise God in all ways. Offered in sessions 1 & 4 Speaker: Tina Houser FA: Age Appropriate Curriculum Teaching Special Children PRES We will explore what it takes to teach children with unique needs. As Early Childhood Professionals, we do not have to know it all or be specifi-cally trained on every need that a child might have. However, we must do our homework, get to know our children and their families, and attempt to meet each child at their own level of development with a posi-tive attitude! We will discuss popular terms, share stories, and learn how to honor each child that walks through our door. . . EVERY child is unique and special! Offered in sessions 2 & 5. Speaker: Kara Gore FA: Care of Children with Special Needs


Teaching With Power MDO/PRES Master teachers engage and empower their students. They teach with power and now you can learn the secret sauce to effective teaching in any context and to any class. During this interactive and experiential work-shop participants will discover the four parts of power teaching. Speaker: Dr. Rick Chromey FA: Professional Development Teaching With Style MDO/PRES We all teach with personality — and in this fun, interactive workshop you will discover your unique style (game show host, chef, professor, or coun-selor). Plus, you’ll discover how to use your style to spark learning! Speaker: Dr. Rick Chromey FA: Professional Development Temper Tantrums 101 PRES Come learn to decipher why a child tantrums, what is normal behavior and how to help a child overcome tantrums before they become a dis-traction in the classroom. Speaker: Christi Priddy FA: Child Growth & Development Ten Things That Really Great Teachers Do! PRES You don’t become the best by accident. You don’t stumble into great-ness. Greatness is the culmination of a series of good decisions that we make about what we do, how we do it, and why we do it. This session will map ten decisions that great teachers make to ensure that a child’s early learning experiences are meaningful, magical, and fun! Speaker: Lori Buxton FA: Professional Development

Tips for Teaching Tots MDO/PRES It’s no secret that little students don’t sit still for a lesson! Nor should they! God wired our little ones to be constantly on the move — unless they are sleeping. And — it’s difficult to teach if they aren’t awake! So, how do you engage the hearts and minds of our littlest active learners while maintaining control? Discover secrets to leading preschoolers that will make learning a delight for you as well as for them! Offered in ses-sions 3 & 5. Speaker: Karl Bastian FA: Teacher-Child Interactions Whomp! Swish! Beep! Silly Sounds All Around! PRES Learn to play with sounds — silly or not so silly — as we explore the se-quential elements of phonological awareness. We’ll be shaking a leg and shaking some eggs. Fill up your ’sound’ toolkit with poetry, dance and the ‘elephant prance’. This is truly “Info-To-Go” — so children can know! Offered in sessions 2 &5. Speaker: Chris Smith FA: Age Appropriate Curriculum Why Kids Misbehave PRES Controlling a classroom is similar to fire prevention and protection. You only have two choices! SNIFF or SNUFF! Smoke detector or fire extin-guisher — proactive or reactive. In this insightful workshop, teachers will learn the reason children misbehave & how to respond. Offered in ses-sions 2 & 5. Speaker: Dr. Rick Chromey FA: Discipline & Guidance

Notes Each workshop is 50 minutes long (except where noted) and will have open seating on a first-come, first-served basis. We ask that you not save more than 1 seat in a particular workshop.

We recommend that you have at least two alternates chosen in advance for each session time. Please respect “Session Full” signs, as sitting on the floor is a violation of Fire Safety Codes.

Disclaimer — The opinions expressed by presenters and/or exhibitors are their own, and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Conference Planning Committee, The Adventure Preschool, or Windwood Presbyterian Church. The Conference Plan-ning Committee does not officially endorse any particular product, program, teaching method, activity or handout presented at this conference.

PTAC DAILY SCHEDULE WEDNESDAY, JULY 26, 2017

Session 1 Workshops Wednesday, July 26, 2017 9:30 - 10:20 am



Brain Games for Young Children Tym Smith MDO A120

Red Flag Behaviors: What to Do RIGHT When You Think Something Might Be WRONG *(1,2,4,5) Erika Sanchez MDO C126

Can I Count On You? *(1,2) Peggy Osborne MDO C116

Fired Up Praise & Worship Times for Kids Jana Alayra MDO/PRES Sanctuary

ADHD & Executive Function *(1,2) Susan MacHugh MDO/PRES A128

Effects of Media on Young Children *(1,3) Lori Buxton MDO/PRES M103

The Power of Play *(1,4) Courtney Osborne PRES C112

Bringing Stories to Life *(1,4) Karl Bastian PRES C150

Don’t Burn the Bacon! Marlyn Kramer PRES M105

Science. . . The “S” in STEM *(1,5) Chris Smith PRES Journey

Ten Essential Math Skills to Develop in the Early Years *(1,3) Dr. Carrie Cutler PRES C145

Implementing Ideas: Ignite, Illuminate & Inspire Young Minds *(1,2) Sharon Jackson PRES C125

Children’s Health & Physical Activity Natasha Owoseni PRES C101

Alakazam! You’re Instantly a Better Teacher! *(1,3) Tina Houser PRES F110

Fine Motor Skills. . . Write Out of the Box! Marianne Gibbs PRES A126

Your Daily Schedule — So Much to Balance! *(1,4) Diane Goyette PRES C114


Battling Burnout: How to Fight the Invisible War Albert Wright PRES Summit

Temper Tantrums 101 Christi Priddy PRES M104

The Bible: A Promise & A Plan From a Bigger Than Big God *(1,2) Karen Apple PRES F112

Cooking With Kids *(1,3) Kendolyn Pope PRES M106

Keynote Speaker — Dr. Rick Chromey Dr. Rick Chromey (CEO, Leading from the Edge Presentations and Training) equips leaders to lead, trainers to train and teachers to teach. Rick has special expertise in emerging culture, motivational theory and creative communication. Besides a masters in education, Dr. Chromey also holds an earned doctorate in Leadership and the Emerging Culture. Rick's ability to translate topics and re-imagine information into memorable nug-gets of insight has made him a popular instructor and trainer. Rick is at his best when training people to be highly-motivated, productive and creative. His workshops on leadership styles, creative communication and human motivation (a.k.a. the GROWLS) are guaranteed to spark fresh insights and ideas

Footnote Speaker — Jana Alayra Jana Alayra is an artist with whom many can identify. She is a wife, mother, and friend, busy with the daily routine of tending to the lives of her three daughters and producer husband, Ron. Whether leading a small group with her guitar, or singing for a thousand children and their families, Jana's enthusiasm and love for Christ are evident, sincere and inspiring. When people leave one of Jana's concerts or testimonials, they often say that not only were they entertained and encouraged, but they felt they made a new friend. Jana shares openly about the pain and sorrows in her life, as well as Christ's victory through it all. Her humor and hope are truly encouraging. Hers is a unique ministry of sorrow, celebration, and faith.


Session 2 Workshops Wednesday, July 26, 2017 10:30 - 11:20 am


Sensory Stimulation & Creative Development Tym Smith MDO A120

Red Flag Behaviors: What to Do RIGHT When You Think Something Might Be WRONG *(1,2,4,5) Erika Sanchez MDO C126

Can I Count On You? *(1,2) Peggy Osborne MDO C116

Dealing With Those Little Angels (and Devils): Connecting Spiritual Life & Behavior Rev. Kevin Rudolph PRES Sanctuary

ADHD & Executive Function *(1,2) Susan MacHugh MDO/PRES A128

Preventing & Responding to Relational Aggression in a Preschool Classroom *(2,5) Lori Buxton MDO/PRES M103

TECHnique *(2,5) Courtney Osborne MDO/PRES C112

Secrets of Effective Kid Communicators *(2,5) Karl Bastian PRES C150

The Bible: A Promise & A Plan From a Bigger Than Big God *(1,2) Karen Apple PRES F112

Technology — The “T” in STEM Chris Smith PRES Journey

Here’s One for the Little Guy — Fitting Math into the Early Childhood Curriculum *(2,5) Dr. Carrie Cutler PRES C145

Implementing Ideas: Ignite, Illuminate & Inspire Young Minds *(1,2) Sharon Jackson PRES C125

Play, Play & More Play — Learning Through Play Natasha Owoseni PRES C101

Question — What’s Most Important to Learn? *(2,5) Tina Houser PRES F110

The 12 Prerequisites for Handwriting Skill Acquisition Marianne Gibbs PRES A126

Calming Your Classroom: Helping the Explosive Child Cope *(2,5) Diane Goyette PRES C114


Impossible Co-Parenting: How to Deal with Difficult Parents Albert Wright PRES Summit

Potty Training 101 Christi Priddy PRES M104

Connecting Our Favorite Stories with Math & Science *(2,5) Kendolyn Pope PRES M106

Session 3 Workshops Wednesday, July 26, 2017 11:30 am - 12:20 pm


The Benefits of Music with Infants & Toddlers Brooke Wright MDO A120

Developmental Milestones 2.0 (12 months to 3 years) Christi Priddy MDO M104

I’m Sorry or I Was Wrong. . .Which is Best? Peggy Osborne MDO C116

Effects of Media on Young Children *(1,3) Lori Buxton MDO/PRES M103

Keep Your Cool So the Kids Around You Don’t Lose Theirs! Karen Apple MDO/PRES F112

Fit & Fun for Everyone! Stella King PRES C150

Helpful Hodgepodge Marlyn Kramer PRES M105

Ten Essential Math Skills to Develop in the Early Years *(1,3) Dr. Carrie Cutler PRES C145


Alakazam! You’re Instantly a Better Teacher! *(1,3) Tina Houser PRES F110


Session 4 Workshops Wednesday, July 26, 2017 12:30 pm - 1:20 pm


Understanding Licensing Rules for Infants & Toddlers Tym Smith MDO A120

Together Time with Infants & Older Twos *(4,5) Susan MacHugh MDO A128

Age Appropriate Activities & Curriculum for Infants Albert Wright MDO Summit

SPOT LIGHT ARTIST *(4,5) Nancy Worcester MDO/PRES Sanctuary

The Power of Play *(1,4) Courtney Osborne MDO/PRES C112

Self-Care Strategies: Intentional Interventions for Instructors *(4,5) Sharon Jackson MDO/PRES C125

Bringing Stories to Life *(1,4) Karl Bastian PRES C150

Fit & Fun for Everyone — Pumped Up! Stella King PRES C145

Engineering — The “E” in STEM Chris Smith PRES Journey

Learning Through Play — Centers & Circle Time C. Baxter/L. Davis PRES C127

Playground Safety & Active Supervision Natasha Owoseni PRES C101

Red Flag Behaviors: What to Do RIGHT When You Think Something Might Be WRONG *(1,2,4,5) Erika Sanchez PRES C126

Rockin’ Rodeo *(4,5) Diane Havens PRES C116

Errorless Learning. . .Who Knew? Marianne Gibbs PRES A126

Your Daily Schedule — So Much to Balance! *(1.4) Diane Goyette PRES C114

Session 5 Workshops Wednesday, July 26, 2017 1:30 pm - 2:20 pm

Class Title Workshop Leader Audience Location Abuse & Neglect 2.0 Tym Smith MDO A120

Together Time with Infants & Older Twos *(4,5) Susan MacHugh MDO A128

Age Appropriate Activities & Curriculum for 1’s & 2’s Albert Wright MDO Summit

SPOT LIGHT ARTIST *(4,5) Nancy Worcester MDO/PRES Sanctuary

TECHnique *(2,5) Courtney Osborne MDO/PRES C112

Preventing & Responding to Relational Aggression in a Preschool Classroom *(2,5) Lori Buxton MDO/PRES M103

Self-Care Strategies: Intentional Interventions for Instructors *(4,5) Sharon Jackson MDO/PRES C125

Secrets of Effective Kid Communicators *(2,5) Karl Bastian PRES C150

Reaching Millennial Parents Dr. Rick Chromey PRES F112

Science — The “S” in STEM Chris Smith PRES Journey

Here’s One for the Little Guy — Fitting Math into the EC Curriculum *(2,5) Dr. Carrie Cutler PRES C145

The Power of Play — Encouraging Children Natasha Owoseni PRES C101

Red Flag Behaviors: What to Do RIGHT When You Think Something Might Be WRONG *(1,2,4,5) Erika Sanchez PRES C126

Question — What’s Most Important to Learn? *(2,5) Tina Houser PRES F110

I Can Do It Myself! Marianne Gibbs PRES A126

Calming Your Classroom: Helping the Explosive Child Cope *(2,5) Diane Goyette PRES C114


Gather Round, It’s Circle Time! Marlyn Kramer PRES M105

Developmental Milestones 3.0 Christi Priddy PRES M104


Connecting Our Favorite Stories with Math & Science *(2,5) Kendolyn Pope PRES M106

Afternoon Speaker Wednesday, July 26, 2017 2:35 pm - 3:30 pm Jana Alayra All Conference Attendees should report to the Worship Center at this time.

The 12 Prerequisites for Handwriting Skill Acquisition PRES Informative discussion-based session identifies, analyzes, and explains facilitation of the key components determining handwriting readiness in young children (e.g. hand dominance acquisition, crossing of the midline, & 10 other topics). Set children up for future, efficient handwriting suc-cess with your new knowledge! Speaker: Marianne Gibbs FA: Age Appropriate Curriculum Abuse & Neglect 2.0 MDO Being aware of child abuse laws and regulations is more than being able to recognize a bruise. Come and learn more about the laws surrounding this difficult subject, as well as tips for keeping our children safe. Speaker: Tym Smith FA: Professional Development

ADHD & Executive Function MDO/PRES Come and explore this developmental disorder of self-control and brain-storm effective classroom management strategies. Learn how to make curriculum adjustments, increase incentives, maintain a strong relation-ship with parents, and develop self-management skills for young chil-dren. Receive resource information that will become an available tool for your continuing educational journey. Offered in sessions 1 & 2. Speaker: Susan MacHugh FA: Care of Children with Special Needs

Age Appropriate Activities & Curriculum for 1’s & 2’s MDO Curriculum isn’t only what and how you teach but also why you teach. It is important that we plan activities to support development in our 1 and 2 year olds classes. As educators, we are not babysitters, and must en-gage our children with age appropriate activities. With correct activities and curriculum, we can promote creative movement, problem solving, and sensory development. Speaker: Albert Wright FA: Age Appropriate Curriculum Age Appropriate Activities & Curriculum for Infants MDO Curriculum is not only what and how you teach but also why you teach. It is important that we plan activities to support the major areas of so-cial/emotional development in infants. As educators, we are not babysitters, and therefore must engage infants. With the correct activi-ties, we can promote coordination, sensory development, and visual stimulation. Speaker: Albert Wright FA: Age Appropriate Curriculum

Alakazam! You’re Instantly a Better Teacher! PRES Haven’t you sometimes wished that you could just say the magic word and you’d be better at teaching preschoolers? Well, it’s almost like mag-ic. There are some INSTANT tweaks to your teaching — that won’t cost you bucks — but will make you so much better at what you do. Join me for the magic! Offered in sessions 1 & 3. Speaker: Tina Houser FA: Professional Development Battling Burnout: How to Fight the Invisible War PRES Burnout is a type of psychological stress that creates an invisible battle that doesn’t fight fair. Battling burnout requires effort and self-realization, but can lead to exhaustion, lack of enthusiasm, feeling of ineffectiveness, and frustration. Learn to recognize the signs of burnout and stabilize yourself and those around you so that your team can reach it’s full potential! Speaker: Albert Wright FA: Professional Development The Benefits of Music with Infants & Toddlers MDO Studies have shown that early musical training benefits children even before they can walk or talk. Your infants and toddlers that participate in interactive music classes will smile more, communicate better, and show earlier and more sophisticated brain responses to music. This session will show you how to integrate music into your everyday routine. Speaker: Brooke Wright FA: Music & Movement

The Bible: A Promise & A Plan From a Bigger Than Big God PRES From the beginning to end, God’s Word is about a relationship God wants with us and every one of our kids. Discover what some of our favorite Bible stories reveal about God’s promises, His great, big plan and the boundless depth of His character. People, chronology, context and a few fun facts can take your Bible lessons from good to GREAT and make each learning adventure life changing! Offered in sessions 1 & 2. Speaker: Karen Apple FA: Age Appropriate Curriculum Brain Games for Young Children MDO Come and have fun learning simple games to help build the minds of young children. Connections on the outside build connections on the inside! Speaker: Tym Smith FA: Age Appropriate Curriculum

Bringing Stories to Life PRES There is a reason that Jesus used stories to tell about life. Life IS a story. History is “HIS Story.” Learn the secrets of how to be an amazing story-teller and how to have your kids on the edge of their seats when you tell stories! Offered in sessions 1 & 4. Speaker: Karl Bastian FA: Age Appropriate Curriculum Calming Your Classroom: Helping the Explosive Child Cope PRES Sometimes a child tends to react in extreme ways to certain situations. These extremely challenging behaviors can feel like explosions because they happen so quickly and are so powerful. The child’s behavior is tell-ing us that they don’t have the skills to handle the situation appropriate-ly. We can work to address the underlying problem, help the child cope with stress, and teach the child new skills. Get ready to help your class-room become a calmer place. Sessions 2 & 5. Speaker: Diane Goyette FA: Teacher-Child Interactions Can I Count On You? MDO When a baby learns to trust when he is young. . .he is wired for the rest of his life! But won’t I spoil the baby if I meet all of his needs right away? HELP! Join us as we talk about what research is saying about this topic and what strategies are good to be using in the classroom! Offered in sessions 1 & 2. Speaker: Peggy Osborne FA: Teacher-Child Interactions Children’s Health & Physical Activity PRES Statistics reveal an alarming increase in childhood obesity. We will ex-plore fun and creative ways to engage children in physical activities and healthy eating to incorporate healthier lifestyles. Speaker: Natasha Owoseni FA: Music & Movement Connecting Our Favorite Stories with Math & Science PRES Story time is often a teacher’s favorite time of the day, and science or math might be a least favorite. Learn how to extend classic stories into simple math and science lessons that can be taught quickly with minimal prep and supplies. Favorite stories can be wonderful starting point for lessons across the curriculum. Offered in sessions 2 & 5) Speaker: Kendolyn Pope FA: Math & Science Cooking With Kids PRES Let’s get cooking! Cooking with young children can be a daunting task, but it can be done! In this workshop, we’ll explore how to introduce young children to the math and science concepts inherent in the cooking process. We’ll have fun as we measure, pour, scoop, and stir our way through quick and easy recipes that everyone is sure to love! Partici-pants will leave with a cookbook full of recipes, tips for classroom and time management during cooking projects. Offered in sessions 1 & 3. Speaker: Kendolyn Pope FA: Child Health

WORKSHOP DESCRIPTIONS WEDNESDAY, JULY 26, 2017

Dealing With Those Little Angels (and Devils): PRES Connecting Spiritual Life & Behavior James Dobson was famous for encouraging adults to “shape the will” of children without “breaking the spirit”. That’s a wonderful thing to say, but just how does one accomplish that in the classroom? Just what can young children understand about being spiritual people? How can we shape their wills without breaking their spirits? This session will look at the extraordinary opportunity to teach spiritual truths to children that will last them their whole lives! Speaker: Rev. Kevin Rudolph FA: Child Growth & Development Developmental Milestones 2.0 (12 months to 3 years) MDO This session contains an overview of developmental milestones for chil-dren ages 12 months to 3 years. Speaker: Christi Priddy FA: Observation & Assessment Developmental Milestones 3.0 PRES This session provides an overview of the developmental milestones for preschool-aged children ages 3 to 5 years. Speaker: Christi Priddy FA: Observation & Assessment Don’t Burn the Bacon! PRES Participants in this session will learn the safety issues of cooking with young children, benefits of classroom cooking, TEKS that can be imple-mented through cooking, and examples of how to successfully implement cooking projects in the classroom. Speaker: Marlyn Kramer FA: Age Appropriate Curriculum Errorless Learning. . . Who Knew? PRES This session involves significant self-reflection and interaction using a strategy for reflective learning called Errorless Learning. The session en-gages learners in a meta-cognitive approach to assessing their own teach-ing strategies and shares a new way to evoke children’s esteem during the process of acquiring academic mastery. Speaker: Marianne Gibbs FA: Age Appropriate Curriculum Effects of the Media on Young Children MDO/PRES We are experiencing a significant increase in television programming and advertising that is targeted at young children with no shortage of devices available for them to access to television, games, and videos. Research is coming out every day pointing to the effects of over-exposure to media and technology. Learn how we can educate and support parents in pro-moting healthy balance in this technology-filled world. Offered in sessions 1 & 3. Speaker: Lori Buxton FA: Age Appropriate Curriculum Engineering — The “E” in STEM PRES Are you up to the challenge? Then join us for an interactive experience in solving problems using play and open-ended play materials to explore the possibilities of engineering in an early childhood classroom that promotes curiosity and higher level thinking. Design — build — test — and then try, try again! Become an engineer! Speaker: Chris Smith FA: Math & Science Fine Motor Skills. . . Write Out of the Box! PRES Engaging and hands-on presentation of the fine motor development of young children 3-6 years old. This session contains essential, rarely ad-dressed information for educators of all young children, which supports pencil grasp and pre-writing development across the curriculum. Activi-ties & techniques are ready to use in the classroom tomorrow! Speaker: Marianne Gibbs FA: Age Appropriate Curriculum

Fired Up Praise & Worship Times for Kids MDO/PRES Come and join Jana and get some fresh ideas on how to pump up your praise and worship time to bring out the best in your students! Speaker: Jana Alayra FA: Music & Movement Fit & Fun for Everyone! PRES Come join us for an interactive session to learn a variety of ways to exer-cise your heart for preschool children in a large group, small group, in-doors, outdoors, on a fit & fun budget — or no budget at all! Exercising your heart can be done anywhere and everywhere! Come learn ways to exercise your heart in the classroom, outside & everywhere in between! Speaker: Stella King FA: Music & Movement Fit & Fun for Everyone — Pumped Up! PRES Come join us for an interactive session where you will learn ways to add exercise to any activity. You can add exercise to everything that you do! From science, to math, to letter learning — there is always time to exer-cise your heart! Come learn how you can make ‘activ’ ities active! Speaker: Stella King FA: Music & Movement Fun With Physics! PRES This session introduces teachers to the wonders of physics through mag-nets, sound, simple machines, flight, and color and light. Participants will do attention-getting experiments, such as using a ping pong ball and blow drier to teach about air pressure. Sound cups, tuning forks, spinning pen-nies and feathers bring understanding about sound and flight. Using mag-nets for car races and painting are part of the fun! Catapults and shadow puppets round out this hands-on session. Your students will love learning about physics! Offered in sessions 1, 2, 3, and 5. Speaker: Barbara Cargill FA: Math & Science Gather Round, It’s Circle Time! PRES Circle Time is an important part of the early childhood classroom, but are we making the most of it? Through Power Point presentation, whole group activities, & hands-on activities, participants will discover how to take advantage of 3-5 minute fun segments of Circle Time to teach a wide variety of objectives including reading, writing, math, and science! Fun & energetic! Speaker: Marlyn Kramer FA: Age Appropriate Curriculum Helpful Hodgepodge PRES Ever wonder “why didn’t I think of this sooner?” Participants will learn a collection of innovative organizational tips, classroom management tech-niques, transition activities, behavior management plans, and ways to repurpose materials. Fun and fast-paced! Good for new and veteran teachers of all ages! Speaker: Marlyn Kramer FA: Age Appropriate Curriculum Here’s One for the Little Guy — PRES Fitting Math into the Early Childhood Curriculum Uncertain how to squeeze math into an already crowded day? Learn five easy principles and plenty of lesson ideas for integrating worthwhile mathematics with students’ natural curiosity, literacy, assessment, and play. Offered in sessions 2 & 5. Speaker: Dr. Carrie Cutler FA: Math & Science I Can Do It By Myself! PRES A fun and self-reflective workshop that focuses on raising awareness among teachers and sharing new strategies for developing the self-help and independence skills of young children. Speaker: Marianne Gibbs FA: Age Appropriate Curriculum

WORKSHOP DESCRIPTIONS—CONTINUED WEDNESDAY, JULY 26, 2017

Implementing Ideas: Ignite, Illuminate, & Inspire Young Minds PRES How do we foster the development of children with creativity and flexi-bility to ensure that we are educating and supporting 21st century learn-ers? How can our classrooms, our plans and the experiences that we plan follow the interests and curiosity of the child? Questions, activities, and resources will be a part of this session as we examine and discuss research on learning and share thoughts and successful strategies to-gether. Offered in sessions 1 & 2. Speaker: Sharon Jackson FA: Age Appropriate Curriculum Impossible Co-Parenting: How to Deal With Difficult Parents PRES Building relationships with parents is a huge part of an educator’s job, but dealing with difficult parents can seem impossible at times. This session will show you how to take on the idea of co-parenting, even with individuals that seem impossible to get along with. It’s important to fo-cus on the outcome, and not the current turmoil! Speaker: Albert Wright FA: Parent Communication

I’m Sorry or I Was Wrong. . .Which is Best? PRES What is the best way to lay a foundation when they are young so that they can have deeper, more long-lasting relationships when they are older? Join us as we discuss conflict resolution with young children. Learning to say the right words early can make a difference for a life-time! Speaker: Peggy Osborne FA: Child Growth & Development

Keep Your Cool So the Kids Around You Don’t Lose Theirs! MDO/PRES Preschoolers are on a behavioral learning curve. They look at us to pro-vide models they are bound to follow. Adopt attitudes, strategies, and simple techniques to maximize classroom management and teach young learners how to “cool their engines, keep cool & successfully motor on.” Speaker: Karen Apple FA: Teacher-Child Interactions

Learning Through Play — Centers & Circle Time PRES Centers and circle time are exciting ways of learning for little minds and hands! We will share many teaching games and manipulatives that are fun and can be incorporated in with your lesson plans. A fun and ex-citing learning experience promotes a confident and joyful child and sends them on their way better prepared for the next step in their edu-cation — and beyond! Speakers: Cindy Baxter & Leisha Davis FA: Age Appropriate Curriculum Playground Safety & Active Supervision PRES Just how effective is your playground safety plan? Many times we be-lieve that our centers are compliant, when in reality, there are so many components lacking to ensure all children are safe and that their outdoor play areas are free from harm. In this session, we will explore ways to ensure safety compliance at all times. Speaker: Natasha Owoseni FA: Discipline & Guidance

Play, Play & More Play — Learning Through Play PRES How powerful is play to the growth and development of children? Play is effective in increasing the creative power in children and promoting healthy brain development. Essentially, it’s beneficial for children to enhance developmental stages and incorporate play as one of the key components on their road of developmental discovery. In this session, we will discover how powerful play is and ways to increase opportunities for play in our daily educational programs. Speaker: Natasha Owoseni FA: Age Appropriate Curriculum

Potty Training 101 PRES Come learn the ins and outs of potty training! Learn how to read a child’s cues to know when they are ready to conquer potty training and how to partner with parents to make this transition easy and exciting! Speaker: Christi Priddy FA: Child Growth & Development

The Power of Play MDO/PRES Play is the foundation of learning. Come and learn about why play is important and ways that you can engage children, infants through PreK, in a fun, learning rich environment. Offered in sessions 1 & 4. Speaker: Courtney Osborne FA: Age Appropriate Curriculum

The Power of Praise — Encouraging Children PRES Motivation is the factor in all that we do for the young children that we serve. We will discuss positive affirmations and motivational tips to help encourage the children in our care. Speaker: Natasha Owoseni FA: Teacher-Child Interactions Preventing & Responding to Relational Aggression MDO/PRES in a Preschool Classroom Teachers are spending more and more time trying to put out these rag-ing infernos of emotion in young children. How can we reach and teach children who are struggling to self-regulate? What is driving the out-bursts and can it be managed? What kind of environment can we create that promotes appropriate responses to extreme emotion? Join the conversation as we discuss strategies for these challenging behaviors. Offered in sessions 2 & 5. Speaker: Lori Buxton FA: Teacher-Child Interactions Question: What’s Most Important to Learn? PRES Answer: Executive Function skills. HOLD ON — don’t leave! That sounds a little scary, doesn’t it? The four basic executive function skills are vital for preschoolers to master and we will show you a bunch of fun ways to help them do just that! In typical “Tina Houser style”, there’ll be lots of practical hands-on examples. Offered in sessions 2 & 5. Speaker: Tina Houser FA: Age Appropriate Curriculum

Reaching Millennial Parents PRES The celebrated “Baby On Board” generation (b. 1982-2004) is now par-enting and emerging iTech Generation (born since 2005). Millennial parents don’t “helicopter” like Gen Xers and Boomers did, but they do drone (“hover”) parent. In this insightful session you’ll learn the latest research and historical analysis on Gen Y and why you’ll need to change some things as you teach and lead this new generation of parents. Speaker: Dr. Rick Chromey FA: Parent Communication Red Flag Behaviors: What To Do RIGHT MDO When You Think Something Might Be WRONG Learn about the characteristic red flag behaviors teachers may experi-ence in the classroom for ages infant through preschool. Participants will learn strategies for observation and documentation, as well as how to talk with administrators and parents. Find out what you can do to initiate the early intervention process. Offered in sessions 1, 2, 4 & 5. Speaker: Erika Sanchez FA: Observation & Assessment Rockin’ Rodeo PRES Saddle up and get galloping with the Noodle Lady! Come ready to talk to your horse, clean up after your horse, feed your horse and lasso the calves! Easy and cheap equipment. Make and take your lasso! Yee Haw! Offered in sessions 4 & 5. Speaker: Diane Havens FA: Music & Movement Science — The “S” in STEM PRES You can become a scientist exploring Project Air. . . Air. . . Everywhere! We will generate some questions. . . Is air real? Can you prove it? Can it be your friend? Will it play with you? Is it strong? Is it heavy? We will experiment to discover the answers. . . But watch out! We may end up with more questions than we started with! Offered in sessions 1 & 5. Speaker: Chris Smith FA: Math & Science

WORKSHOP DESCRIPTIONS—CONTINUED WEDNESDAY, JULY 26,

Secrets of Effective Kid Communicators PRES What is the difference between a teacher and a communicator? A teach-er can change minds, but a communicator can change hearts. Learn the subtle secrets of what gives some teachers that extra edge of effective-ness when they teach. Learn how to engage and inspire those you influ-ence. Develop some often over-looked skills that will give your teaching extra impact! Offered in sessions 2 & 5. Speaker: Karl Bastian FA: Teacher-Child Interactions Self-Care Strategies: Intentional Interventions MDO/PRES For Instructors How can we translate the care we provide daily for little ones into taking the time to care for ourselves as well? The importance of self-care and the realization that a few intentional moments focused on our own needs can ensure that we are effective and healthy in our classrooms each day. The focus will center on approaches to address physical, men-tal, emotional, and spiritual wellness for those who work with children every day. Offered in sessions 4 & 5. Speaker: Sharon Jackson FA: Professional Development Sensory Stimulation & Creative Development MDO Don’t be afraid to make a mess! Come and learn productive ways to meet these basic cognitive skills with infants and toddlers. Speaker: Tym Smith FA: Age Appropriate Curriculum SPOT LIGHT ARTIST — Nancy Worcester MDO/PRES Nancy Worcester is an entertaining performer with an inspirational mes-sage and the ability to capture the attention of audiences of any age. She specializes in storytelling and live dialogue-based entertainment resulting in activities that can transfer emotions and feelings and actually boost thinking capacity, helping children learn to make good decisions and understand cause-and-effect. Offered in sessions 4 & 5. Ten Essential Math Skills to Develop in the Early Years PRES Math instruction in preschool should be intentional and purposeful (not accidental or incidental). Concepts of number should be the focus, but rather than teaching with rote procedures or memorization, preschool teachers should use hands-on, developmentally appropriate strategies to engage learners in building concepts of number sense. Learn dozens of engaging tasks that help children develop number sense concepts in meaningful ways. Offered in sessions 1 & 3. Speaker: Dr. Carrie Cutler FA: Math & Science

TECHnique MDO/PRES We live in a technology-rich environment. Come and learn about what technology is safe and acceptable for our children. How can we bring technology into our classrooms with best practices? Sessions 2 & 5. Speaker: Courtney Osborne FA: Age Appropriate Curriculum Technology — The “T” In STEM PRES Explore the possibilities for our little learners that involve learning to code, experimenting with robotics, and using technology to learn and create. Can you move the turtle over the bridge? Can you create a color story or chronicle the birth of a butterfly? Let’s take a look at what amazing opportunities are out there for our “Tiny Techies.” Speaker: Chris Smith FA: Music & Science

Temper Tantrums 101 PRES Come learn how to decipher why a child tantrums, what is normal be-havior and how to help a child overcome tantrums before they become a distraction in the classroom. Speaker: Christi Priddy FA: Observation & Assessment Together Time with Infants, Toddlers & Older Twos MDO Come and discover the importance of creating an age appropriate setting for the youngest children. See how you can engage these children by designing an inviting and tranquil setting where infants and toddlers can gather together to explore and learn. Offered in sessions 4 & 5. Speaker: Susan MacHugh FA: Age Appropriate Curriculum Understanding Licensing Rules for Infants & Toddlers MDO Children 0–18 months have completely different licensing regulations than preschool children. From group size, basic care requirements, to diaper changing, this session is imperative for any caregiver working in these early childhood classrooms. Speaker: Tym Smith FA: Professional Development Your Daily Schedule — So Much to Balance! PRES Your classroom daily schedule should be a balance of many types of ac-tivities, with a minimum of waiting in between. Learn how to make your day as full of fun and learning as possible, with many opportunities for individual and small group interactions with children. With a strong, balanced schedule, your classroom will have fewer discipline problems, too! Offered in sessions 1 & 4. Speaker: Diane Goyette FA: Professional Development

WORKSHOP DESCRIPTIONS—CONTINUED WEDNESDAY, JULY 26, 2017

Notes Each workshop is 50 minutes long (except where noted) and will have open seating on a first-come, first-served basis. We ask that you not save more than 1 seat in a particular workshop.

We recommend that you have at least two alternates chosen in advance for each session time. Please respect “Session Full” signs, as sitting on the floor is a violation of Fire Safety Codes.

Disclaimer — The opinions expressed by presenters and/or exhibitors are their own, and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Conference Planning Committee, The Adventure Preschool, or Windwood Presbyterian Church. The Conference Planning Committee does not officially endorse any particular prod-uct, program, teaching method, activity or handout presented at this conference.

PTAC DAILY SCHEDULE THURSDAY, JULY 27, 2017

Session 1 Workshops Thursday, July 27, 2017 9:30 - 10:20 am


Class Title Workshop Leader Audience Location Age Appropriate Activities & Curriculum for Infants Albert Wright MDO M104

The Benefits of Music with Infants & Toddlers *(1,2) Brooke Wright MDO C114

Montessori Method Basics: Components of the Classroom for 2’s *(1,3) Kimberly Stephens MDO M103

Music for Preschool *(1,2) Shelley Akins MDO/PRES Sanctuary

Adding “Relationship Time” to Your Curriculum *(1,4) Diane Goyette MDO/PRES C126

Time Out: Self Care for Caregivers Thecia Jenkins MDO/PRES A120

Developmentally Appropriate Practice: Guidelines for Ensuring Your Expectations are Realistic Yet Challenging *(1,2) Dr. Carrie Cutler PRES C145

Making Your Class Rock! *(1,3) Karl Bastian PRES C101

Generations: Boom, X, Millennials, iTech *(1,4) Dr. Rick Chromey PRES Summit

Sculpture: A 3-D Experience! *(1,2) Chris Smith PRES Journey

Assessments & Observations Tym Smith PRES C150

Teaching Holy Habits *(1,4) Tina Houser PRES F110

Faith Development for Young Children *(1,2) Susan MacHugh PRES A128

Check Your Face & Other Body Parts at the Door! *(1,3) Marianne Gibbs PRES A126

Stick With It Science! *(1,2,3,5) Barbara Cargill PRES Youth


Boys, Boys, Boys! *(1,2) Courtney Osborne PRES C112

Identify, Avoid, & Plan Ahead: Strategies for Self-Defense *(1,2,3) Melanie Michaelchuk PRES C125

Science Center on a Shoestring! *(1,4) Kendolyn Pope PRES M106

Emotional Development in Young Children Kara Gore PRES M105

Keynote Speaker — Dennis Lee Dennis Lee has been performing for children and the people who care for children for over 41 years. He is a gifted, award winning ventriloquist, author, storyteller, and musician from Dallas, Texas who has crafted 36 episodes for TV, DVD’s, CD’s, countless children’s books, and hundreds of songs. As remarkable as that sounds, it is Dennis Lee’s humble spirit, contagious enthusiasm, and kind heart that remain his greatest gifts. His intention when performing is to have each audience member walk away with their sides aching with laughter, their hearts filled with encouragement, and their lives uplifted and changed for the better!

Footnote Speaker — Anita Renfroe It’s been a wild decade going from “stay-at-home-mom” to “YouTube comedic Phe-mom-enon” — but Anita Renfroe doesn’t mind. With her unique brand of estrogen flavored musical comedy and blend of sass, edge and slightly offbeat takes on All Things Female, audiences at her comedy concert tours, viewers of Good Morn-ing America appearances and the YouTube masses who enjoyed her William Tell version of everything a Mom says, would say that Anita just tells it like it is. Some would say she just says what everyone else is thinking, but won’t say out loud. Anita tours with her own comedy concerts and inspirational women’s conferences where she routinely packs out venues across the United States.


Session 2 Workshops Thursday, July 27, 2017 10:30 - 11:20 am

Session 3 Workshops Thursday, July 27, 2017 11:20 am - 12:20 pm

Class Title Workshop Leader Audience Location Age Appropriate Activities & Curriculum for 1’s & 2’s Albert Wright MDO M104

The Benefits of Music with Infants & Toddlers *(1,2) Brooke Wright MDO C114

Montessori Method 2 for 2’s *(2,5) Kimberly Stephens MDO M103

Music for Preschool *(1,2) Shelley Akins MDO/PRES Sanctuary

Do You DAP? Developmentally Appropriate Practice in Action *(2,5) Diane Goyette MDO/PRES C126

Growing Smart Kids *(2,5) Thecia Jenkins MDO/PRES A120

Developmentally Appropriate Practice: Guidelines for Ensuring Your Expectations are Realistic Yet Challenging *(1,2) Dr. Carrie Cutler MDO/PRES C145

Creative Arts Help Make Bible Truths “Sticky” Karen Apple PRES F112

Roots & Fruits: Planting, Tending, & Harvesting a Classroom of Learners *(2,5) Dr. Rick Chromey PRES Summit

Sculpture: A 3-D Experience! *(1,2) Chris Smith PRES Journey

Becoming a Reflective & Intentional Teacher Tym Smith PRES C150

Oh My Goodness! *(2,5) Tina Houser PRES F110

Faith Development for Young Children *(1,2) Susan MacHugh PRES A128

“Sit Right,” “Walk Right,” “Hold It Right,” & Other Useless Commands Marianne Gibbs PRES A126



Boys, Boys, Boys! *(1,2) Courtney Osborne PRES C112



Preschool Stressors Kara Gore PRES M105


Montessori Method Basics: Components of the Classroom for 2’s *(1,3) Kimberly Stephens MDO M103

Music for Little Ones *(3,4) Shelley Akins MDO/PRES Sanctuary

Music & the Brain *(3,5) Courtney Osborne MDO/PRES C112

Dealing With Those Little Angels (and Devils): Connecting Spiritual Life & Behavior Rev. Kevin Rudolph PRES A120

Making Your Class Rock! *(1,3) Karl Bastian PRES C101

Partner with Parents to Provide “Lifestyle Learning” Karen Apple PRES F112

Understand the Texas Pre-K Guidelines Tym Smith PRES C150

Fit & Fun for Everyone! Stella King PRES M104


Check Your Face & Other Body Parts at the Door! *(1,3) Marianne Gibbs PRES A126


Session 4 Workshops Thursday, July 27, 2017 12:30 pm - 1:20 pm

Session 5 Workshops Thursday, July 27, 2017 1:30 pm - 2:20 pm



Advanced Toddler Development Kara Gore MDO M105

Music for Little Ones *(3,4) Shelley Akins MDO/PRES Sanctuary

Adding “Relationship Time” to Your Curriculum *(1,4) Diane Goyette MDO/PRES C126

Science Center on a Shoestring! *(1,4) Kendolyn Pope PRES M106

Generations: Boom, X, Millennials, iTech *(1,4) Dr. Rick Chromey PRES Summit

Learning Through Play — Centers & Circle Time C. Baxter/L. Davis PRES C127

On-Going, Authentic Assessment — Letting the Parents In Chris Smith PRES Journey

Fit & Fun for Everyone — Pumped Up! Stella King PRES M103

Teaching Holy Habits *(1,4) Tina Houser PRES F110

Cooking, Snack Time & Conversation with Preschoolers *(4,5) Susan MacHugh PRES A128


The Inclusion Classroom: How to Build & Execute LRE Albert Wright PRES M104

Class Title Workshop Leader Audience Location STEM for Infants & Toddlers: Putting Little Problems in Their Way to Engage *(4,5) Dr. Carrie Cutler MDO C145

Montessori Method 2 for 2’s *(2,5) Kimberly Stephens MDO M103

Do You DAP? Developmentally Appropriate Practice in Action *(2,5) Diane Goyette MDO/PRES C126

Growing Smart Kids *(2,5) Thecia Jenkins MDO/PRES A120

Music & the Brain *(3,5) Courtney Osborne MDO/PRES C112

Unleashing Your Own Creativity Karl Bastian PRES C101

Roots & Fruits: Planting, Tending, & Harvesting a Classroom of Learners *(2,5) Dr. Rick Chromey PRES Summit

Keep Your Cool So the Kids Around You Don’t Lose Theirs! Karen Apple PRES F112

The Family Connection Chris Smith PRES Journey

The Nine Essential Learning Centers Tym Smith PRES C150

Oh My Goodness! *(2,5) Tina Houser PRES F110

Cooking, Snack Time & Conversation with Preschoolers *(4,5) Susan MacHugh PRES A128

Making Sense of Sensational Senses! Marianne Gibbs PRES A126


Impossible Co-Parenting: How to Deal with Difficult Parents Albert Wright PRES M104



Prayer Can Be Exciting for Preschoolers! Peggy Osborne PRES C116

Respectful Interactions Between Teacher & Child Kara Gore PRES M105

Afternoon Speaker Thursday, July 27, 2017 2:35 pm - 3:30 pm Anita Renfroe All Conference Attendees should report to the Worship Center at this time.

Adding “Relationship Time” to Your Curriculum MDO/PRES Most of the brain’s development happens within the first 5 years of life, and the most important influence on this development is the responsive relationship of a caring adult. When you create opportunities for building and maintaining adult-child relationships into your classroom, you are providing the best brain-building tool that there is! Make relationships your top priority. Offered in sessions 1 & 4. Speaker: Diane Goyette FA: Teacher-Child Interactions Advanced Toddler Development MDO Toddlers are wonderful and weird! They are experiencing difficult physi-cal challenges and working towards important developmental mile-stones. Additionally, they lack crucial social skills and need extremely specific environments! We will put ourselves in their shoes! Speaker: Kara Gore FA: Child Growth & Development Age Appropriate Activities & Curriculum for 1’s & 2’s MDO Curriculum isn’t only what and how you teach but also why you teach. It is important that we plan activities to support development in our 1 and 2 year olds classes. As educators, we are not babysitters, and must en-gage our children with age appropriate activities. With correct activities and curriculum, we can promote creative movement, problem solving, and sensory development. Speaker: Albert Wright FA: Age Appropriate Curriculum Age Appropriate Activities & Curriculum for Infants MDO Curriculum is not only what and how you teach but also why you teach. It is important that we plan activities to support the major areas of social/emotional development in infants. As educators, we are not babysitters, and therefore must engage infants. With the correct activities, we can promote coordination, sensory development, and visual stimulation. Speaker: Albert Wright FA: Age Appropriate Curriculum

Assessments & Observations PRES This session will discuss tips and techniques to help teachers make the most of assessments in their classrooms. Speaker: Tym Smith FA: Observation & Assessment

Becoming a Reflective & Intentional Teacher PRES Are you ready to take your career to the next level? This open discussion will focus around reflection and making the most of teachable moments using your own experiences. Speaker: Tym Smith FA: Professional Development The Benefits of Music with Infants & Toddlers MDO Studies have shown that early musical training benefits children even before they can walk or talk. Your infants and toddlers that participate in interactive music classes will smile more, communicate better, and show earlier and more sophisticated brain responses to music. This session will show you how to integrate music into your everyday routine. Offered in sessions 1 & 2. Speaker: Brooke Wright FA: Music & Movement

Boys, Boys, Boys! PRES Oh no! A roster FULL of boys! This session will focus on constructive ways to teach our boys how to reach their educational, spiritual, and emotional needs. Offered in sessions 1 & 2. Speaker: Courtney Osborne FA: Child Growth & Development Check Your Face & Other Body Parts at the Door! PRES Spend this session checking out yourself and how your physical affect and actions may impact the young children you serve. A unique opportunity to reflect on your physical self and how that contributes to building es-teem, rapport, & trust in young children. Offered in sessions 1 & 3. Speaker: Marianne Gibbs FA: Age Appropriate Curriculum

Cooking, Snack Time & Conversation With Preschoolers PRES Come and experience the art of cooking with young children. Learn how to measure, mix, and create age appropriate and theme-based snacks. Find out about the necessary equipment needed to build a successful kitchen in your preschool classroom. Offered in sessions 4 & 5. Speaker: Susan MacHugh FA: Age Appropriate Curriculum Cooking With Kids PRES Let’s get cooking! Cooking with young children can be a daunting task, but it can be done! In this workshop, we’ll explore how to introduce young children to the math and science concepts inherent in the cooking process. We’ll have fun as we measure, pour, scoop, and stir our way through quick and easy recipes that everyone is sure to love! Participants will leave with a cookbook full of recipes, tips for classroom and time management during cooking projects. Offered in sessions 2 & 5. Speaker: Kendolyn Pope FA: Age Appropriate Curriculum

Creative Arts Help Make Bible Truths “Sticky” PRES Music, graphic arts, and movement help develop the right brain in a school setting that generally stimulates and nurtures left brain thinking. Activities full of interactive music, art, and movement help make God’s Word understandable and “STICKY”. Speaker: Karen Apple FA: Age Appropriate Curriculum

Dealing With Those Little Angels (and Devils): PRES Connecting Spiritual Life & Behavior James Dobson was famous for encouraging adults to “shape the will” of children without “breaking the spirit”. That’s a wonderful thing to say, but just how does one accomplish that in the classroom? Just what can young children understand about being spiritual people? How can we shape their wills without breaking their spirits? This session will look at the extraordinary opportunity to teach spiritual truths to children that will last them their whole lives! Speaker: Rev. Kevin Rudolph FA: Child Growth & Development Developmentally Appropriate Practice: Guidelines for MDO/PRES Ensuring Your Expectations are Realistic Yet Challenging Teaching practices should attend to the child as an individual, be aligned with his age and level of development, and responsive to his interests and cultural background. This is a tall order! Join us to learn what DAP is and how it informs your work. We’ll discuss developmental milestones, expectations for learners, and setting up a DAP classroom. Offered in sessions 1 & 2. Speaker: Dr. Carrie Cutler FA: Child Growth & Development Do You DAP? MDO/PRES Developmentally Appropriate Practice in Action DAP means meeting children where they are and helping them to reach challenging and achievable goals. Identify the five aspects of good teach-ing, and explore examples of developmentally appropriate practices and activities for each. You will be ready to provide what your children need most to grow and learn! Offered in sessions 2 and 5. Speaker: Diane Goyette FA: Child Growth & Development Emotional Development in Young Children PRES How young children experience and interpret the world around them influences their sense of security, confidence, self-image and much more! We will discuss responsive caregiving, how to help children deal with challenges, and the importance of discussing “feelings’ with even the youngest of children. Emotionally healthy children grow up to become compassionate, self-confident, and empowered adults! Speaker: Kara Gore FA: Child Growth & Development

WORKSHOP DESCRIPTIONS THURSDAY, JULY 27, 2017

Faith Development for Young Children PRES Learn how to develop a faith based Christian circle time for preschoolers. See how songs, Bible stories, art projects, and drama can build upon a young child’s curiosity and understanding of God’s creation of the world leading to the birth of Jesus Christ and His ministry. Find out how pup-pets, flannel figures, and concrete activities can illustrate to young chil-dren just how much God loves us! Offered in sessions 1 & 2. Speaker: Susan MacHugh FA: Age Appropriate Curriculum The Family Connection PRES Whether it’s a simple cup of coffee “connection,” providing family sup-port, or deepening parent engagement with interactive solutions, WE ARE BETTER TOGETHER! Join in a time of exploring specific tools, strategies and creative solutions for strengthening parent involvement with a hands-on approach because — at the close of the day — a child’s success is overwhelmingly dependent on the positive involvement of parents. Let’s make it happen! Speaker: Chris Smith FA: Parent Communication Fit & Fun for Everyone! PRES Come join us for an interactive session to learn a variety of ways to exer-cise your heart for preschool children in a large group, small group, in-doors, outdoors, on a fit & fun budget — or no budget at all! Exercising your heart can be done anywhere and everywhere! Come learn ways to exercise your heart in the classroom, outside & everywhere in between! Speaker: Stella King FA: Music & Movement

Fit & Fun for Everyone — Pumped Up! PRES Come join us for an interactive session where you will learn ways to add exercise to any activity. You can add exercise to everything that you do! From science, to math, to letter learning — there is always time to exer-cise your heart! Come learn how you can make ‘activ’ ities active! Speaker: Stella King FA: Music & Movement

Generations: Boom, X, Millennials, iTech PRES Currently four American generations are active in the social fabric of our country and each one is distinctive. In this session, you’ll discover the differences between the Boom (1943-1960), Gen X (1961-1981), Millenni-al (1982-2004), and the emerging iTech (2005-present) generations and how to interact, lead, and engage each one. If you want to know where we’ve come from and where we’re going, this session is for you! Offered in sessions 1 & 4. Speaker: Dr. Rick Chromey FA: Parent Communication Growing Smart Kids MDO/PRES Today’s youth are being born into a global world where everything is digital and social media has created an alternate reality. Though it is an exciting time, it also has challenged the ability of today’s generation to develop healthy social and emotional skills. This session provides an in-troduction to emotional intelligence and strategies to develop the next generation’s emotional literacy to build a foundation for self-esteem, growth mindset, and working with others. Offered in sessions 2 & 5. Speaker: Thecia Jenkins FA: Child Growth & Development Impossible Co-Parenting: MDO/PRES How to Deal With Difficult Parents Building relationships with parents is a huge part of an educator’s job, but dealing with difficult parents can seem impossible at times. This session will show you how to take on the idea of co-parenting, even with individ-uals that seem impossible to get along with. It’s important to focus on the outcome, and not the current turmoil! Speaker: Albert Wright FA: Parent Communication

The Inclusion Classroom: How to Build & Execute LRE PRES LRE refers to the setting where a child with a disability can receive an appropriate education designed to meet his or her educational needs, alongside peers without disabilities. Least restrictive environment (LRE), is one of several vital components in child development and plays a criti-cal role, influencing where a child spends his or her time at school, how services are provided, and the relationships the child develops within the school community. Speaker: Albert Wright FA: Care of Children with Special Needs

Keep Your Cool So the Kids Around You Don’t Lose Theirs! MDO/PRES Preschoolers are on a behavioral learning curve. They look at us to pro-vide models they are bound to follow. Adopt attitudes, strategies, and simple techniques to maximize classroom management and teach young learners how to “cool their engines, keep cool & successfully motor on.” Speaker: Karen Apple FA: Teacher-Child Interactions

Making the Connection: Math & the Bible? Yes! PRES Join us to learn how to lay a strong foundational understanding of math with preschoolers. You will leave with ideas for hands-on math activities and will also learn how to connect math with well-loved Bible stories! Offered in sessions 1 & 2. Speaker: Peggy Osborne FA: Math & Science Identify, Avoid, & Plan Ahead: Strategies for Self-Defense PRES/MDO This interactive session will help you learn strategies and techniques to increase your defensive skills, intuition and awareness of self defense. Attendees will have an opportunity to discuss local crimes. Hands-on training includes a variety of self defense techniques, including strike and release. Everyone can learn self defense! Offered in sessions 1, 2, & 3. Speaker: Melanie Michaelchuk FA: Professional Development Learning Through Play — Centers & Circle Time PRES Centers and circle time are exciting ways of learning for little minds and hands! We will share many teaching games and manipulatives that are fun and can be incorporated in with your lesson plans. A fun and exciting learning experience promotes a confident and joyful child and sends them on their way better prepared for the next step in their education — and beyond! Speakers: Cindy Baxter & Leisha Davis FA: Age Appropriate Curriculum Making Sense of Sensational Senses! PRES This engaging workshop gives insight into the world of our SEVEN senses and how those senses affect the lives of children and each one of us on a daily basis. Learn about rationale, activities, and practical techniques to assist students with sensory challenges and promote more effective class-room learning. Speaker: Marianne Gibbs FA: Age Appropriate Curriculum

Making Your Class Rock! PRES “You Rock!” is one of the highest compliments a child can give a teacher. What makes some classrooms more fun than others? Why are some teachers remembered into adulthood when most are quickly forgotten? What can set YOUR class apart from all the rest? While at the same time, have a greater life impact? Rock your class and rock a kid’s world! Offered in sessions 1 & 3. Speaker: Karl Bastian FA: Age Appropriate Curriculum Montessori Method 2 for 2’s MDO In this session, you will learn a teaching method that you are sure to use! It’s called “the three period lesson”. We will also learn what “work rugs” are, how to teach your students to focus, concentrate, work inde-pendently, respect their classroom and others. Offered in sessions 2 & 5. Speaker: Kimberly Stephens FA: Age Appropriate Curriculum

WORKSHOP DESCRIPTIONS—CONTINUED THURSDAY, JULY 27, 2017

Montessori Method Basics: Components of the Classroom for 2’s MDO Come and learn the basics of the Montessori classroom and apply some of the techniques tomorrow! Here you learn techniques that will bring peace to your classroom and foster independence in your students! Learn how to beautify your classroom to make it an inviting living space where children, and you, will love to come. Offered in sessions 1 & 3. Speaker: Kimberly Stephens FA: Age Appropriate Curriculum Music & the Brain MDO/ PRES Join us in learning how music affects our brain and it’s development. How can we use music properly to benefit our children? Sessions 3 & 5. Speaker: Courtney Osborne FA: Music & Movement Music for Little Ones MDO Are you ready to get energized? Come to this high energy session that will introduce ways to help keep those little one’s attention through a variety of popular songs that keep kids enthused and excited to partici-pate in music. You don’t need to be a strong singer to teach children how much fun music, movement, and learning can be! Sessions 3 & 4. Speaker: Shelley Akins FA: Music & Movement Music for Preschool PRES Are you ready to get energized? Come to this high-energy session that will introduce you to ways to help keep those little one’s attention through a variety of popular songs that keep kids enthused and excited to participate in music! Learn how to incorporate puppets and visual aids into your music! You don’t have to be a strong singer to teach children how much fun music, movement, and learning can be! Offered in ses-sions 1 & 2. Speaker: Shelley Akins FA: Music & Movement The Nine Essential Learning Centers PRES Ready for some fun and great ideas? This session is loaded with pictures and examples! We will discuss the national recommendations for learn-ing centers in an early childhood classroom. Speaker: Tym Smith FA: Age Appropriate Curriculum Oh My Goodness! PRES Aren’t those words you love to hear come out of the mouths of your preschoolers when you’ve introduced something new? In this session, we’re going to give you lots of “Oh my goodness” activities that will have your kids fascinated. When you hear those three words, you know you’ve cleared the way for learning! Offered in sessions 2 & 5. Speaker: Tina Houser FA: Age Appropriate Curriculum On-Going, Authentic Assessment — Letting the Parents In PRES Authentic assessment – a system of observation, documentation, and analysis that helps track a child’s progress toward meeting early learning expectations – is one of the most important tools that early childhood educators use in the classroom. This session will discuss how to help parents understand the process. Speaker: Chris Smith FA: Parent Communication Partner with Parents to Provide “Lifestyle Learning” PRES Many young parents want to provide integrated, school & home learning experiences for their kids. Teachers can equip them with teaching strate-gies and activities that reinforce classroom lessons. The intentional “lifestyle learning” parents provide cements abstract concepts, help kids hone new skills and provides the repetition and relevance needed to make learning meaningful & memorable. Speaker: Karen Apple FA: Parent Communication

Prayer Can Be Exciting for Preschoolers! PRES Do you hear the same prayers over and over again with your preschool-ers? Do they seem to be just “rote” words? Do the children pray togeth-er as a group? Individually? Join us as we talk about real communion with God --the child talking to Him & listening to Him all through the day! Speaker: Peggy Osborne FA: Age Appropriate Curriculum Preschool Stressors PRES Many preschool children face family challenges or life changes that can easily shape their behavior at school. A new baby, divorce, poor par-enting, or a death in the family can all have a profound influence on a child’s development. We will discuss how young children interpret stress around them, how children react to stress, and how to empower children to handle these issues. We can find effective ways to help not only the child — but the family as well! Speaker: Kara Gore FA: Child Growth & Development Respectful Interactions Between Teacher & Child PRES Early interactions between teacher and child not only set the stage for future years in education, but are critical to forming strong foundations for life. Teachers must honor each child’s developmental level, unique traits and talents, and development an emotional bond with each sweet student! Speaker: Kara Gore FA: Teacher-Child Interactions Rockin’ Rodeo PRES Saddle up and get galloping with the Noodle Lady! Come ready to talk to your horse, clean up after your horse, feed your horse and lasso the calves! Easy and cheap equipment. Make and take your lasso! Yee Haw! Offered in sessions 4 & 5. Speaker: Diane Havens FA: Music & Movement Roots & Fruits: PRES Planting, Tending, & Harvesting a Classroom of Learners Learning happens, but how? Is it by plan or planting? Is it by gimmicks or guidance? In this insightful workshop we will investigate the parable of the soils to discover how learning is organic and driven by human needs of grace, community, empowerment, dignity, pleasure and security. Offered in sessions 2 & 5. Speaker: Dr. Rick Chromey FA: Age Appropriate Curriculum Science Center on a Shoestring! PRES Is your science center stocked with a few rocks, a magnifying glass and a dead insect or two? Are you stumped about how to make your science center more inspiring and impactful? Come learn how to build your sci-ence center with 10 inexpensive and easy to find items. Then, discover the many activities you can do! Offered in sessions 1 & 4. Speaker: Kendolyn Pope FA: Math & Science Sculpture: A 3-D Experience! PRES Explore the world of three dimensional art for young children. Join us in creating “hi-flying” art, floating sculpture, glitz and glitter creations, weaving wonders and more! Get that creativity flowing — and learn to encourage children’s highest level of thinking! Offered in sessions 1 & 2. Speaker: Chris Smith FA: Age Appropriate Curriculum Sit Right,” “Walk Right,” “Hold It Right,” & PRES Other Useless Commands In this session, we explore the dynamic developmental processes behind desired functional classroom behaviors. Dig deeper into understanding the development of the young child while broadening your perspective and implementation strategies. Speaker: Marianne Gibbs FA: Age Appropriate Curriculum


STEM for Infants & Toddlers: Putting Little Problems MDO in Their Way to Engage It’s never too early for children to begin to make sense of the world around them. Join us to discover how thoughtful questioning and inten-tional planning will magnify the STEM already present in your classroom centers. You will leave this session with 12+ play-based STEM activities to nurture the habits of mind (persistence, generalization, creativity, organi-zation, etc.) necessary for scientific inquiry with your bottle-toting bab-blers! Offered in sessions 4 and 5. Speaker: Dr. Carrie Cutler FA: Professional Development Stick It With Science! PRES This session covers a mix of topics including weather and natural disas-ters. Through engaging demonstrations and hands-on experiments, teachers will gain fresh ideas about teaching temperature, wind, rain, evaporation, condensation, and much more. Making the water cycle in a baggie and participating in wind experiments is always fun! Teachers will also learn how to address the unpredictable forces of nature in gentle, captivating ways like building and erupting a volcano, creating model droughts and floods, and role playing the importance of First Responders during a mock earthquake. Of course, there is a focus on how to stay safe in harsh weather or natural disasters. Offered in sessions 1, 2, 3, 5) Speaker: Barbara Cargill FA: Math & Science Teaching Holy Habits PRES There’s never a better time to lay a foundation for Holy Habits: Praying, serving, and scripture memorization. There are many other Holy Habits, but these are especially appropriate to start teaching our littlest ones. You’ll get all kinds of NEW ideas to lead your kids to embrace these three Holy Habits. Offered in sessions 1 & 4. Speaker: Tina Houser FA: Age Appropriate Curriculum

Time Out: Self Care for Caregivers MDO/PRES Another day has come and gone, you have driven home after giving of yourself at work all day. Now, as you turn the key to enter your home, another day of work begins! Do you find yourself always giving and giving and feeling empty? This session is an opportunity to develop and share strategies to refill! Speaker: Thecia Jenkins FA: Professional Development Understand the Texas Pre-K Guidelines PRES “Will my child be ready for kindergarten?” This is a common question all early education teachers hear from parents. It is also a question you have to be careful answering. Come learn the basic information about the Texas Pre-K guidelines and how it can help you prepare children for suc-cess. Speaker: Tym Smith FA: Child Growth & Development Unleashing Your Own Creativity PRES You can spend years using other’s ideas, but then when the resource is gone or used up, you are stuck needing something else. Learn how to unleash your own creativity. EVERYONE is creative! You just need to learn how to tap into your God-given creativity, and then the ideas will gush out and into your lessons! Speaker: Karl Bastian FA: Professional Development


Notes Each workshop is 50 minutes long (except where noted) and will have open seating on a first-come, first-served basis. We ask that you not save more than 1 seat in a particular workshop. We recommend that you have at least two alternates chosen in advance for each session time. Please respect “Session Full” signs, as sitting on the floor is a violation of Fire Safety Codes. Disclaimer — The opinions expressed by presenters and/or exhibitors are their own, and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Conference Planning Committee, The Adventure Preschool, or Windwood Presbyterian Church. The Conference Planning Committee does not officially endorse any particular product, program, teaching method, activity or handout presented at this conference.

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TUESDAY, JULY - Preschool Teachers Adventure Conference - Home · Session 1 Workshops Tuesday, July 25, 2017 ... and the International Reading ... Dr. Jean Feldman All Conference