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  • Summer Outdoor Preschool Teacher Series!

Summer Outdoor Preschool Teacher Series!

  • Monday, June 14, 2021
  • Monday, August 09, 2021
  • 3 sessions
  • Monday, June 14, 2021, 6:30 PM 8:00 PM (EDT)
  • Monday, July 12, 2021, 6:30 PM 8:00 PM (EDT)
  • Monday, August 09, 2021, 6:30 PM 8:00 PM (EDT)
  • Online!

Registration

  • Thank you for being an ERAFANS member!
  • $75 for first participant registered, $50 per person for subsequent registrations

Registration is closed

This seasonal series is packed with practical approaches to help teachers take learning outside. Join experienced practitioners during this inspiring (and useful!) virtual series. Classes will meet on the second Mondays from 6:30-8:00 pm EST, dates include June 14th, July 12th, and August 9th. Read on for detailed descriptions of each session.  A professional development certificate will be awarded at the conclusion of the series.

SESSION DESCRIPTIONS

Monday, June 14th from 6:30-8 PM (EST)
Building a Strong Community in your Outdoor Classroom

Presented by Jenny Leibham, Nature Play Lifestyle

Our outdoor classrooms offer children many opportunities to connect and learn from the natural world. From mixing mud with water to watching worms move their bodies in the grass discovery is happening all the time. And though our outdoor classroom is the center of our teaching, there is a lot that goes into building a strong community with our caregivers and students.  

In this workshop, we will explore:
- Ways to set up your outdoor space to reflect the children, families, and your community
- Steps you can take to prepare your families to feel confident in your outdoor teaching practice
- Lesson plan ideas for the first few days of school, hint: we can take it slow!
- Ways to inform families about their child's day

Monday, July 12th from 6:30-8 PM (EST)
Guiding Behavior in All-Outdoor Setting

Presented by Sara Murray, Boston Outdoor Preschool Network

Guiding behavior in an all-outdoor environment can present unique challenges. Without walls – or sometimes even fences – behavior management strategies need to honor a child’s developing sense of independence and autonomy while keeping them safe. At Boston Outdoor Preschool Network (BOPN), many of our behavioral support strategies are grounded in the philosophy of Maria Montessori and her understanding of child development. This workshop will share our practices for maintaining high behavioral expectations while honoring and respecting the unique needs of a preschool-aged child in an outdoor setting.

Monday, August 9th from 6:30-8 PM (EST)
Documenting Nature Play

Presented by Vanessa Niro, M.Ed. , Boston Outdoor Preschool Network 

Meaningful documentation is an essential part of advocating for child-led play in nature-- we know how important this learning is and we can make it evident to families and the rest of the world! In this workshop, we will explore the pedagogy behind and importance of using documentation as a tool to make emergent learning in the natural world visible to children and families, reflective strategies to identify when and why we should document certain experiences, and 3 forms of documentation that can be utilized to show the learning and developmental skills honed in nature-based settings (documentation panels, portfolios, and journals).

WHO SHOULD ATTEND?
This course is ideal for anyone who facilitates nature-based education and outdoor learning, which may include: teachers and administrators in preschool, childcare, or elementary school settings; naturalists, environmental educators, or outdoor educators; wilderness survival enthusiasts; and parents.

MEET YOUR PRESENTERS

Jenny Leibham, Nature Play Lifestyle
Jenny Leibham (she/her/they/them) is an early childhood educator who has been teaching preschool in a variety of nature-based classroom settings over the past 8 years, including Schlitz Audubon in Milwaukee, WI and Fiddleheads Forest School. Jenny is currently developing a small professional development business called Nature Play Lifestyle. Here she creates online resources and courses to support others in creating nature experiences that focus on the whole child's development and finding ways to feel confident teaching outside. Her journey has led her to amazing places, like Norway and people that have deepened her sense of self. She has provided professional development to nature based teachers around the world through conferences, workshops and consultations. You can connect with Jenny via instagram @natureplaylifesyle, Website https://www.natureplaylifestyle.com/ or via email nature playlifestyle@gmail.com.

Sara Murray, Boston Outdoor Preschool Network
Sara Murray is a seasoned educator with a variety of experiences in Early Childhood and Elementary programs in upstate New York, where she grew up, and the greater Boston area where she has lived for over 25 years. Sara has taught in public school, private school, and Montessori schools, as well as worked as a nanny, a tutor, and a teacher in two different nature-based summer programs. In September 2019, Sara co-founded the Boston Outdoor Preschool Network, an organization dedicated to building joyful communities of children and teachers connected to each other and their outdoor environments through discovery and play. Sara enjoys spending time with her husband, teenage son, four cats, and one dog. She loves animals, nature, and traveling to new places.

Vanessa Niro, M.ED., Brookline Schools Staff Children's Center, Boston Outdoor Preschool Network
Vanessa Niro, M.Ed is a nature-based early childhood educator in Boston, MA that has been in the field since 2013, creates and facilitates workshops on nature-based pedagogy for traditional and non-traditional schools and family child care providers in Massachusetts, and will be teaching at Boston Outdoor Preschool Network beginning this fall. Along with connecting children with nature, she has a passion for weaving social justice and anti-bias practices in all facets of life, supporting children in mindfulness & nature connection, and taking many inspirations from the schools of Reggio Emilia.

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