Join Elandriel Lewis for a look at how you can support inquiry in your classroom through the use of Discovery Trays.

We know that children are natural explorers and learn best through play. Discovery Trays provide an intentionally designed area for children to play and explore around specific themes. This session will give an overview of inquiry and why it is important in the early childhood classroom, how to support inquiry with higher order questions, and what discovery trays are and how to use them in your classroom.

About the Presenter: Elandriel Lewis is the Senior Manager of Early Learning and Training for the United Way of Greater Nashville where she works with community early childhood teachers and leaders to ensure lifelong educational and personal success for children and families.Elandriel believes that every child deserves safe, stable, nurturing relationships and time outdoors to support academic and social-emotional growth.

Join Jessica Yuill from the National Wildlife Federation’s ECHO program as she presents “Water, Wind, and Weather: Engaging Infants and Toddlers in Outdoor Spaces.” Our youngest learners are natural scientists. They crave opportunities for exploration and discovery. However, did you know that many outdoor activities for infants and toddlers also promote critical physical development? Join us as we explore positive and engaging ways to support infant and toddler growth and development through outdoor settings. We will explore how to create a safe and welcoming outdoor space for young children and engage in hands-on activities you can take back to your program.

1 hour of TN DHS credit is available upon completion of a reflection form/quiz.

About the Presenter: Jessica Yuill is the Early Childhood Health Outdoors (ECHO) senior outreach coordinator at the National Wildlife Federation. She works every day to elevate the early childhood field and to ensure all young children have access to high-quality outdoor environments. Jessica works directly with early childhood professionals by facilitating trainings on outdoor play and family engagement and providing continuous support for all ECHO child care sites in their journey to embracing outdoor play. Jessica supports ECHO and their sites by providing expertise on engaging families in the early childhood years.

ECHO is transforming how young children play and learn outdoors for the benefit of our kids, our communities and our planet. ECHO facilitates the creation of nature-based outdoor play settings; provides support and resources for families, organizations and educators to activate these spaces; and advocates for policies to transform outdoor play and learning best practice into common practice. Equity is at the core of this work, as we collaborate with and support local community initiatives to transform the spaces used by young children and their caregivers. We focus intentionally on reaching young children who may not otherwise have access to high-quality outdoor settings, families living with low-incomes and marginalized communities who face multiple barriers to health and equity. All of ECHO’s work includes a tailored, community-driven process designed to complement local efforts and bring the vision of all stakeholders to life.

Join Ashley Jasinski of the Regional Intervention Program (RIP) as she presents “8 Strategies That Help: Positive Behavior Management Strategies for Challenging Behaviors.” Challenging behaviors can take many forms and pop up for many reasons. Parents, teachers and others who engage with children know how challenging behaviors can directly impact our relationship and success with the children we care for. In this session, we’ll examine the theory about why behavior occurs and discuss eight tried-and-true strategies that help to prevent challenging behavior. Presenters will provide the audience with RIP’s 8 Strategies That Help, eight positive behavior management strategies, and discuss creative ways we can individualize them to meet the needs of all children in our care.

This session is a part of our conscious discipline and social-emotional learning series and is appropriate for teachers, instructional coaches, leadership and caregivers of children of all ages.

1 hour of TN DHS credit is available upon completion of a reflection form/quiz.

About the Presenter: Ashley Jasinski is the technical assistance and expansion coordinator for the Regional Intervention Program (RIP) at the Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services. RIP is a positive parenting program for families with children under the age of six with behavioral concerns. Ashley has a bachelor’s degree in psychology with a minor in early childhood development and learning and a master’s degree in clinical mental health counseling with a dual specialization in early child populations and childhood abuse and trauma. Ashley has more than 20 years of experience working with behaviors and the early childhood populations through her role as a counselor, preschool teacher, ABA line therapist, early childhood programming coordinator and RIP program coordinator at a Tennessee RIP site. Ashley loves helping empower families and educate community members through training on impact of ACEs, positive behavior management tips and techniques and social-emotional learning. Besides her passion for early childhood populations and empowering families, she enjoys spending time with her husband and three children.

The Regional Intervention Program is a parent-implemented, professionally-supported program for young children and their families who are experiencing challenging behaviors. RIP has been serving families with young children since 1969. This unique, internationally-recognized program guides parents in learning the skills to work directly with their own children while they receive training and support from experienced RIP families.

“When we didn’t know what to do next, RIP gave us a plan, a guide. Not only has RIP helped us now, but it’s given [us] a grasp on strategies our family needs for life.” — RIP parent/graduate

Regional Intervention Program mission: Empowering parents and caregivers with the confidence that they have the tools to address their children’s behavior through a model-based approach, individualized to each family.

Join Elandriel Lewis of United Way of Greater Nashville as she presents “Leading with Emotional Intelligence: Attention & Assertiveness (Part 3).” Emotional intelligence is the ability to recognize and manage your emotions as well as being able to recognize and navigate around the emotions of others. This series will provide a deep dive into the emotional intelligence skills needed to support a healthy and productive organizational culture. Session three explores how assertiveness is the key to setting effective and respectful limits with others and is determined by how we focus our attention. This session will provide information and strategies to support attention and assertiveness in your organization. 1.5 hours of TN DHS credit is available upon completion of a reflection form/quiz.

About the Presenter: Elandriel Lewis is the senior manager of early learning and training at United Way of Greater Nashville where she works with community early childhood teachers and leaders to ensure lifelong educational and personal success for children and families. Elandriel believes that every child deserves safe, stable, nurturing relationships and time outdoors to support academic and social-emotional growth.

Join Marie Preptit from Nashville Public Library’s Bringing Books to Life! as she presents “S.T.E.A.M. and Literacy.” Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math (S.T.E.A.M.) are important in the educational world for teaching critical thinking skills. This workshop will provide you with experiments and books to get students problem solving.

This session is appropriate for teachers, instructional coaches, leadership and caregivers of children of all ages. One hour of TN DHS credit is available upon completion of a reflection form/quiz.

About the Presenter: Marie Preptit serves as the program coordinator for Nashville Public Library’s Bringing Books to Life. She possesses a Bachelor of Arts in psychology and Spanish from Belmont University. Marie coordinates day-to-day programming, partner relations, data collection and outcome reporting. She also conducts story times, teacher training and workshops for parents, all while supervising part-time outreach assistants. She brings to the program experience as a preschool teacher as well as a preschool administrator.

Dr. Jane Humphries and Kari Rains share practical solutions and approaches to build resilience in children during difficult times.

Children today are living and learning to function in many societal circumstances, some more complicated than others. Early childhood providers can either reel from this changing landscape of society and ignore the impacts on young children and their families or continue to seek out information, resources and activities that support their classrooms. This presentation lends practical solutions and approaches to give children a fighting chance not only in the classroom or program environment, but also in daily life. It is our belief and experience that early childhood professionals can largely impact the trajectory of children’s lives.

Three hours of TN DHS credit is available upon completion of a reflection form/quiz.

About the Presenters: Dr. Jane Humphries experience in the early care and education field has included being a childcare director of an NAEYC accredited program that experienced and was resilient after a major man-made disaster, child and parenting specialist, college instructor, researcher, and program administrator of several government funded initiatives in Oklahoma. She has also been an author of several articles featured in Exchange® and her latest book co-authored with Kari Rains titled, A Fighting Chance: Supporting Young Children Experiencing Disruptive Change, due to be published by Redleaf Press® in May 2017. Besides founding her own company, Creative Educational Strategies & Services LLC which is dedicated to quality professional development and products for young children, Dr. Humphries is the developer of products that were designed to help children who need sensory stimulation to calm themselves. She currently serves as an adjunct instructor in the Human Environmental Sciences Department at the University of Central Oklahoma and has taught for 15 years as an adjunct in the Early Childhood Administration graduate program at National Louis University. Personally, her two-year-old son was one of the children playing out on the playground years ago just 6 blocks away when the Federal Murrah building in Oklahoma City was bombed. Years of experience and observing his resiliency throughout his life has allowed her to see first-hand the importance of engagement from a parent perspective and managing further disruptive change events in his life. She has earned undergraduate degrees in Family and Child Development, a master’s degree in Early Childhood Education, and a doctoral degree in Occupational and Adult Education from Oklahoma State University.

Kari Rains, a Child Development Specialist, has over a decade of clinical work in the early intervention program provided in the state of Oklahoma. In this work, Kari worked to find practical solutions for families and early childhood teachers and directors who have few resources within the rural areas of Oklahoma. This includes providing practical solutions to those living and working with children struggling with social and emotional regulation issues. Kari is also a mother of a child that was diagnosed ADHD/Sensory Processing/Tourette’s which has allowed her to see first-hand the realities of being a parent whose child has difficulty with change and as an early childhood professional. She has served as an adjunct instructor, published two books and numerous research articles in the field of child development to include articles in Exchange®. Co-author with Dr. Humphries on their book titled, A Fighting Chance: Supporting Young Children Experiencing Disruptive Change and published by Redleaf Press® in May 2017, this will be a must have resource. Teaming with Dr. Jane in 2013, it is their mission to assist those who work with children and adults who struggle with social/emotional regulation issues. Kari earned her undergraduate degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders and her master’s degree in Child Development, both from Oklahoma State University.

Get ready to invigorate your classroom and school through innovative Anti-bias Literacy Practices. Hear from Allen Rosales on how the Anti-bias Literacy Approach has transformed how teachers engage children with high quality instructional read alouds. You will be introduced to the Anti-bias Literacy Framework and tools that will support your planning and implementation of meaningful storybook and representational drawing experiences.

Three hours of TN DHS credit is available upon completion of a reflection form/quiz.

About the Presenter: Allen Rosales has a master’s degree in Early Childhood Education and has worked in the field for over 28 years. During that time, he has held the role of teacher, education manager, coach, professor, national presenter, author, and now Senior Program Advisor for the Carole Robertson Center for Learning. 

In this workshop, Dr. Angela teaches how to use the Push Past It! framework to deal with conflicts with adults. The workshop explores negativity bias and meaning making to discover the needs of others. The workshop uses a strength-based lens and skilled dialogue to resolve conflicts. Be ready to dance and push past conflicts with humor and music.

1.5 hours of TN DHS credit is available upon completion of a reflection form/quiz.

About the Presenter: Dr. Angela Searcy holds a B.A. with teacher certification though the state of Illinois, a M.S. degree in early childhood development from Erikson Institute, with a specialization in Infant Studies and a Doctorate in Education with a specialization in Response to Intervention and Assessment. Her research centers around brain-based learning assessed by the CLASS assessment and its’ correlation to aggressive behaviors in preschool classrooms. Angela is currently a candidate in Erikson Institute’s Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Certificate program.

She is the owner and founder of Simple Solutions Educational Services, a professional development company. An educator since 1990 Angela has experience at all levels of education including infants, toddlers, preschool, 6th grade, 8th grade and 9th grades. A credentialed developmental therapist through the state of Illinois and former neuro-developmental specialist, Angela has specialized training in neuroscience. Angela is currently a mental health/ educational consultant, an adjunct faculty member and seminar leader at Erikson Institute, and the author of Push Past It! A Positive Approach to Challenging Classroom Behaviors with Gryphon House Publishing. Her Book Elevating Equity is due for release next year.

Dr. Maria Trejo’s presentation provides examples of how to develop and deliver integrated lessons to reduce teacher burden, address multiple developmental foundations, increase children vocabulary in context, and engage parental or care-giver support.

1 hour of TN DHS credit is available upon completion of a reflection form/quiz.

About the Presenter: Dr. Maria Trejo has a long career as teacher, administrator, and advocate for children and communities. She has worked with early childhood and preschool educators and programs for the last 20 years. She is a national and international consultant and coach in the areas of literacy, mathematics, and program implementation Pre-K to university. Her unique expertise has been working with struggling readers, under performing students, and communities. Maria had a long career with the California State Department of Education implementing educational policies, supporting program initiatives, and securing resources. She was a principal contributor to the development of Early Childhood Curriculum Frameworks for the state of California.

Lindsey Frank presents “Butterflies to “Blooms”: How Resilience Grows Our Young Learners.” Explore together how resilience becomes the foundational skill within our young learners. When we partner resilience with learning, our butterflies (students) can fly! During this session, you will learn resilience-building strategies and fun activities for both you and your learners, and how resilience can lead to deeper learning.

1.5 hours of TN DHS credit is available upon completion of a reflection form/quiz.

About the Presenter: Lindsey J. Frank, M.Ed., is dedicated to connecting with children, their families, and education professionals around the world through wellness. She has taught and supported students ranging from early learning through junior high across diverse learning environments. Her passion is connecting teaching practices, wellness, and social and emotional learning (SEL) within education. She is an educator, SEL specialist, Learning Behavior Specialist, well-being coach, mindfulness and meditation teacher, and certified yoga instructor for adults and children. Lindsey is the author of Big Change, Better You, Beautiful World and is published in Educating Mindfully: Stories of School Transformation Through Mindfulness.

Website: TheButterflyWithin.Me 

In this inspirational and engaging training, participants explore what it means to be resilient and how leadership affects the resilience of any business. Leah Mangrum and Amy Wilcox discuss principles of resilience and provide strategies for working this “resilience muscle” that can be implemented immediately.

1.5 hours of TN DHS credit is available upon completion of a reflection form/quiz.

About the Presenters: Leah Mangrum is a Small Business Support Specialist with TN Child Care Resource & Referral where she supports new and existing directors in the Mid-Cumberland region. She found her passion for leadership development during her former experience as a director of a licensed childcare agency in Nashville, though she has held a variety of roles in the early childhood profession over the past two decades. Leah has contributed to the profession in recent years by serving on the Executive Board of NAAEYC, participating in a middle TN director support group as well as a “Teacher Pipeline, Partnerships & Policy Work Group ” in association with TN Blueprint for Early Childhood Success. Leah currently serves on TACEE governing board.

Amy Wilcox has served in the Early Childhood field for over 20 years working with children, families and teachers as an Educator and ECE Director. Currently serving as an Early Childhood Quality Coach for Mid-Cumberland CCR&R. She works with DHS licensed programs in Williamson County by providing resources, training and coaching. Amy is very involved in the Nashville Area Association for the Education of Young Children NAAEYC currently serving on the Board as Past President. She volunteers and serves on the board of the Friends of the Brentwood Library and volunteers with Adopt a Golden Nashville. She received her B.A. from Vanderbilt University.

Building resilience skills in young children requires intentionality in process as well as in the environment in which it is taught. A large body of research shows that the outdoor space is an exceptional tool that can provide support for building resilience in children and adults. This session provides concrete techniques for integrating social-emotional learning and time outdoors to optimize outcomes for all.

1.5 hours of TN DHS credit is available upon completion of a reflection form/quiz.

About the Presenters: Jessica Yuill is the Early Childhood Health Outdoors (ECHO) Senior Outreach Coordinator for the National Wildlife Federation. Jessica guides ECHO’s professional development work and supports outreach to partners and communities that support young children. She has previously worked as an early childhood educator, an early literacy home visitor, and as a family engagement liaison. Jessica believes that all children and families deserve access to nature, and she is passionate about supporting communities in creating opportunities for all children.

Elandriel Lewis is the Senior Manager of Early Learning and Training for the United Way of Greater Nashville where she works with community early childhood teachers and leaders to ensure lifelong educational and personal success for children and families. Elandriel believes that every child deserves safe, stable, nurturing relationships and time outdoors to support academic and social-emotional growth.

Using the strong tradition of puppetry with the Nashville Public Library, we demystify that puppets can only be used by professionals, or people who are comfortable with acting, and explain how children automatically connect and feel comfort from a puppet friend or even a stuffed animal. We explain how combining this cozy confidant with books chosen not only to help kids understand their feelings but also how to deal with them, giving adults much needed tools to navigate big emotions.

1.5 hours of TN DHS credit is available upon completion of a reflection form/quiz.

About the Presenters: Susan Frizsell’s years of teaching experience with preschool, elementary and middle school art inspired her to create fun and engaging lessons to keep students’ attention while teaching state standards. Now, she’s passing along what she’s learned to teachers as curriculum coordinator and training specialist for Nashville Public Library’s Bringing Books to Life.

Marie Preptit serves as the program coordinator for Nashville Public Library’s Bringing Books to Life. She possesses a Bachelor of Arts in psychology and Spanish from Belmont University. Marie coordinates day-to-day programming, partner relations, data collection and outcome reporting. She also conducts story times, teacher training and workshops for parents, all while supervising part-time outreach assistants. She brings to the program experience as a preschool teacher as well as a preschool administrator.

This session focuses on the role of historical trauma on the mental health of children and families. Much of the current trauma-informed movement is concentrated on building individual resilience, while ignoring the role of historical trauma and the systemic structures that prevent healing. During this session, the presenters talk about historical and racial trauma, including institutional barriers that continue to traumatize children and families on a daily basis. Participants learn how to promote healing within their programs and organizations.

3 hours of TN DHS credit is available upon completion of a reflection form/quiz.

About the Presenters: Dr. Ebonyse Mead is the Birth to Kindergarten Clinical Instructor at Georgia Southern University and president of the Educational Equity Institute. For 18 years, Ebonyse has worked in communities to improve health and educational outcomes for children of diverse cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds. Since 2016, Ebonyse has provided statewide training on diversity, inclusion and equity with a particular focus on examining structural barriers to educational equity, implicit racial bias, and culturally responsive instruction to the early childhood workforce in North Carolina.

Dr. Jen Neitzel is the Executive Director of the Educational Equity Institute, which is focused on eliminating the educational and opportunity gaps within communities through systems level change. Prior to this work, Jen was a Research Scientist and Technical Assistance Provider at FPG Child Development Institute at UNC-Chapel Hill for 15 years. During her time at FPG, her work focused on implicit bias; disparities in suspensions and expulsions; trauma; and culturally responsive anti-bias practices. Jen presents frequently at state and national conferences and is widely published in peer-reviewed journals. She also is the author of the book Achieving Equity and Justice in Education through the Work of Systems Change.

The TDMHSAS Regional intervention Program (RIP) is a parent-implemented, professionally supported program for young children and their families who are experiencing challenging behaviors. RIP has been serving families with young children since 1969. This unique, internationally recognized program guides parents in learning the skills to work directly with their own children while they receive training and support from experienced RIP families. Peer support and valuing lived experience has been central to the RIP model since its inception. In this session, explore the data that demonstrates why these parent-peer connections are so vital to parent resilience and how RIP makes it happen every day. In this session, attendees will: learn about the history and model of the Regional Intervention Program (RIP); understand the philosophy behind program’s central commitment to Parent Implementation, which is woven throughout both day-to-day programming and overall operations; discuss how both Parent Implementation and shared community and leads to resilience for parents. Particularly when working to address challenging behaviors; walk away with strategies for engaging parents to build family resilience and support Early Childhood Education Environment & Family partnerships.

1.5 hours of TN DHS credit is available upon completion of a reflection form/quiz.

About the Presenters: Jasmine Davis is a Parent Case Manager for the Regional Intervention Program (RIP). In this role, Jasmine works closely with families who are experiencing challenging behaviors, teaching strategies and techniques to manage their child’s challenging behavior. Prior to this role, she graduated the RIP program with her son. Jasmine loves supporting and empowering families.

Jaime Herndon is the Program Coordinator for the Regional Intervention Program (RIP) with the Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services. RIP is a parent-implemented, professionally-supported program for families of young children who are experiencing challenging behavior. Jaime is a Certified Family Support Specialist in the State of Tennessee, where she serves RIP families with the unique perspective of having completed the program her with her own family. Her personal experience with the program sparked a desire to join RIP’s mission of empowering parents as teachers and advocates for their children.

Ashley Jasinski is the Technical Assistance and Expansion Coordinator for the Tennessee Department of Mental Health & Substance Abuse Services’ Regional Intervention Program (RIP). RIP is a positive parenting program for families with children under the age of 6 with behavioral concerns. Ashley received a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and minor in Early Childhood Development and Learning; and Master’s in Clinical Mental Health Counseling with a dual specialization in both Early Child Populations and also Childhood Abuse and Trauma. With her over 20 years of experience working with behaviors and the early childhood populations through her role as a counselor, preschool teacher, ABA line therapist, Early Childhood Programming Coordinator, and RIP Program Coordinator at the Columbia RIP site; she has a passion for helping families with young children. Additionally, Ashley is a certified trainer in PACEs, CARE Model and Pyramid Model which she uses to empower families and educate community members through training on PACEs, Positive Behavior Management tips and techniques, and Social Emotional Learning. Besides her passion for early childhood populations and empowering families, she enjoys spending time with her husband and three children.

Melissa Binkley, MS, is the Program Director for the Regional Intervention Program (RIP) with the Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services. In this role, Melissa provides support and oversight to an internationally recognized, parent-implemented, professionally-supported program for young children and their families who are experiencing challenging behaviors. She has worked for over 15 years in child-serving agencies to support Promotion, Prevention, and Intervention efforts around fostering cognitive and social emotional development in young children. She most enjoys working alongside children and their caregivers as they make plans & solve problems. She lives in Nashville with her husband and toddler.

We pour into others, but are you pouring into yourself? This session explores practical and applicable ways to build your resilience as a leader to better support your team.

1 hour of TN DHS credit is available upon completion of a reflection form/quiz.

About the Presenter: A dynamic and passionate Education Management Professional with more than 15 years of experience, Alyssa Dituro loves early childhood education. She is a TACEE, NAEYC, and AIMHiTN member and has an Infant Mental Health endorsement. She is the executive director of McNeilly Center for Children in East Nashville.