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List of available workshops, seminars, and conference sessions

Presented by Kelly Matthews

Conference Bio: Kelly Matthews has the joy of exploring engaged learning with people of all ages.  She is a published author and poet.  She has worked in both center- and home-based care, as well as having been a director, nanny, & mentor teacher. Currently, she is the owner of A Place For You Consulting in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. “Learning with” (not “telling to”) is her passion.

Kelly Matthews 

  • Lengths of workshops are listed at the end of each description - click on the titles below for info.

  • Most workshops can be tailored for longer or shorter sessions.

  • Overheads are needed for every workshop.
    Some workshops require extra room for interactions. (*)
If you have an idea of what a workshop is titled, but can't quite remember the whole thing, type what you know into this box to search for the title:

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A Funnel Isn’t Always A Funnel:  How Flexible Thinking Can Reduce Stress In Your Work With Children

Early educators are renown for turning someone else’s junk into useable supplies in early education settings.  Why?  Because we can see the potential that lies beneath the surface.  In this interactive workshop, we expand our idea of flexible thinking into our work with children.  By exploring the underlying motivations of some children, we can start thinking differently and therefore act differently, bringing a new understanding and compassion to our work, starting today! (One hour thirty minutes)

CDA area: Positive ways to support children's social and emotional development

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A little flour on the nose makes everything turn out better: How paying attention to the mixing of rituals and relationships can deepen bonds

If you are ready to go deeper and want to start identifying those "intangibles" that seem to make the difference in kids' lives over the long haul, join us for a highly interactive session about how, through rituals (both formal and informal), we can help children make sense of time and of themselves and their place in the world. If you can remember your grandma's pet name for you, even after all these years, this is the workshop for you! (One hour fifteen minutes)  (co-created with Billie Ognenoff)

CDA area: Positive ways to support children's social and emotional development

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BAS (Business Administration Scale) Overview

Successful family child care providers know a secret – that being a competent business person goes a long way towards a thriving program!   Come join us for an overview of the Business Administration Scale (BAS), a nationally recognized tool used to identify strengths of your family child care business practice.  Whether you are preparing to invite an Observer in to rate your program or if you are interested in self-study to improve your program through your own initiative, this workshop will be a helpful stepping stone in getting your business in order! (Three hours)  *BAS books must be provided for each participant.

CDA area: Strategies to manage an effective program operation

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Compassionate Care for the Under-2 Crew *

Our smallest friends deserve top notch care, designed just for them.  If you are interested in thinking about, discussing, questioning and implementing high quality care for children under 24 months, this is the workshop for you!  This workshop makes lots of room for your voice, your questions, and your stories.  Put aside your worries that this will be just another workshop where pre-school and toddler concepts are “watered down” for infants and their care providers – this very interactive workshop has been created with babies and their teachers in mind, front and center!  Come explore theory, development, wonder, environment, family relations & so much more! (Four hours)

CDA area: Positive ways to support children's social and emotional development steps to advance children's physical and intellectual development

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Conflict, Power Struggles & That Darn Chair

Does it seem like you spend all day putting out fires: conflicts over toys, space, and the ever popular “But I had it first!”  If this sounds familiar, join us for an interactive session on new ways to look at conflicts. We’ll discuss the difference between misbehavior and mistaken behavior, & take a deeper look at some traditional discipline techniques, that may be doing more harm than good.  If you are ready to be done with power struggles, this is the session for you!  (Two hours)

CDA area: Principles of child growth and development

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Core Values

Who is it that influenced you to be a teacher?   What grounds you in this work?  This session will pay attention to the people, experiences, and places that have influenced who we are as teachers.  We will explore through art mediums and create pieces we can take home to remind us of that “best-self” teacher we want to be every day.  (One hour –two hours depending on number in the class; need to have a head count ahead of time for materials.)

CDA area: Maintaining a commitment to professionalism

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Fear of a Blacktopped Planet:  Why Holding Nature in Our Own Hands Matters *

What is nature?  Where do we find it?  Why do we need to find it?  What happens when we don’t?  If these questions interest you, join us for this interactive workshop which explores children’s interactions with nature, as well as our own (&how those experiences influence who we are as teachers!)  Participants will be welcomed into an environment open to beauty and nature, and will be invited to share their ideas, stories, and questions, as well as receive support their visions for helping connect children with nature in their own programs. (Two hours)  * Capped at 24 participants due to materials availability.

CDA area: Steps to advance children's physical and intellectual development

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Getting Through the Tricky Stuff: Using Our Ethical Code to Make Professional Decisions

Our work isn’t easy – regardless of your setting, when you work with children there comes a whole bundle of tricky situations to untangle: working with the other adults in that child’s life, doing what’s best for individual children while balancing the needs of the group, handling communication in professional ways . . .the list goes on and on.  So what guides you in your decision making?  Do you get stumped sometimes?  Frustrated?  Come join us for a highly   interactive and lively look at our profession’s Ethical Code – we’ll break down the Code into useable information and apply it to those situations we run into every day in our real work with real families.  There will be time and space for your thoughts, questions, stories, and experiences as we work through ethical dilemmas. (Two hours thirty minutes)  Sponsoring agency must supply a copy of NAEYC’s Code of Ethics for each participant.

CDA area: Maintaining a commitment to professionalism strategies to manage an effective program operation

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Guidance: Setting the Stage for Success (& Less Stress, Tears, and Power Struggles)

Frustrated by discipline techniques that don’t seem to work?  If you are interested in thinking about guidance in a new way,  join us for this interactive workshop where we will not only learn about some of the “big ideas” of guidance, but specific practices you can start tomorrow that will make a difference in your learning environment.   There will be time and space for your questions and voice to shape this time together.  (Two hours)

CDA area: Positive ways to support children's social and emotional development

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Have It Your Way: How Customizing Your Business Can Lead to a Happier You

Sometimes it is hard to see your business with “new eyes.”  By using images not usually associated with business, we invite you to spend some focused time doing the work to re-envision and explore your business with an eye towards joy, longevity, & meeting your     needs as you work so hard to meet the needs of others.  It will be time well-spent!  (Two hours)  (co-created with Billie Ognenoff)

CDA area: Strategies to manage an effective program operation

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Holistic Care Fills in the Holes (& Helps Not Create Them in the First Place!)

What can old blue jeans teach us about our work with young children?  In examining how we can strengthen the fabric of children’s lives every day through child care delivered with intention, we will look carefully at our profession, the direction it is moving, and our role in this amazing work.  If you are interested in looking at the details of children’s lives as well as        empowering yourself as an intentional teacher and reflective practitioner, this is the place for you! (One hour thirty minutes)

CDA area:  Principles of child growth and development

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Meeting Needs

How many hats do you feel like you wear on any given day?  Tired of trying to balance everyone else’s needs & feel like yours are getting lost in the shuffle?  Join us for playful practice in perspective-taking and an open discussion about the complexity of needs we balance and finding ways to meet those needs in ways that work. (Two hours) 

CDA area: Strategies to establish productive relationships with families

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One Size Fits All & Other Myths About Family Child Care

What is it we truly want from our family child care business?  Explore some of the myths that keep providers from customizing their business.  If you desire more control, satisfaction, longevity, and most importantly, joy in your work, spend a lively hour with us and leave empowered and inspired! (One hour)  (co-created with Billie Ognenoff)

CDA area: Strategies to manage an effective program operation

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Picky Eaters, “Try Bites” & The Culture Of Food In Early Childhood Programs

Food can be so simple, yet the issues around it are rather complex!  What do you remember about your childhood kitchen table? Do you feel like picky eaters are dictating your menu? Has coming to the table become stepping into a power struggle?  Do you wonder what messages kids may absorb about food as you cook and bake together?   How are all these questions related? Join us for interactive explorations around the ideas of food, culture, rewards, responsibilities and power in early education programs.  (Three hours)  (co-created with Emily Plank)

CDA area: Planning a safe, healthy environment to invite learning

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Play & Perspective *

How often do we hear “Kids learn through play”?   Has it turned into an empty phrase?  How do we protect kids’ fundamental need to play?  One way is to be articulate when explaining what kids learn when they play.  As requirements weigh on us, and our time with young children feels more precious, it is our responsibility to be able to speak to parents, community members, and other stakeholders about what important things happen in play. 

In addition to honing our understanding of play, we will also explore the notion of perspective.   Perspective colors everything we do with children.  Are we always so sure what we see is what actually happened?  How does what we think we see influence how we talk about the children in our care?  What if we choose to focus on an unexpected piece of a conflict – how does that change the mood of the room?  And how do we become more empathetic, compassionate care providers who engage with children in this learning process together?  By exploring optical illusions, works of art, photographs, and interactively tying it all to our daily work with children, we can realize the power we have to change our perspective, and just as importantly, understand children’s perspective better. Please join us for engaging, highly interactive workshop where we will find new ways to think for ourselves and together as a profession about these important questions. (Four hours) Additional set up time required.

CDA area: Steps to advance children's physical and intellectual development observing and recording children’s behavior positive ways to support children's social and emotional development planning a safe, healthy environment to invite learning

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Reinventing the 3 R’s:  Remembering + Ritual + Respect = Relationship *

This session will engage participants with discussions and guided reflections on the importance and place of ritual in the life of a child.  Rituals that mark the passage of time and mark who we are as people play an important role in our daily lives and in helping us understand the world more clearly.  Participants will identify rituals that played an important role in their own lives and then will reflect on how we can help children make sense of time and of themselves.  Special attention will be given to helping participants individualize the creation of program- and child- specific rituals, instead of mass marketed, non-child specific celebrations.  (Three hours)  (co-created with Billie Ognenoff)

CDA content area:  Positive ways to support children's social and emotional development

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Seeing with New Eyes: Looking for Multiplicity in Our Work with Children

Are we always so sure what we see is what actually happened?  What if we choose to focus on an unexpected piece of a conflict – how does that change the mood of the room?  By exploring optical illusions, works of art, photographs, and interactively tying it all to our daily work with children, we can realize the power we have to change our perspective, and just as importantly, understand children’s perspective better.  (One hour fifteen minutes)  This is a section of the Play & Perspective workshop described below, delivered as a stand-alone session.

CDA area:  Observing and recording children’s behavior

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So...What Else is Also True?: Exploring the Crossroads of Integrity, Motivation, & Perspective

Come explore the complexity of our interactions in our work with young children. Daily, we move through the rich world of tears and behaviors, laughter and learning, often without taking time to pay attention to the foundations of all those elements. How do we balance those different perspectives so that everyone's needs get met? Recognizing and honoring the motivation behind behaviors (both ours and the children's) will empower us to bring our best selves to our work. (Three hours) (co-created with Billie Ognenoff)

CDA area: Positive ways to support children’s social & emotional development

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The ABCs of Quality Care -- They're Not What You Might Think

What would you say if you had to define quality care in only three words?  Are they on the tip of your tongue?  Where would you find the inspiration for each word you picked?  Please join us for a time to reflect, question, and converse about what constitutes high quality care.  This interactive workshop will provide you with time to develop and articulate your thoughts on the matter, bringing in your experience and stories, as well as hear from your colleagues and facilitator, Kelly Matthews. (One hour fifteen minutes)

CDA area: Principles of child growth and development

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The Deepest Message: Exploring the Emotional Culture of Our ECE Programs

What are the messages we send the children in our care?  Sometimes, without intending it, our messages become muddled and mixed.  What does a sense of belonging have to do with conflict management?  How do we get to know our children better?  Are the things we say actually the things we mean? And, finally, how do we teach with integrity?  If you are interested in joining this conversation in active, playful, & thoughtful ways, this is the session for you!  We will use our time together to explore what we want for the children in our care and how paying attention to our interactions with children can help support those goals. (Two hours thirty minutes, two hours, or one hour fifteen minutes)

CDA area:  Positive ways to support children's social and emotional development

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The Kids Are So Much Easier!: Working positively with Parents, Colleagues, & the Other Big People in Children’s Lives

Often we early educators get into this work because of our love and passion for young children – which doesn’t always prepare us for working with all the other people who come with those children!  Make no mistake about it, our work deals with lots of adults even though the image we are given of our work is often one of pure kid-ness!  From parents, family members, colleagues, and more, we may interact with lots of “big people” each day.  Come explore who you bring with you each day as a teacher (& why that matters), envision a new way of partnering with parents (even the “difficult” ones), and craft relevant, ethical ways to do more than compromise when it comes to problem-solving.  There will be room for your voice, vision, and whole self here.  So take some time to explore the intricate web of adult relationships in early childhood education – all those big people will thank you! (Four hours)  Sponsoring agency must supply a copy of NAEYC’s Code of Ethics for each participant.

CDA area: Strategies to establish productive relationships with families strategies to manage an effective program operation strategies to manage an effective program operation

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What Will Sustain Us: Exploring Deeper Learning in Early Childhood

In this time of “push-down” pressure for children to take on more earlier, we educators must give careful thought to our vision of early learning.  We know early learning is more than ABCs, standards, and assessment, but have we asked ourselves what deeper things we want children to learn while in our care? We will work to identify those deeply necessary life lessons we wish to instill in our children.   So whether you are a seasoned educator or wrestling with this idea for the first time, come join us for a lively, interactive session that will leave plenty of room for your voice and experience. (Two hours)

CDA area: Principles of child growth and development

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Why Mentoring Matters: Exploring the Relationships of Mentors & Protégés, the Impact on High Quality Programs & How, with Mentoring, We All Win

What are the roles and duties of a mentor?  Are you a mentor without even knowing it?  How can you find a mentor if you need one & how would you even know if you need one?  If these are questions that bounce around your head, come join us for an interactive look at the power of mentoring and how it can change lives – yours and the children with whom you work.   (One hour forty five minutes)  (co-created with Billie Ognenoff)

CDA area:  Maintaining a commitment to professionalism 

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Wonder & the Environment *

It’s time to put wonder front & center!  Join us for this very interactive session where will explore wonder (& learning), hands on!  You can easily take what you experience in this session back to your workplace, and reinvigorate yourself, your teaching, and your kids.  The discussions and reflections that spring from this exploration are always eye-opening! (Two hours) This workshop requires some extra set up time.

CDA area: Steps to advance children's physical and intellectual development observing and recording children’s behavior

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Diversity Isn't A Black & White Issue

How do mirrors, magnifying glasses, and kaleidoscopes support early educators’ explorations of cultural diversity?   This workshop begins its exploration of cultural diversity from a reflective place – not with multicultural dramatic play props, counting in Spanish, or adding books with African American characters to our book collections, but with you, the educator. Join us for this interactive journey as we begin to make sense of the many facets of cultural diversity and how these facets impact our work with children.  (Four hours)

CDA area: Maintaining  a commitment to professionalism

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Fashioning ECE Leaders: What We Can Learn About

What can a pair of Nikes teach us about leadership in our early childhood profession?  What do pantyhose have to do with being an effective director?  Join us for this playful yet meaningful look at leadership through new eyes – leadership which includes more than putting out fires, covering breaks, and filling out paper.  If we want teachers who are intentional in their work with children, how do we lead in modeling that same level of intention with our staff and the families and children we work with?  Come explore these and other essential questions concerning our profession’s path during these times of change.  (Six hours) 

CDA area: Maintaining  a commitment to professionalism

CDA area: Strategies to manage an effective program operation

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Currently In Development:

The Self Who Teaches: Paying attention to the inner voice of the teacher

Nature – Comparing & Contrasting Needs and Habitats

Toddlers – Not buying the Terrible Twos

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