Workshops

Kelly Goodsir

Author and managing director of KGLearning, Kelly Goodsir has dedicated her career to the development of pedagogy, learning and leadership through collaborative thinking.

Contexts for Collaboration: A necessary act for innovation in practice

When we think, discuss and debate together, magic happens.

It may feel risky but often the most rewarding practice arises from walking with uncertainty in the company of others. This session will connect you with the power of collaboration and shared perspectives.

Maggie Dent

Commonly known as the ‘queen of common sense’, Maggie Dent has become one of Australia's favourite parenting authors and educators

Exploring Children’s Anxiety

The landscape of childhood and childhood stress is changing, and anxiety is now much more prevalent for our children. In this workshop , Maggie explores what anxiety is and what we as parents and educators can do to help reduce anxiety and fear in today’s kids. Maggie has been writing about the importance of calmness and stillness in children’s lives since publishing her 2003 book Saving Our Children From Our Chaotic World. As well as helping you better understand anxiety, Maggie shares many highly practical, helpful and simple strategies to support a calmer home or classroom and, ultimately, calmer, happier kids.

Dr Bob

Dr Bob (Robin Christie) is an early childhood teacher, designer and builder of functional, beautiful, and empowering learning spaces. He is passionate about creativity, positive risk-taking play, and bringing more good men into ECE.

Playful Science - Hands-on STEAM experiences for the Very Early Years

Young children are born with a desire to explore our world through playful experimentation.

Join science educator and goofball Dr Bob for hands-on experiments and experiences to lay the foundation for a life of discovery.

Rachael Wilson

Registered dietitian Rachael Wilson supports families to raise children who eat well and feel good in their bodies. She specialises in real-life approaches to mindful eating, body image, family feeding and eating disorders.

Thinking beyond nutrition

Children who are confident in their bodies, eat a variety of food, and enjoy being at the table have skills to experience health and happiness.

With a focus on wellbeing, you will gain practical approaches for a positive eating environment in your centre.

Dr. Kathryn Murray

Dr Kathryn Murray is passionate about giving children the best possible start in life. She is an environment design expert implementing her original Brain-SET Environment Design© in early childhood centres worldwide.

‘It’s more than where to put the furniture!’ Creating a Brain-SET learning environment to align with children’s brain development.

Learn about learning spaces that support brain development, engage children, expand relationships, promote play and bring calm.

Come away with ideas and understanding for your learning environments.

Marc Battle

Marc Battle is an ECE Instructor at Red River College Polytech, Canada. He is also a noted playground developer, children’s musician, and creator of the ECE podcast, This Ain’t Babysittin’.

No accidental revolution: Men in ECE

Although men were historically active in the childcare movement, today they are only 3% of the childcare workforce.

This workshop looks at what draws men into the profession, what drives them out and how the gender gap has to be closed.

Asrya Hyland

Childspace Northland kaiwhakahaere Asrya Hyland is fascinated with child development and pedagogy from conception to the age of three. She is a culturally respectful kaiako, dedicated to becoming a Pikler professional, and leading with heart and soul.

Infant pedagogy through a Te Ao Maori lens

Explore beliefs around infants, infant pedagogy and upbringing in te ao Māori.

From pre-colonial to current learning, care and value systems for tamariki and leading infant pedagogies, we will consider how they align with te ao Māori and the merging of old and new knowledge.

Lauren Ryan

Professional development facilitator and mentor Lauren Ryan is the tumuaki | principal supporting all four Childspace Early Learning Centres. She spends her time empowering and inspiring kaiako through mentoring and pondering possibilities.

Courageous Conversations

What’s the complication? It’s only conversation!

Communication and conversation are not always easy for leaders and teams. This workshop will guide leaders and teachers to discuss important and sensitive issues and provide tools to engage in critical conversations with courage and care.

Vida Schurr and Rachel de Vries

With 20 years in education, Vida Schurr from Ako Leadership specialises in empowering tamariki through the curriculum. With 15 years in education and 10 years of brick sculpting, Rachel de Vries from House of Bricks inspires creativity and a unique sense of excitement through programmes to encourage innovative learning.

Creative Pedagogy

Building with LEGO® and DUPLO® engages the senses, dexterity, and imagination of tamariki. Explore how to intentionally teach through construction bricks, with effective set-ups, hands-on activities, extension ideas and rich learning experiences linking to the strands and goals of Te Whāriki early childhood curriculum.

Lorraine Sands

Lorraine Sands is committed to ensuring the principles and strands of Te Whāriki are enacted. She is a learning facilitator with the Educational Leadership Project and a teacher and researcher at Greerton Early Learning Centre.

Learning in motion: Being responsive, reciprocal, and relational through the way we engage with learning story formative assessments.

Children are learners-in-action; curiosity, resilience, and empathy motivate them to be interested, involved, explore, communicate, and act with fairness.

We’ll look at practical, dynamic ways kaiako can strengthen these dispositions and environments that support this learning to happen.

Bobbi-Jo Burkitt

Canadian-turned-Kiwi Bobbi-Jo Burkitt feels privileged to work with tamariki, whānau, and fellow kaiako at Childspace. She marvels at the play of children, and embraces creativity and laughter.

Playful storytelling

Once upon a time there was a workshop that engaged attendees with all things storytelling! Be prepared for fun and creativity to encourage mana atua and mana reo (contribution and communication) and spark the imaginations of tamariki. Explore practical ways to tell stories using props, imagination, and the occasional silly voice. The end.

Lesley Rameka and Jade Whaanga

Jade has been involved with Kōhanga reo for 14 years, as a parent and a teacher, with a vision to raise children in an environment which promoted te ao Māori | Māori world view to live, breathe and succeed as Māori. 

Arapera Card is a champion for te reo Māori and te ao Māori tikanga and kaupapa. Currently Pouhere Kaupapa Māori for Te Rito Maioha Early Childhood New Zealand, she has been in early childhood education since 1986.

Te Whāriki: Bilingual goals and learning outcomes in practice

What do the bilingual goals and learning outcomes within Te Whāriki look like in practice? Gain real life examples and reflect on what it means for kaiako and the way we teach.

Emma Uri-Erihe

Kia Orana, Ko Emma Uri-Erihe tōku ingoa. He uri ahau no Te Kūki ‘Âirani.

ECE teacher and Te Rito Maioha lecturer Emma Uri-Erihe is passionate about sharing the values of her Cook Island culture in early childhood education.

Tivaevae: Weaving curriculum to widen the lens of kaiako | Whiria ngā marautanga, tiro whānui te kaiako

Learn about Tivaevae, the Cook Island practice of quilting, and how its tikanga of collaboration, respect, relationships, shared vision, and give-and-take can enrich ECE centres.

Sandi Phoenix

Coach, mentor and professional development facilitator for the education and care sector, Sandi Phoenix is a behavioural specialist and founder of the Phoenix Cups approach to guiding behaviour.

Children’s behaviour is not ours to manage: Advocating for children’s rights by reframing behaviour management

Re-framing unhelpful terminology like “attention seeking” and “behaviour management” provides a new lens for educators and families to support children’s behavioural and social learning.

You will gain powerful tools to create wellbeing plans and transform children’s behaviours that challenge us.

Memory Lyon

Mangaweka School principal Memory Lyon (Ngāti Porou and Whakatōhea) has spent most of her career in the early years, teaching, mentoring and leading. Co-author of Rituals: Making the Everyday Extraordinary, she is passionate about relationship-based pedagogy. She believes nature, culture and play enable tamariki to thrive to their fullest potential.

Rituals in Nature

Rituals ground us with intentional practices that connect to our environment and the people we share space with. Explore how rituals in nature strengthen your local curriculum and create meaningful experiences that nurture children’s hauora and holistic learning.

Ali Porteous

Ali Porteous inspires other kaiako to be passionate about respectful relationships and understanding behaviour through brain science. She is the kaiārahi matauranga at Ngaio Childspace.

Using self-regulation to care for our own wellbeing

Exhaustion and burnout are words we hear too often. We are so used to giving our all to our tamariki and whānau that we forget about ourselves. Learn how neuroscience can help you manage your well-being, why looking after yourself as a professional should be your priority and how to bring your best self every day.

Kendra Tike and Carla Keighron

Te Rito Maioha regional education leader and lecturer Carla Keighron is passionate about Tiriti-based practice, early childhood pedagogy and student-teacher identity.

Te Rito Maioha Pasifika curriculum advisor and lecturer Kendra Tike’s interest is Pacific research focusing on family, teacher and community relationships, teacher culture, language, and
identity.

Considering our identity within intentional teaching

"If you want to know me, you first have to know yourself." – Ministry of Education, New Zealand, Te Tāhuhu o te Mātauranga, 2018

Delve into cultural identity within intentional teaching, underpinned by Tapasā. Engage in talanoa to see how your understanding of yourself impacts your image of a child, and how this brings genuine engagement with tamariki and their fanau.

Robin Christie

Robin Christie is an early childhood teacher, and designer and builder of functional, beautiful, and empowering learning spaces. He is passionate about creativity, positive risk-taking play, and bringing more good men into ECE.

Biophilic design: ECE environments inspired by nature

Biophilic design creates learning spaces based on our natural world – full of curves, natural materials, and living things. Join for a showcase of real-world examples of biophilic design that are home-like, sustainable, and cheap as chips!

Tash Kibble

ECE principal, owner, kaiako and facilitator Tash Kibble has led and played in educational environments for, well, ages. She knows professional integrity and playful creativity go hand-in-hand in leadership. She loves a good chin wag over a gin after a ridiculously fun day at the office or in the garden.

All Fired Up - A Passion for Leadership Excellence in Education

Looking for inspiration? Ready for a refuel? Regain your fire-in-your-belly zeal for leadership! Create excellence from your passion for growing leadership and leading the way in ECE...and beyond!