Workshop Ideas...

[Crystal]

I need your input. I have been selected by the California Early Childhood Mentor Program to develop and present workshops for Family Child Care owners and Center Directors in my region. I would like to know, if you had the opportunity to attend free workshops, which topics you would most like to have presented?

Also, what would it take to get you to attend, as in incentives? Would you attend simply because they are free and you get professional growth hours, or would you need other incentives, such as food and give aways?

One last question. Would you prefer weekday evening or weekend daytime workshops?

TIA, I appreciate your input, as I want to make sure that I present topics that are desired by those in the field!

[Luna]

I would attend a workshop on Picky Eaters, How to be Assertive (with Parents), or tax preparation...just off the top of my head. I don't think I would need added incentive, but a door prize would be nice, maybe a cookbook for picky eaters or something like that. I would prefer a weekend morning workshop just because I'm so pooped at the end of the day I would be dragging my butt to an evening one.

[missnikki]

Agreed on the weekend day, and incentives.

As far as topics, I am always interested in any form of classroom management, community involvement, and parent/ teacher interactions.

[melskids]

multi age settings and how to deal with bratty school agers. i'm serious... i can never find good trainings/workshops on how to deal with meeting the needs and challenges of school age kids.

emergent curriculum/child centered play would be another good one.

[countrymom]

we have them here where I live.
some topics:
anything related to food, from picky eaters to menus
taxes
cirriculum
how to deal with parents
contracts
room ideas (how to decorate your rooms)
sleep issues

I think the weekends would be great, but not smack dab in the middle of the afternoon
also, I would provide raffles, lunch, stores that would come as vendors would be great.

[Unregistered]

Protection from Bullying is popular here

[MyAngels]

How to deal with transitions. Anything to do with special needs. How to manage mixed age groups. Personally I'd prefer something in the evenings, or first thing on Saturday morning. I've always thought a webcast would be a good way to do training as well.

[QualiTcare]

so does it count toward the hours they need? if so, i wouldn't think they'd need any incentives.


when i worked in a center, someone from the food program came and talked about how everything is supposed to be done since they're so picky. that's pretty much the only class i've ever attended where i learned something i didn't know. like you have to write down the number of kids who eat while they're all sitting down and if a kid drinks their milk but doesn't eat their food they get counted, etc, etc....

nothing hard, but there was just so much wrong info. floating around bc new people would start (like me) and someone who was supposed to know didn't really know and told me wrong and so on. there were ppl who worked there for 10, 15 years who were doing things wrong. yeah so it was interesting and everyone had lots of questions.

[misol]

Taxes and Recordkeeping
Communicating with Parents

BTW - credit hours and free are incentives! ::

[Crystal]

Thanks for the great ideas and input so far. I REALLY appreciate it!

I'll be sure to update you all when I decide which topics and in which order I'll present. I'll even send you the power points and stuff I develop if you'd like.

[Jenjo]

Dealing with school age children. There just is not enough help on that.

I would come with no incentive if I felt the class would really help me.

I like Weekend mornings.