What power do books hold? Through this workshop educators will discuss topics of social justice and diversity, considering how all children can feel represented.

Focuses on understanding the importance of representation in children’s day to day lives and on the power books can hold. This involves looking at how books can uphold ideas of colonization, gender stereotypes, one type of family and white-centric voices. We will look at how the literacy we use can work towards anti-racist & anti-bias practice, as well as create a welcoming environment where all children are able to feel represented.

How do we respond when tensions around tough topics arise? This workshop addresses why it’s important to critically engage with children, how to have conversations with families, and ways to engage with tough topics.

We will look at what it means to embrace the tensions in our educational settings and what can grow from engaging with said tensions.

This workshop looks at discussing how we represent gender in the classroom in an inclusive environment.

We look at addressing how we as educators may be influenced by our ideas of gender roles and how they become portrayed in the classroom, discussing ways to make our classrooms inclusive for all children and families.

This workshop looks at discussing the importance of dramatic play and ways to encourage and expand on it within the classroom. 

Workshop covers ideas around materials and set-up for dramatic play areas both indoors and outdoors as well as conversations around children’s engagement in rough & tumble dramatic play (such as superhero play), and how we as educators can create an environment rich with socioemotional development.