MCNS has always believed in supporting and encouraging professional development and continuing education for its staff. Professional conferences provide a great way to share ideas with other professionals, to attend workshops with expert practitioners and researchers, and to examine the latest educational materials. Teachers are able to incorporate new ideas into their professional work and share what they learn with their colleagues. They also find that research often validates what they have already been doing in their classrooms and that the current research supports the importance of play, the foundation of our curriculum at MCNS.

This fall the entire staff of MCNS attended the NYCAEYC (the NYC chapter of NAEYC) conference. Two of our teachers, Judy Richardson and Jean Martinoff, attended the NAEYC conference in Dallas, Texas. Four teachers, Denise Diaz, Judy Vasquez, Mercy Skeeter, and Joann Chisholm and Assistant Director, Rosa Diaz, attended the 92Y Wonderplay Early Childhood Learning Conference.

MCNS director, Howard Johnson, believes strongly in professional development for his staff. He asks teachers to consider three questions after attendance at a conference. How did it help your professional work? What will you be doing differently as a result of attending? How will you disseminate this information to other teachers?

The teachers had attended a wide variety of workshops. Some were curriculum oriented. For example, Susie John-Stern, teacher in the Older Group, and Jean Reynolds, teacher in the Middle Group, attended a music workshop which emphasized interactive songs and ways of learning and introducing them. This was very practical information for Susie, a new teacher, that she was immediately able to put in practice in her classroom. Jean learned some new songs and ways to extend them with input from the children. In addition, they were able to purchase CD’s from the workshop leaders which they shared with their teams.

Other workshops focused on behavior issues and how best to address undesirable behavior in the classroom. Linda Brown, teacher in the Young Group, found valuable information in one of these workshops which had teachers reconsider the common practice of making young children say that they are sorry when they hurt another child. It is better to help the child see that he is responsible and can help the hurt child feel better. She put this theory into practice and found that this helped the hurt child to calm down more quickly and helped the perpetrator understand and feel better too.

Sindy Moroney from the Older Group attended a research oriented workshop focusing on the differences between boys and girls. The results of the research rang true to Sindy, who is herself the mother of two girls and two boys. She brought back one practical idea and her team instituted it with great success. Young girls, according to the researchers, can understand and execute three instructions at one time. Young boys, however, need to be given instructions one at a time. It is important to acknowledge the differences and change one’s teaching to help boys have success. So the teachers are now careful to allow boys to complete a task before telling them what the next task will be.

Augustine Watson attended the workshop with Sindy and picked up some useful pointers to bring back to her classroom.

“When talking to boys keep it short and sweet,” says Augustine. “Don’t try to talk to them from across the room. Direct what you are saying straight at them. And keep your voice low. Raising your voice doesn’t help a boy understand.”

Lucia Sugiyama, Young Group and Middle Group teacher, attended a science workshop which focused on new material available for teachers of young children. She was especially impressed with science books in a Big Book format on various topics of interest to children such as weather, magnets and floating and sinking. These books were developed in response to requests by teachers for materials they could use that were aimed at pre-K children. Lucia brought back the catalog to show to the other teachers, Howard and MCNS science consultant Dr. Terry Milligan. They will review and discuss the books for possible purchase by the school.

.After the NAEYC conference Group Teachers gathered at a staff meeting to share information. Howard gave each teacher handouts summarizing the workshops he had attended and also brought back books for the staff to read.

Both of the teachers who attended the NAEYC conference felt that attending the it had helped inform their professional work at MCNS.

“The presenters were all very experienced educators and gave me useful information to help me do what I have to do,” said Jean Martinoff, teacher in the Young and Afternoon Groups.

“In a movement workshop I learned some specific effective modeling techniques to make it easier for children to learn. In an art workshop I learned how to create an environment to let children create and do it themselves.”

Judy Richardson, Middle Group teacher agreed. “I learned techniques to change children’s behavior that is undesirable, stressing positives instead of negatives. I was able to share and discuss this information with the teachers from my team and make a plan to implement some of these techniques. This positive philosophy can be utilized with all children.”

Both teachers enjoyed music workshops with perennial favorites, Ella Jenkins and Greg and Steve, whose CD’s they have been using with their groups. It was wonderful to meet those exceptional musicians in person

Jean brought back materials and CD’s to use in her classroom, and Judy asked for information to be sent to the school about new materials that interested her that she saw at the exhibit center.

“It was my first national conference,” said Judy. There were thousands of teachers from all over the country. It was an exciting place to be.”

The 92nd Street Y Wonderplay Early Childhood Learning Conference was held on Friday, November 14 and featured keynote speakers, Vivian Gussen Paley and Dr. Michael Thompson. The conference focused on the importance of play for young children.

Mercy Skeeter, Middle Group teacher, found the research presented very reassuring. “I felt that what we are doing here at MCNS was validated by what I heard at the conference,” she said. She was able to bring back this encouraging information to her team. Lots of time for play is essential for young children.

Denise Diaz and Judy Vasquez, Older Group teachers, agreed with Mercy. Denise cited the research showing that if there is no play then there is no creativity in solving problems. There must be adequate time for play.

Denise brainstormed ways to increase opportunities for group play inside the classroom with other MCNS teachers. One idea which she was quick to implement was to use more blocks and combine different types of blocks in the block area. Children can solve problems together as they construct in the block area. This is open-ended, child motivated and child-directed play which develops social skills as the children discuss construction plans and consider each other’s ideas for solving building problems.

Judy and Rosa Diaz learned a lot about brain development research concerning the differences between boys and girls. This research suggests that boys need opportunities for more aggressive play than is usually condoned by early childhood teachers who are mostly female.

Judy brought this information back to her team who are discussing ways to set limits but still accommodate the need for aggressive play by boys. Rosa stressed the importance of being aware of gender differences when planning for the children in our classrooms.

Young and Afternoon Groups teacher, Joann Chisholm, was also fascinated by the gender differences research. The question she brought back to discuss with other teachers was, “Are you afraid of boys’ play?”

This provocative question addresses the kinds of complaints that the mostly female teachers in early childhood education make about boys. When boys are young they often bop each other on the head or knock each other down and jump on each other.

“The research showed that the more we understand gender differences, the better we do. We shouldn’t be afraid. We should find ways to challenge boys physically. For example, “they need a lot of outdoor playground time,” said Joann.

Conferences are only a part of professional development opportunities at MCNS, something that is mandated by both the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, which licenses early childhood schools in New York, and for accreditation by NAEYC.