This course is specifically designed for Educators & ECTs working in kindergartens in Queensland Australia using the QKLG.

Self paced recorded content and short live webinars

Dr Louise Porter and Sandi Phoenix will be supporting teachers and educators to build on their existing skills and knowledge of children’s development and learning, with further theory and research to develop their ideas about how to support children’s behavioural, social, and emotional skills. Ultimately, educators will have more knowledge around guidance approach theories, and gain further skills to respond to the educational and developmental needs of kindergarten children. 

This is an empowering course which will encourage participants to re-think and re-frame the role of teachers and educators in supporting children’s emerging social competence. It will flex your thinking, question your knowing, and change your practice forever.

This course includes self paced and live content. It will be run throughout 2022. 


What you'll get

This online course is designed to maximise your learning opportunity while fitting in with your schedule

  • Bonus content

    'Getting started content' is released when the Kindy Uplift program commences in April 2022. This will allow teachers and educators to have a chance to familiarise themselves with some content and the course layout. Workbooks and downloads will also be made available at this time. If you haven't yet seen it, The Jayden & Sally story video will be available for viewing.

  • Manageable chunks

    This course was recorded in front of a live audience at the beginning of 2020. The videos have been edited into approx. 30 minute sessions to allow you to work through all of the content at a manageable pace.

  • Live Q&A Panel with Dr Louise Porter & Sandi Phoenix

    You'll have the opportunity to join a 1.5 hour live Q&A Panel with Dr Louise Porter and Sandi Phoenix. Send your questions in or bring them with you on the night. This session will be recorded if you can't make it to the live.

Who is this for?

This Masterclass is specifically designed for teachers and educators working in the early childhood education and care sector in Queensland, Australia.

  • Educators

  • Teachers

  • Early years practitioners

Presenters

PhD, MA(Hons), MGiftedEd, DipEd, BA, BIntStuds Child Psychologist Dr Louise Porter

Dr Louise Porter, PhD, MA(Hons), MGiftedEd, DipEd, BA, BIntStuds, Child Psychologist is passionate about safeguarding children’s self-esteem, promoting their social skills, and supporting their resilience in the face of the challenges that life often raises. Louise advocates for teaching children to behave considerately, being mindful of how their behaviour affects others, rather than what consequences it may earn them. She has taught at university, conducted a private practice for 30 years, and worked in both mainstream and disability agencies and schools. She is an outstanding author of some of the best texts in the world on the topic of guidance. Louise is a popular speaker throughout Australia and internationally.

Principal Facilitator Sandi Phoenix

Sandi is the founding company director and principal facilitator at Phoenix Support for Educators. Her framework, The Phoenix Cups, have revolutionised how education & care professionals and parents, understand the behaviour of, and proactively plan for, the wellbeing of children and young people. She is highly regarded as an international speaker, coach, mentor, and professional development facilitator.

FAQ

  • How much does it cost?

    This online program is $298 AUD per participant.

  • How long does the course take to complete?

    The course can be completed in one full day (approximately 7.5 hours including videos, reflection, and readings). However, you have access to the course for a full month to work through the content at your own pace.

  • If I can't make the live, can I still ask questions?

    Yes! There is a discussion feature on the course that you can use at any time. We'll make time to reply to these discussion questions each day.

  • Will I get a certificate?

    Once you've completed all of the content here, you'll be issued with a personalised downloadable participation certificate. Yay!

  • Can this program be delivered face to face at my service?

    Yes! When delivered face-to-face – the group training workshop will be delivered across a full day with all kindergarten educators in attendance (or a community of educators) to encourage professional collaboration and critical reflection. This program is developed by Dr Louise Porter and Sandi Phoenix, and will be delivered by both facilitators. If there is high demand for the program, it can be scaled to meet increased demand by Phoenix Support for Educators events team, who will organise regional events throughout Queensland, where educators from one or many services can attend at once, with a minimum of 20 and a maximum of approx. 100 participants per venue.

Program evidence overview

This program, developed by Dr Louise Porter PhD and Sandi Phoenix BPsychSc, is research and evidence based.

The over-aching theories that guide the content of BEST are self-determination theory (Chirkov & Ryan, 2001; Chirkov, Ryan, Kim, & Kaplan, 2003; Deci & Ryan, 1987; Ryan & Deci, 2000a, 200b) and Guidance theory (Gartrell, 2003, 2004; Grolnick, 2003; Grolnick, Gurland, DeCourcey, & Jacob, 2002; Hart & Hodson, 2004, 2006; Hoffman, 1960; Kohn, 1996, 1999a, 1999b, 2005; Porter, 2014, 2016a). The seminar content also draws on research findings that children are best prepared for school through a play-based program that fosters self-regulation of their emotions, behaviours and learning processes, and that these skills are more important than specific literacy and numeracy skills such as knowing the alphabet and being able to count (Piotrkowski et al., 2000).

In other words, success at making the transition to school depends on children’s social and behavioural competencies (NICHD Early Child Care Research Network 2003a) and capacity to regulate their emotions within the context of group activities (Graziano et al., 2007; Grolnick & Ryan, 1989). This ability may be particularly crucial for navigating school entry because the new learning environment and challenging academic tasks can arouse anxiety and frustration, which must be managed. In turn, teachers view well-regulated children more positively, which contributes to an improved teacher-child relationship that, in turn, also supports children’s educational engagement and attainment (Graziano, 2007; Ladd et al., 1999).

In light of this research, this seminar aims to provide early childhood educators and teachers with the tools to foster children’s self-regulation and, in turn, their readiness for school.

Queensland Kindergarten Learning Guidelines (QKLG)

Learning and development areas within the course that link to the QKLG

  • Identity

    Children build a strong sense of identity through connections with their families, peers, teachers and communities. Through these relationships, children develop a sense of belonging, confidence in others and in themselves, and an awareness of their own culture. They gain confidence in their abilities, a sense of agency in their decision-making and develop their independence.

  • Active Learning

    Active learning helps children to build positive dispositions and approaches towards learning. It encourages increasing confidence, engagement and involvement in learning and the development of curiosity, problem-solving, creative thinking and investigation processes.

  • Connectedness

    Children are developing a sense of connectedness to their world. This connectedness helps them relate to the values, traditions and practices of their families, kindergartens, communities and the wider world. It supports them to learn about the interconnectedness of people and environments. Over time, this learning transforms the ways they interact with others and how they think about the world as ‘global citizens’.

  • Communicating

    The foundation for children becoming effective citizens is their development of language, literacy and numeracy. Being able to communicate is fundamental to children’s everyday lives, including their ability to express their ideas and feelings, to question, to learn, to connect and interact with others. Children feel a strong sense of identity and connectedness when their ways of communicating are valued in the kindergarten environment.

  • Wellbeing

    Important aspects of wellbeing include children’s physical and mental health, personal safety and successful social functioning. Wellbeing is linked with resilience, providing children with the ability to manage change and respond to challenges. A strong sense of wellbeing requires positive, supportive and trusting relationships, which build children’s confidence and optimism.

What people think of this course:

5 star rating

The Children's Behaviour Masterclass

Kristy Gynn

I thought this was very detailed and very informative.

I thought this was very detailed and very informative.

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5 star rating

Enlightening

Karen Cartwright

I found the course to be enlightening to a different way of understanding and approach to children who at first thought to have challenging behaviours to chi...

Read More

I found the course to be enlightening to a different way of understanding and approach to children who at first thought to have challenging behaviours to children who just need their cup filled.

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5 star rating

Filling cups to guide behaviour choices

Natasha Lunnon

I really enjoyed this course

I really enjoyed this course

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5 star rating

Great masterclass

julia Tiepun

Learned a lot about children’s behaviour, a lot to think about and implement, doing things a different. Really like the saying you need to know better to do ...

Read More

Learned a lot about children’s behaviour, a lot to think about and implement, doing things a different. Really like the saying you need to know better to do better.

Read Less