Creative education advocate Mimi Brodsky Chenfield will provide the keynote speech at the March 7 Wayne County Child Care Conference. The event is open to child care providers, teachers, and the public.
This year’s Wayne County Child Care Conference on March 7 will offer the opportunity for child care providers, teachers, and the public to rediscover the joy of teaching and learning.
Mimi Brodsky Chenfield, a teacher with nearly 60 years’ experience and the author of a children’s novel and several books on teaching young children, will kick off the conference with “Joy is NOT a Dishwashing Liquid.” The presentation will stress that “learning is a joyful life-long experience” and encourage attendees to emphasize “everyone’s gift of creativity, curiosity, and confidence.”
Ms. Chenfeld began her teaching career in Albany, New York, in 1956, teaching fourth grade. Since that time, she has taught adults and children of all ages and grades, from Head Start to Upward Bound, from New York to Hawaii. Her special love is celebrating the arts and creativity.
Ms. Chenfeld currently teaches, consults, and writes in central Ohio. She also conducts seminars and presents around the country. Her books, including “Teaching by Heart” and “Teaching in the Key of Life,” are widely used in early childhood education.
She also will lead an hour-and-a half break-out session for teachers of all ages of students. “Teaching in the Key of Life” promises to be “packed with poems, chants, movement, stories, improvisations, dance, and music that are all connected to a concept, curriculum area, or classroom schedule component.”
Ms. Chenfield’s emphasis on creativity and fun will “get the conference off to a positive and uplifting start,” said Sherry Granberry, a Wayne Community College early childhood instructor. “My goal in having Mimi here is to have the attendees feeling good about themselves and what they do when they leave.”
Ms. Chenfield is known for being a lively presenter and engaging her audience and Ms. Granberry encouraged anyone who teaches or has children or grandchildren to come be inspired by her. “They just have to experience Mimi. It is a once-in-a –lifetime chance,” she said.
Both of Ms. Chenfield’s sessions, and many others on the schedule, are appropriate for not only for child care providers but also teachers across the spectrum and parents, Ms. Granberry said.
Ten morning and 20 afternoon sessions are scheduled on topics ranging from safe sleep practices for infants 12 months and younger to preparing children for kindergarten, and intervention procedures for challenging behaviors to building curriculum themes around books.
In addition to teachers in local centers, schools, and colleges and personnel from education-related agencies, attendees can learn from experts from other fields, such as a health consultant, children’s librarian, and educational outreach specialist from UNC-TV.
The workshops are designated for infant, toddlers, preschool, school age, combinations of age groups, or “all.” Each workshop attended is worth 1.5 hours of training credit for a total of six training hours awarded at the end of the day if all are attended.
Following the keynote speech, breakout sessions run 9:45-11:15 a.m., 11:45 a.m.-1:15 p.m., and 1:30-3 p.m. Lunch will be provided 11:15-11:45 a.m.
A complete schedule is available at www.pfcw.org or by calling (919) 735-3371, ext. 227. Advance registration is due by March 4 and costs $30. The on-site registration fee is $35.
The conference is sponsored by the Partnership for Children of Wayne County – Child Care Resource and Referral and Wayne Community College.
The Partnership for Children of Wayne County, Inc. is a non-profit organization designed to provide programs and services for families and children in Wayne County, North Carolina.
Wayne Community College is a public, learning-centered institution with an open-door admission policy located in Goldsboro, N.C. As it works to develop a highly skilled and competitive workforce, it serves 14,500 individuals annually as well as businesses, industry and community organizations with high quality, affordable, accessible learning opportunities, including more than 90 college credit programs.
Wayne Community College’s mission is to meet the educational, training, and cultural needs of the communities it serves.