Training

ECI Professional Development Portfolio

The Early Childhood Institute (ECI) at SJSU offers a number of half-day workshops for teachers and administrators, to support the rollout of universal preschool in CA State Preschool and Transitional Kindergarten/Kindergarten classrooms. 

Districts interested in coordinating sessions for their teachers are invited to reach out to Andrea Golloher at andrea.golloher@sjsu.edu. Sessions can be held scheduled in-person or virtually (via Zoom) for groups that meet the minimum size requirements.  

Developmentally Appropriate Practices for Administrators

Administrators will be introduced to the values and tenets of effective instruction for young children using the National Association for the Education of Young Children’s Developmentally Appropriate Practice (DAP) framework, the gold standard for high-quality early learning programs (preschool and TK). In this 2-half-day workshop, administrators will first learn about the evidence related to the importance of DAP for children’s learning and development and how to recognize the use of DAP in early learning classrooms. Between the two sessions, administrators will observe early learning programs in their district. During the second session, administrators will share their observations, discuss the strengths of the programs in their district, and identify ways to support teachers in early learning programs to implement DAP.

Supporting Positive Behavior in Early Learning Classrooms 

In this half-day workshop, participants will develop strategies to support positive behavior in the classroom. Topics include understanding the root causes of children’s behavior and interrogating the impact of teacher biases on interpreting children’s behavior in the classroom. Participants will develop strategies to establish a responsive classroom environment that encourages positive behavior and how healing-informed and restorative practices can be incorporated into the classroom in an age-appropriate manner.  

Establishing Culturally Affirming Early Learning Classrooms 

In this half-day workshop, participants will discuss ways anti-racist and culturally-responsive instruction supports children’s early learning and development. Facilitators will engage with participants to discuss what it means to establish a culturally affirming classroom for children from diverse racial, ethnic, and linguistic backgrounds, and highlight the ways in which participants can support children’s own and family identities. The session will use a strengths-based approach that views children through a family- and community-centered perspective. Participants will identify their own goals for how they can engage in anti-racist practices, and support cultural and linguistic inclusivity in their own classrooms. 

STEM in Early Learning

In this workshop, participants will explore young children’s foundational math and science inquiry skills, informed by current research in early education, child development, and cognitive science. Facilitators will present information in meaningful and accessible ways to support participants as they apply this learning to the design of educational resources for young children (3-5 years of age). Participants will learn how to engage young children in hands-on, culturally meaningful STEM learning experiences. 

Inclusive Early Literacy Practices

This comprehensive half-day training for general educators focuses on practices to support early literacy for all children. Topics will include a review of early literacy development, universal design for learning, and differentiated instruction. Participants will learn how to plan for developmentally appropriate early literacy instruction and how these practices can be modified in response to the needs of children with or at risk for disabilities. 

* Teachers who complete four sessions (10 hours total) will be eligible to apply for one continuing education unit that can be purchased separately through SJSU’s College of Professional and Global Education.

Coaching Support

Each session will include access to a number of resources teachers and coaches can use to support their professional development. The ECI Professional Development Coordinator can meet with district coaches to review the materials and discuss their use as part of a district’s ongoing coaching efforts.