Selecting a speaker for an event is a big deal…
Selecting a speaker for an event that affects children and families can change lives.
I love to work with teachers and parents who care as much as I do about children, education, and healthy whole child development.
If you are looking for a dynamic training, conference, or speaking engagement, I would love to work with you!
There are many ways I can work with your group.
From 1-2 hour presentations, to full-day training workshops, or an observation/consultation/training package, I would love to tailor an event to meet your needs.
Whether speaking to an auditorium of 1000 or a room of 12, I feel strongly about making it personal, meaningful, and creating hands-on opportunities for participants to learn.
When booking an event, I will talk with you personally to discuss how to get the most out of your presentation and ensure it meets your objectives.
Check my availability for your event by emailing me at amanda@notjustcute.com .
Please contact me early as dates can fill up fast!
A Few Past Engagements:
Here’s what past organizers have said:
It was a pleasure working with Amanda from beginning to end. She is an absolute stand out in the early childhood field! “
I have been receiving emails and updates from parents at our school about how incredible the presentation was yesterday. They were really happy about how well you articulated different concepts in a way every parent could relate to.”
After almost 20 years in the field, it is rare that I encounter a training I can’t also present. Even my teacher who has been with us for 26 years walked away feeling like he had learned something new and was better equipped to talk to parents about what we do. That NEVER happens. It was so refreshing to feel like our time was well spent.”
I wish you could have heard the buzz of hundreds of early childhood educators inspired by your keynote! Teachers and administrators…are heading home pumped up and full of strong words to support DAP. Now we’ll have these important resources, too! We are grateful for your work ~ keep going!”
Presentations in my repertoire include:
Not Just Cute: Teaching with Intention
It’s not just what you teach or how you teach, but it’s also knowing why you teach it. I’ll talk about how to go from a Pinterest-fueled information overload to a laser-focused pattern of intentional teaching. You’ll learn why intentional teaching is more effective, more responsive, and more enjoyable!
Developmentally Appropriate Practice and Why We Don’t Push Kids Down the Stairs
Based on my popular series on Developmentally Appropriate Practice that began with a post with the same title. This covers what the term DAP means and why it’s important. We’d take a look at why society is in such a rush, and why kids benefit from protected childhoods. Particularly useful for families and teachers who are feeling pressure to meet more academic benchmarks with young children.
Tools for Better Behavior: Positive Guidance in the Classroom / Parenting with Positive Guidance: The Basics
Real discipline isn’t about gimmicks or short-term ploys. It’s about building relationships and internal controls, and having tools that work. I’ve worked extensively with both teacher groups and parent groups on the topic of positive guidance. I also have an ecourse and two ebooks (here and here) on the topic of positive guidance, which we can incorporate as part of your event’s resources. This can be a one night event or an on-going, in-depth training.
Powerful Play
Einstein once said that, “Play is the highest form of research”. This presentation will show you why that’s true! We’ll talk about how to encourage powerful play by preparing the environment, engaging in meaningful interactions, and recognizing developmental processes. This is awesome as a full day workshop! A recommended topic for both parents and teachers!
Joyful Literacy
Children learn best from meaningful literacy experiences that align with current research. We’ll take a look at the basic principles behind emergent literacy and how to encourage it in a playful, joyful way to build a solid foundation for real literacy. Perfect for both teachers and parents of preschoolers!
Science in the Early Childhood Classroom
Have you ever felt like it’s hard to get real science experiences into your classroom? I’ll show you how science is at the heart of everything that goes on in a preschool or early childhood classroom and how you can easily weave it into every part of your day.
The Key Ingredient: Intentional Interactions
Research consistently tells us that the key factor separating high-quality early education from the rest is the type of interactions in the classroom. With stories, data, and object lessons, we’ll discuss why this is true and outline the simple tools for unlocking powerful interactions in the early childhood classroom. The most valuable component in any classroom is its people. That’s because human development happens within the context of human relationships. This presentation gives an important foundation for all other elements to build on.
The Math Bag: Beyond Counting!
Learn how to support number sense in your classroom in a meaningful, hands-on way. This training is hands-on, sharing one of my favorite year-long activities that will take your students beyond rote counting and recitation of facts to incorporating a real awareness of numbers and foundational math concepts.
Observation/Consultation/Presentation
This is a very targeted professional development program where I spend the first day (or first half of the day) in the classrooms observing and interacting, followed by individual consultations to discuss what went on, as well as additional teacher concerns. Cap it off with a group presentation that incorporates topics and concerns most relevant to your own group.
I’m also happy to create a unique presentation to meet the special needs of your group!
Check my availability for your event by emailing me at amanda@notjustcute.com .
Want to know more about me and what I have to offer your group? Get the info here!
Want to know even more? Read some of my writing samples here.
Find introduction bio samples here and photos here , here, and here.
