The Family Child Care Association of Montgomery County, Inc. (FCCAMC) is excited to bring you the very entertaining and knowledgeable Keynote Speaker and Trainer:
Maryann ‘Mar’ Harman
Registration ends 04/07/2023
Maryann, ‘Mar.’ Harman has 30+ years of classroom experience from PreK Level through college. Born and raised in NJ, Mar. received her BA in music education and began her teaching career there before moving to FL. She received a master’s degree in education (with an emphasis on. early childhood) from the University of South Florida where she was an adjunct professor.
Using both these degrees, she writes songs that are educationally and musically sound. She has produced and recorded 40+ albums, several of which have won national awards, including a Parents’ Choice and a John Lennon Song Writing Award. She is the founder of the International Music with Mar. program, a weekly interactive music and movement program in which parents come with their children to learn how to use music to better prepare for school and life in general.
Mar. has done a TEDx talk titled “Building Brains with Music.” She has written songs for Dr. Becky Bailey (I Love You Rituals), School Specialty, GEO Motion Group, Get Ready Kids, Kaplan Learn Every Day Curriculum for Infants/Toddlers, and is featured on the Discovery Channel website for teachers. She was the host of BAM! Radio Music and Learning Channel. Her music is on Spotify, iTunes, and YouTube, and, yes, Alexa knows who she is! Her past presentations included speaking for NAEYC, Eric Jensen’s Brain Expo, South Africa Principals’ Assoc, Chapters International (India), Beijing, and the Cayman Island ECA. Mar. still actively teaches but loves to travel and sing around the US and internationally.
Workshop A – Mindful Music (Self-Regulation through Music)
- Trainer: Maryann ‘Mar.’ Harman (Music with Mar.)
- 2hrs Child Development
How are you supposed to learn if you cannot self-regulate? When too much focus is put on getting cognitive skills in too early, our little ones cannot learn and much of the knowledge we are putting out is not absorbed properly.
Using a combination of music, movement, yoga, and breathing techniques, this workshop shows ways to help children learn to control their bodies whether it be to energize, focus or calm. To develop into well-functioning adults, children must learn how to self-regulate. It is through the ability to control our bodies that we learn to sit and listen as well as when to move and how to do so appropriately with awareness of those around us.
Workshop B – Taking the Challenge out of Challenging Behaviors
- Trainer: Dr. Tamar Andrews (Playground)
- 2hrs Special Needs
Are you struggling with children with challenging behaviors? Are we sometimes too quick to diagnose young children as having special needs? This session will give you some of the tools and benchmarks necessary to work with young children and to identify ways to work with challenging behaviors in the classroom as well as being able to identify when to refer them out.
Workshop C – Intro to Learning Environments by Linking Expenses to Draft Budget
- Trainer: Dr. Robert Gundling (Better Futures, LLC.)
- 1hr Curriculum; 1hr Professionalism
This highly interactive session integrates two strategies to strengthen the child-centered learning environment. The interests of the children guide the activities and what is included in the Interest Areas accessible to the children. Create a draft budget that includes the cost to implement the child-centered environment. Participants will have the opportunity to work in small groups to create a draft budget that includes the cost to improve the learning environment as a step to sustain a profitable business.
Workshop D – Boost Children’s Learning with Music
- Trainer: Tracy Gomer (APPLES for Children)
- 1hr Child Development; 1hr Curriculum
This workshop is designed to offer fun and engaging activities which utilize music to help with children’s development. Focusing on the domains of cognitive, physical, language, literacy, and social/emotional development. Research has shown that music is the only activity that utilizes the entire brain. Children also learn best through movement, not just listening.
Workshop E – Avoiding Burnout in a Demanding Occupation
- Trainer: Teresa Delisi (MC Child Care Support Services)
- 2hrs Health, Safety, & Nutrition
Are you stressed? Burnt out? This training is for early childhood educators who needs strategies to boost their health and wellness. Participants will define burnout syndrome in current health and safety trends and identify what aspects of the workplace add to that built-up stress. Recognize and discuss occupational components that contribute to burnout. Identify strategies to avoid burnout and participate in group discussions.
Participants will be provided the support and resources to implement self-care opportunities in their own lives as well as those of others. Through activities and action plans, gain the knowledge to build their strength and avoid burning out in their very important roles as early childhood educators.
Workshop F – Music, Movement, & Manipulatives
- Trainer: Maryann ‘Mar.’ Harman (Music with Mar.)
- 1hr Child Development; 1hr Curriculum
Engage the children and the brain with music and manipulatives that are fun for learning. Enjoy songs with Mar that will get you moving while preparing the children for school. This presenter’s goal is to have those attending become more comfortable with using manipulatives and why they are important. Participants will be shown how to enhance learning by combining music and movement with puppets for visual, aural, and tactile stimulation.
Workshop G – Making the Marriage Work: How to Hire, Train, & Retain Awesome Staff
- Trainer: Dr. Tamar Andrews (Playground)
- 2hrs Professionalism
Working in the early childhood setting is very much like a marriage. However, it is more like a pre-arranged marriage if you become the administrator of a program with a pre-hired staff. The children appear at the beginning of the marriage and there are lots of children. The marriage also comes with a very large set of in-laws (the children’s real parents) and sometimes, very intrusive in-laws that have much control over what you do (the board of directors). This workshop will provide dozens of tips and techniques for making the marriage thrive at your child care center.
Workshop H – Diving into Domains: Using the Maryland EXCELS
- Trainer: Yvonne Bell (Maryland EXCELS)
- 2hrs Curriculum
This training identifies each of the MSDE/Maryland EXCEL learning domains, gives interactive opportunities for participants to differentiate those domains and provides practice incorporating them into the lesson planning process.
Workshop I – Songs as Tools for Teaching, Guiding, & Calming
- Trainer: Kathryn Para (a.k.a. Frolic the Fox)
- 1hr Child Development; 1hr Curriculum
Childcare professionals and educators know the power of song in guiding children and creating a culture in your program. There’s a song for everything, everything can be in a song, and little ditties can make a big difference! We will explore how and why songs can support transitions, daily rhythm, mindset, and identity while reaching diverse minds and creating group culture, leaving with songs in hearts, hands, and cell phones.
The workshop includes “SongSolving” process for improving the rhythm of your day and exploration of “GuideNotes”, original ditties that are purpose-built for guiding children. Participants will receive access to a library of original music by Kathryn Para and tools such as “SongSolving” and “GuideNotes” in the form of “Pocket Ditties” with direct links to recordings and resources. Music performances feature Kathryn Para as herself and the magical Frolic the Fox.
Workshop J – Kids in Motion: Music & Movement Activities for the Whole Child
- Trainer: Teresa Delisi (MC Child Care Support Services)
- 1hr Curriculum; 1hr Special Needs
This highly interactive training incorporates current research and theory on the benefits of music and movement for the “whole child” including, a child’s physical and social-emotional development and cognitive growth. Participants will explore how music and movement is experienced by young children. Through hands-on activities, explore fun practical ways to utilize music and movement throughout the day.