Scroll Down For A Deeper Look At What Will Be Covered In This Course
In this 6-part e-course Teacher Tom shares his best practices to enable educators to optimize their communications with parents, to help parents better understand and support play-based education, risky play, shift their attitude about discipline, and "everything else."
Earn a 4-hour PD Certificate.
Who is Teacher Tom?
Tom "Teacher Tom" Hobson is an early childhood educator, international speaker, education consultant, teacher of teachers, parent educator, and author. He is best known, however, for his namesake blog Teacher Tom's Blog, where he has posted daily for over a decade, chronicling the life and times of his little preschool in the rain-soaked Pacific Northwest corner of the USA.
For nearly two decades, Teacher Tom was the sole employee of the Woodland Park Cooperative School, a parent-owned and operated school, knit together by Teacher Tom's democratic, progressive play-based pedagogy.
He has authored two bestselling books, aptly named Teacher Tom's First Book, and Teacher Tom's Second Book.
These days, Teacher Tom shares his play-based pedagogy through online e-courses for early childhood educators and parents; produces online early childhood conferences (like the epic The Play First Summit in 2020 with Sally Haughey), consults with organizations about his "Family Schools" program; and inspires early years audiences around the world (Greece, UK, Iceland, Australia, China, Vietnam, New Zealand, Canada, and across the US) both virtually and in-person about his compelling play-based pedagogy.
For nearly two decades, Teacher Tom was the sole employee of the Woodland Park Cooperative School, a parent-owned and operated school, knit together by Teacher Tom's democratic, progressive play-based pedagogy.
He has authored two bestselling books, aptly named Teacher Tom's First Book, and Teacher Tom's Second Book.
These days, Teacher Tom shares his play-based pedagogy through online e-courses for early childhood educators and parents; produces online early childhood conferences (like the epic The Play First Summit in 2020 with Sally Haughey), consults with organizations about his "Family Schools" program; and inspires early years audiences around the world (Greece, UK, Iceland, Australia, China, Vietnam, New Zealand, Canada, and across the US) both virtually and in-person about his compelling play-based pedagogy.
Episode 1:
Parents Are the Best!
(Parents Are the Worst)
We love the parents of the children we teach, but frequently they show up for us as problems. And yet parents and teachers should be natural allies, fully aligned in our joint mission. In this session, Teacher Tom discusses the pressures and challenges facing today's parents, why they need us now more than ever, and how partnering with them can help to create the kind of "village" every child deserves.
Episode 2:
Communicating With Parents
Good relationships rest on a foundation of communication. In this session, Teacher Tom lays out his fundamental pedagogy for communicating with families, including such things as managing expectations, addressing challenging issues, and maintaining transparency, no matter what.
Episode 3:
Getting Parents on the
"Play" Bandwagon
We know that children's play lives at the center of learning during the early years, but the notion of play-based education, or self-directed learning, is easily misunderstood. Teacher Tom offers his thoughts, developed over two decades of working directly with parents in a play-based cooperative school, about how to get parents fully subscribed to this core pedagogy.
Episode 4:
Helping Parents Get Comfortable With Risky Play
Risk, both physical and social-emotional, is an inherent part of play. However, the majority of today's parents has become extremely risk adverse. Teacher Tom unpacks why risky play is an essential element of learning, and how to ease parents into a mindset that embraces the notion that "learning injuries" constitute natural and important aspects of actual learning.
Episode 5:
Speaking With Parents About Discipline
"Discipline" is too often conflated with "punishment and rewards" by parents within our popular culture. Many professional educators know there are better alternatives! In this session, Teacher Tom discusses how to help parents understand discipline well beyond carrots and sticks.
Episode 6:
Let's Get Partnering!
In this session, Teacher Tom summarizes key points, provides illustrative examples, and helps you set the course for developing fruitful and mutually beneficial partnerships with parents of the children you teach.
Bonus:
Live Webinar with
Teacher Tom
After completing this e-course, leverage a live bonus webinar for graduates only with Teacher Tom to get your questions answered, share some of your new partnering ideas, and network with other early childhood educators and parents of young children. (A recording will be available for those not able to participate in the live event.)
What Others Say About
Partnering With Parents
Michael T.
"This is so incredibly relevant, especially with all of the strain on both parents and on us teachers, coming out of Covid."
Mindie C.
"As a parent, I can't recommend this enough. Helped me understand the stress teachers have been under, and gave me lots of new ideas for dramatically improving the relationship dynamic; even our 4-year old noticed that I am calmer and more fun!"
Katarina D.
"Loved this so much. Reminded me that creating these powerful partnerships is really very achievable without a lot of effort, but - at least for me! - with additional intentionality!"
Eleanore F.
"Teacher Tom does it again. It's always so reassuring to hear his validation for how to do certain things )like partnering with parents), and to learn additional new methods that are awesome."
Register for Partnering With Parents
Price $129 USD/person
WHAT'S INCLUDED
Lifetime Access
Earn a 4-Hour Professional Development Certificate
Online Forum to comment, discuss, and ask questions
Live Zoom Webinar with Teacher Tom (recording will be available if you cannot make it to the call)
High quality coaching in the comfort of your own home
Lifetime Access
Earn a 4-Hour Professional Development Certificate
Online Forum to comment, discuss, and ask questions
Live Zoom Webinar with Teacher Tom (recording will be available if you cannot make it to the call)
High quality coaching in the comfort of your own home
Group Discount Pricing
Starting with 5 users and moving up, groups receive a 20% discount off of the Early Bird course price of US $129.00 per person.
School and ECE program directors, please contact [email protected] about larger groups
(100 persons and higher) to discuss additional discounts and bespoke PD programs for your community.
School and ECE program directors, please contact [email protected] about larger groups
(100 persons and higher) to discuss additional discounts and bespoke PD programs for your community.