TeacherTomseCourses

While it is specifically designed for early childhood educators, directors, and childcare owners, parents and grandparents of young children will also find it invaluable too.

We will explore the notion of a child’s environment as a “teacher”; Teacher Tom’s four cornerstones of a creating Natural Habitats for Learning; what it means for a place to be a natural habitat for learning; the Theory of Loose Parts and how not to cheat children; the nuts and bolts of creating both outdoor and indoor learning environments; how the language we use can restrict or expand the effectiveness of a learning habitat; and how well-considered learning environments can greatly reduce, and even eliminate many of the frustrations and conflicts that arise between young children and the important adults in their lives.

Like with anything worth doing, you will get out of it what you put into it. This course is designed in the spirit of play-based learning in that I avoid direct instruction, “how to’s,” tick boxes, and lists of learning objectives. Instead, my approach is to assume that you are a motivated, intelligent, committed adult. I share my best thinking, tell stories, and ask probing questions intended to make you think about yourself, the families in your school life, and what you can do given your own unique situation. As a result you will feel both inspired and empowered to take action.

Absolutely! This is a course for self-motivated enthusiastic educators who want their learning environment to become the most empowering "third teacher" in the lives of the children in their care. This is also a great course for self-motivated parents, grandparents, and caregivers who want to transform their home areas into natural learning habitats for the young children in their lives.

I guarantee that you have never taken a course like this one. It will challenge you, it will probably even make you mad at times, but it will also cause you to think and grow. Most importantly, you will feel empowered and enabled to transform your place of learning into the very best "teaching partner."

This cohort kicks off on May 16th, 2024

Starting Thursday, May 16th, and on every Thursday for the following six weeks, you’ll receive access to one module of the course along with a work book. You can watch that week’s module at any time that’s convenient for you, as long as you do so prior to the following week. We will all be working through the material together as a cohort, week-by-week. (If you can’t watch it that week that’s ok too, since you have lifetime access, but you’ll have more fun if you keep up with the cohort.)

At the start of each week, you’ll get about a half hour of video. You’ll watch it and then spend another 15 minutes or so each week filling out your reflection guide/workbook. In total, you’ll be investing about 45 minutes every week between May 16th and June 20th.

No. :-) You can watch the sessions and work through the reflection guide any time that is convenient for you; after that you can share your insights and ideas at any time in our online community area and Teacher Tom will comment and “cheer you on.”