Registration open for ‘Teaching from the Heart’ program
Registration is open for an online nonviolent communication program, “Teaching from the Heart,” at the University of Maine Hutchinson Center in Belfast.
The professional development program for educators, teachers and those working with preschool-third grade children will be held 9-11:30 a.m.Aug. 24–26.Cost is $125 and need-based scholarships are available. More information is on the Hutchinson Center website.
Instructor Gina Simm has taught in early childhood education for more than 30 years. Her background in Montessori education and children’s theater launched her into the world of public schools, where for much of her career she taught first grade, including a year teaching English in China.
Simm worked closely with Miki Kashtan, co-founder of Bay Area Nonviolent Communication. Her knowledge of nonviolent communication has transformed her classroom into a place where systems of the heart create a child-centered environment for moving through conflict. Simm lives in the Pioneer Valley Cohousing Community in Amherst, Massachusetts. More information about her work is online.
Participants in the online course will learn how to manage classrooms and learning environments with a practical, simple curriculum based on Simm’s book, “Heart to Heart: Three Systems for Staying Connected (A Manual for Parents and Teachers).”
Skills that help maintain the heart-to-heart connections that support children’s ability to self-regulate and improve their emotional intelligence are at the core of the course. Participants also will learn how to use children’s literature to teach principles of nonviolent communication.
Emotional implications of the COVID-19 pandemic will require teachers to think in new ways to support their students. The reliable systems taught by Simm will provide participants with empathetic training to help children transition back into the classroom.
Participants will earn a UMaine certificate in nonviolent communication, and 0.7 CEU/7 contact hours are available. Reliable internet is required for participants.
For information or to request a reasonable accommodation, contact Michelle Patten, michelle.patten@maine.edu, 207.338.8002. More information about upcoming UMaine professional development programs, registration and need-based scholarship applications are online.