Preschool Educators Conference

Keynote Speaker

8:30 AM – 10:00 AM

Calm Classrooms, Engaged Learners: Designing Environments that Support Regulation, Inclusion, and Readiness to Learn

Keynote Speaker: Lindsay Astor Grant, MA, OTR/L

Classroom environments play a major role in a child’s readiness to learn, and overstimulation often leads to dysregulation that appears as challenging behavior. By focusing on environmental triggers rather than the behavior itself, educators can better support every child. This session explores how design, layout, and sensory factors influence regulation and engagement. You’ll leave with practical strategies to create warm, intentional spaces that minimize overstimulation and promote successful learning.

Balancing Sensory Needs: Tools and Strategies to Support Sensory Regulation in the Classroom
Presenter: Lindsay Astor Grant, MA, OTR/L

Building on the keynote’s exploration of how the environment shapes readiness for learning, this breakout session shifts the focus to the tools and strategies educators can use in the moment to support sensory regulation. Through interactive demonstrations, you’ll discover practical tools, such as movement breaks, visual supports, and structured transitions, that foster calm and balance during the school day. Leave with a toolkit of sensory‑based practices that can be seamlessly integrated into daily routines. This session is designed to move from theory into practice, equipping you with immediate, actionable strategies to help students thrive.

Reflective Practice: The mirror you have yet to discover
Presenter: Liliana Montoya, MAPC, IMH-E

Interested in decreasing burnout, keeping teachers instead of dealing with turnover or reigniting your love for working with young children? In this breakout session we will discuss the nuts and bolts of Reflective Supervision Consultation in early childhood professions. What it is, how it helps and why it could be the missing piece to early childhood success.

Big Feelings, Little Learners: SEL Essentials for the Early Years
Presenter: Bene Lederer

Come and learn about the importance of Social Emotional Learning during the early years and why it is essential for healthy development. This session will explore how SEL builds skills like empathy, self-regulation, and connection in young children. You’ll discover simple, meaningful practices that can be woven into everyday routines. Walk away with ready-to-use resources you can easily implement to make a lasting difference in your students’ lives.

Bringing Israel to Life in the Early Childhood Classroom
Presenter: Sapir Tarim

Explore joyful, and easy to use ways to bring Israel into the preschool classroom. Drawing inspiration from the iCenter approach, we’ll look at Israel as a living story filled with people, culture, language, and everyday moments that spark curiosity in young children. I’ll share hands on ideas, playful activities, and simple tools that educators can start using right away. Our time together will focus on nurturing children’s natural wonder and creating small but meaningful points of connection that help Israel feel close, familiar, and alive in their daily experiences. My hope is that everyone leaves with practical resources, creative inspiration, and a renewed sense of confidence in sharing the spirit of Israel with youngest learners.

Classroom & Student Appraisal – What Works for Whom
Presenters: Sharon Landay and Stacy Rosenthal

Join us to learn how to use a scripted flow chart to determine next steps for student needs. You will leave the session with a template for your personal use that will aid in creating a functional, inclusive space for all learners.

Sensory-Friendly Purim & Passover for Preschool Classrooms
Presenter: Marcy Lewis

This session offers preschool educators a ready-to-use, sensory-friendly Purim and Passover lesson to bring directly into their classrooms. Explore simple, multisensory activities and strategies that make holiday learning accessible, engaging, and developmentally appropriate for all young learners. Walk away with practical materials, clear guidance, and fresh ideas to enrich your early childhood holiday curriculum.

Yoga in the Classroom
Presenter: Lisa van Leeuwen

This beginner-friendly yoga class blends strength, stretching, and mindfulness designed specifically for early-childhood teachers. You’ll learn simple movement and breathing techniques for yourself, plus easy tips for taking yoga off the mat and into your classroom.

RUACH: A Jewish Approach to SEL and Disability Inclusion
Presenter: Deborah Sarna

Come explore the R-U-A-C-H of inclusion! In this session, we’ll explore how to evolve your program’s culture of inclusion to elevate your impact as an educator, and the success of every kiddo in your classroom. View SE(S)L through a Jewish lens, familiarize yourself with best practice resources, and be inspired by creative strategies and practical tool take-aways which you can adapt to the specific needs of your classroom.