Healing Classrooms: Weaving a Path from Isolation to Connection
Bank Street’s Emotionally Responsive Schools Conference is a day of collaboration and study of Emotionally Responsive Practice (ERP) in early childhood, elementary, and middle school settings. This annual conference supports teachers, social workers, and administrators to develop a deep understanding of child development, social and emotional foundations for learning and well-being, parent engagement, and mastery of supportive techniques for building safe and nurturing school communities. This year’s conference will be virtual, and will address the challenges of being a teacher, administrator or school social worker through this time of crisis.
Emotionally Responsive Practice is consistent with SAMHSA’s definition of trauma informed care.
Conference features keynote address by Lesley Koplow, LCSW, Lost and Found: Children, Teachers and Parents Finding Their Way Back to School, followed by two rounds of breakout sessions:
Workshops will Include:
- ERP in the Infant-Toddler Classroom: What it Looks Like and Feels Like to Support the Mental Health of Our Little Ones
- Being There: When Children Lose People They Love
- ECE Leaders Forum: What Policy Makers Need to Know About How You’ve Coped with COVID
- Teddy Bears in Classroom Practice 101
- Nourishing the Black Mind West of Africa: Supporting our Children and Families in our School Communities
- Teddy Bears in Traumatic Times: A Healing-Centered, Trauma-Informed Approach in the Time of COVID
- The Multiple, Magical, Healing Benefits of News of the Day
- Coming Back Together: Remote and In-Person Staff Reunite
- Checking Your Life and Practice for the Impacts of Racism
- Quilting our Collective Stories: Using Expressive Arts to Connect with and Support Each Other in Community
Visit bankstreet.edu/erpconference for more information.
Community of Emotionally Responsive Schools Initiative
What are Emotionally Responsive Schools?
Bank Street Emotionally Responsive Schools are early childhood programs, elementary schools and middle schools that use the work of Emotionally Responsive Practice at Bank Street to inform their interactions, routines and curriculum. Emotionally Responsive Schools give all staff members in the building a deep understanding of child development and social and emotional foundations for learning, as well as supportive techniques for building an empathic school community where children feel safe and connected.
Who Can Become Part of Our Emotionally Responsive Schools Community?
Early Childhood Programs, Elementary Schools, and Middle Schools who attend the conference as a school community will be given access to ERP’s Podcast Series “Feeling Safe Changes Everything” as well as other online resources through our Teddy Bears in Traumatic Times Support Community. In addition, school communities can choose to enhance the collaboration through follow up work with ERP at Bank Street. This follow up work might include additional professional development, coaching, staff support groups, admin support or parent groups. New York City public schools can access our Promoting Safe and Supportive Schools requirements contract for services. Independent school communities collaborators as well as school collaborators outside of New York are also welcome. In the time of COVID-19, all services are provided virtually.See fees for Enhanced Membership Schools on the ticket page.
Why Emotionally Responsive Schools?
Research tells us that adverse childhood experiences are common across the income spectrum, and can heighten risk for physical and mental health problems as children grow up, in addition to creating social, emotional and learning issues while they are small. A safe, empathic, engaging school environment can act to diminish stress, nurture the developing brain and become a protective factor for the hundreds of children who attend each year.
To pay by check or purchase order, please register here: https://forms.gle/HkhoMhDeEfS1yKZ18
Any questions contact Lesley Koplow, lkoplow@bankstreet.edu, 212-961-3430.
Participants will receive 5 Social Work CE credits, 5 Continuing Teacher and Leader Education (CTLE) Hours or .5 Continuing Education Unit. Inquiries to Lesley Koplow, lkoplow@bankstreet.edu, 212-961-3430.
To RSVP, visit Eventbrite
