Teaching Kindergarten Conference: Where Did the Garden Go?
2025: The Power of Language
Friday, March 7, 2025 5:30 PM – 8:30 PM ET
Saturday, March 8, 2025 10:30 AM – 4:30 PM ET
On site and Online
Register Now Register a Group (5 or More)
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The 2025 conference will have the same keynote for on-site and online attendees but different interactive workshops. Participants will make their workshop selection after registering for the conference.
Friday, March 7, 2025
| Time (Eastern) | Activity (Via Zoom) |
| 5:30 PM – 5:40 PM | Welcome Remarks |
| 5:40 PM – 6:40 PM | Keynote: “Critical Elements for a Strong Kindergarten” Dr. Pedro Noguera, one of the nation’s leading scholars on issues related to race, inequality, and education |
| 6:40 PM – 7:30 PM | Break |
| 7:30 PM – 8:30 PM | Arts Gathering: “The Art of Bookmaking” Alana Chernicki, advocate for arts education, curriculum writer, and consultant |
Saturday, March 9, 2024
| Time (Eastern) | Activity (via Zoom) |
| 10:30 AM – 10:45 AM | Welcome Remarks Conference Honoree: Yvonne Smith |
| 10:45 AM – 11:35 AM | Keynote: “Teacher Talk: The Power of Your Words” Dr. Lydia Soifer, language pathologist and educator with more than 50 years of experience in clinical and private practice, as well as university teaching |
| 11:35 AM – 11:50 AM | Break |
| 11:50 AM – 1:05 PM | Workshop Session A A selection of live, interactive workshops will be available both for on-site and online participants. Zoom workshops will be recorded and available for the online audience for two months. |
| 1:05 PM– 2:15 PM | Lunch (on your own) |
| 2:15 PM – 3:00 PM | Author’s Corner: “That One Child” Carmen Agra Deedy, award-winning author of 16 books for young readers, including Ralph’s Rotten Day and 14 Cows for America, which was a New York Times bestseller |
| 3:00 PM – 3:15 PM | Break |
| 3:15 PM – 4:30 PM | Workshop Session B A selection of live, interactive workshops will be available both for on-site and online participants. Zoom workshops will be recorded and available for the online audience for two months. |
Critical Elements for a Strong Kindergarten
A vast body of research has substantiated the value and benefit of play-based early childhood education. Dr. Pedro Noguera, one of the nation’s leading scholars on issues related to race, inequality and education, will analyze the critical elements that must be present in kindergarten classrooms, as well as strategies that have proven effective in supporting child development and creating strong foundations for learning. Additionally, he will explore what educators can do to develop effective partnerships with parents to further efforts to support their children.
Dr. Pedro Noguera, Dean of the USC Rossier School of Education, has served as Professor of Education and holder of endowed chairs at UCLA, NYU Harvard University, and the University of California, Berkeley. He is the author of 15 books. His most recent book, A Search for Common Ground: Conversations About the Tough Questions and Complex Issues Confronting K-12 Education in the United States Today was the winner of the American Association of Publishers Prose Award. From 2009–2012 Noguera served as a trustee for the State University of New York. He has served as an advisor to the governor of New Mexico on education policy, and worked as an advisor to the state departments of education in Washington, Oregon, New York and Rhode Island, as well as several large urban school districts throughout the country. In 2022 he was appointed to President Biden’s National Commission on Hispanics, and he was asked to serve as the co-chair of the state of California’s Black Student Achievement Taskforce. Noguera has received seven honorary doctorates from American universities, and received awards from Stanford University, the National Association of Secondary School Principals, and from the McSilver Institute for Poverty Policy and Research at NYU for his research and advocacy efforts aimed at fighting poverty. In 2023 he was ranked 1st in the nation for influence and impact in the field of education.
The Art of Bookmaking
Explore how this artform nurtures early literacy and inspires writing with Kindergarteners. Together, we will dive into the beauty of a book made by hand as we each create our own books. We will examine opportunities and challenges of making books with kindergarteners and will create strategies that engage even the most reluctant young artists!
Alana Chernecki, an advocate for arts education, is a curriculum writer and consultant. She presents workshops to university students, educators, school boards, and parents, both in Canada and internationally. She also teaches online to hundreds of homeschool families and educators around the world, and can be found at @artfulteaching.joyfullearning on Instagram and on her blog, https://www.artfulteachingjoyfullearning.com/blog/. Chernecki earned her Master’s Degree in Arts Education from the University of Manitoba.
Teacher Talk: The Power of Your Words
Language is a gift that we as educators rely upon to reach and teach our children; however, the complexity of language is often hidden by the ease with which we use it. Understanding the power of the words we choose, how the gift of listening and talking lay the foundation for reading, spelling, and writing, as well as the pleasure of social interactions, is so very important for teachers. Kindergarten is a crucial transition time for language learning. Join us as we explore the complexities and gifts of language together.
Dr. Lydia Soifer is a language pathologist and educator with more than 50 years of experience in clinical and private practice, as well as university teaching. As a parent educator, teacher trainer, and staff developer, she specializes in the role of language in the development of children’s learning, literacy, behavior, and social-emotional development. Dr. Soifer is a frequent presenter at local, national and international conferences. In 2022, Dr. Soifer received the Lifetime Achievement Award from Smart Kids with Learning Disabilities. She is a member of the Board of Trustees of the Eagle Hill School in CT, and the Gateway School of New York in New York City. Additionally, she is Assistant Professor of Pediatrics and faculty member in the Early Intervention Training Institute (EITI), both at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine.
“That One Child”
There is nearly always that one child in an educator’s career that is unforgettable. Rarely do we know the end of the story, yet those children leave an imprint as permanent as a handprint on dried clay. Maddening, inspiring, or heartbreaking (terms not exclusive of one another), the memory of that “one child”, is often the most piercing reminder of the reason we entered education. With humor, Carmen Deedy is the first to affirm that as an elementary student, she was no prize. Join Carmen as she shares an encounter that shaped the trajectory of her school life and influenced her decision to become an author of many beloved bilingual books for children.
Carmen Agra Deedy is an award-winning author of sixteen books for young readers, including Ralph’s Rotten Day and 14 Cows for America which was a New York Times Bestseller. Her latest books are Wombat Said Come In, Carina Felina, and The Peanut Man, due to be released in March 2025.
Her personal stories first appeared on NPR’s All Things Considered. Funny, and insightful, Deedy’s narratives are culled from her childhood as a Cuban refugee in Georgia. In addition she hosts the four-time Emmy-winning children’s program, Love That Book! Deedy is an accomplished lecturer, has been a guest speaker for the Library of Congress, Columbia University, the TED and TEDx Conference, and the Kennedy Center, among other venues. An editor, and lifelong advocate for libraries, she previously served on the Advisory Board of the Smithsonian Libraries and Archives.
On-site and online workshops and presenters may be accessed by clicking the respective buttons below. Participants will select one morning and one afternoon workshop through the Whova App approximately three weeks prior to the conference. Keynotes and workshops from the online conference will be recorded and made available to online participants.
Participants will spend the morning observing in Bank Street School for Children or Public Dual Language (Spanish/English) classrooms and will come together for a facilitated discussion and working lunch about the importance of language and the teacher-child relationship in every classroom. Topics may include: questioning techniques, racial literacy, assessment, and the teacher’s role during art activities and free play. Using observations from the morning and your own experiences as a frame of reference, the group will discuss practical application into their own programs and classrooms.
Elizabeth Jarvis is the Assistant Lower School Coordinator at Bank Street School for Children, where she supervises classroom assistant teachers and facilitates integration of the arts through all facets of the children’s learning.
Emily Linsay is the Lower School Coordinator at Bank Street College’s School for Children. She supports teachers, children, and families in six classrooms that serve 3 year olds to 6 year olds.
Margaret Blachly MS.Ed is serving as co-director and is a psycho-educational specialist at the Center for Emotionally Responsive Practice at Bank Street College. Margaret has served as an advisor and instructor in the Early Childhood Special Education and Bilingual Programs at the Bank Street Graduate School of Education. She spent 11 years teaching pre-K and kindergarten in dual language and inclusion settings.