MEET THE SPEAKERS

Johnathon Hines

Relationship Matters

Keynote Description:
Finding ways to connect is essential to building a relationship in the classroom, but human connection must often be paired with establishing trust.  Trust is hard to develop and very easily broken.  It requires a delicate balance of setting and meeting each other’s expectations.  With over a decade of experience in education, Johnathon has learned how to establish trust, not only with students, but also with parents and guardians, school leaders, and other members of the education community.  Through scenes from his classroom, learn practical ways you can establish trust over time by being consistent, establishing clear lines of communication, and listening to the thoughts and concerns of all parties, including the youngest learners.

Johnathon’s Bio:
In honor of his extraordinary work and impact in the field of education, Johnathon Hines recently made history as the first African-American male to be named Public School Pre-K Teacher of the Year for the entire State of Georgia. He was honored to be chosen for this recognition and is using his platform to inspire other men to work in early education. Hear his everyday hero story and how you can change the world one child at a time!

Amy Speidel

Challenging Children Are the Gifts that Change the World.

Keynote:
Challenging Children Are the Gifts that Change the World. It is through discovering what supports our children best, especially those who challenge us, that we become our best selves in service of their growth. Learn three ways to see from a lens of curiosity and wonder so that every challenge becomes a victory for our world.

Breakout Session:
Building a Generation of Decision Makers. How we provide choices to our children gives them an understanding of their own ability to make decisions, or teaches them that others in their lives hold the ultimate power. This session provides steps for building the skill of Choice and the acceptance of the Consequences that follow.

Amy’s Bio
Amy Speidel comes to Splash Cruising the Country as a national presenter with Conscious Discipline®. She is also a certified Parent Coach, working with families within a pediatric practice. Amy first used Conscious Discipline as a teacher and witnessed a transformation in her students. She now aspires to support adults who come in contact with children by sharing Conscious Discipline with them through practical, user friendly seminars and workshops.

Dr. Tracey Roden

The Importance of Intentionality in the Pre-K Classroom

Session Title:
Children grow and thrive when provided opportunities to initiate activities and follow their interests, but they also need active teachers to guide their learning through intentional and meaningful classroom experiences. Teaching with intentionality applies best practices while offering a balance of child-guided and adult-guided experiences. Join Frog Street for this important session as we offer guidance and best practices focused on the importance of intentionality in the preschool classroom.

Tracey’s Bio:
Tracey holds a tenured history of guiding research efforts and developing high-quality digital instruction and assessments. Tracey began her career in early childhood education as a preschool teacher and spent many years in the classroom as both a teacher and a coach before transitioning into educational product development and publishing. With her extensive knowledge and experience in early childhood education and leadership, Tracey continues to advocate for the advancement of early childhood education.

Deidre D. Jones

Early Childhood Leadership Panel of California

Deidre D. Jones
Early Head Start Education Coordinator

With 17 years in the field as an administrator, professor, and consultant, Dr. Deidre D. Jones advocates for high-quality, culturally diverse, and equitable early childhood programs.  She holds a Bachelors in Early Childhood Education, Master’s in Instruction and Curriculum Leadership, and Ed.S. and Ed.D. in Educational Leadership.  She has presented at numerous conferences locally, regionally, nationally, and internationally and has published scholarly journal articles.

Dr. Jones is currently the Deputy General Manager of Education, Instruction, and Operations and the Vice President of Early Childhood Development for Neighborhood House Association in San Diego, CA, overseeing 31 centers throughout the County.

James Moses

Early Childhood Leadership Panel of California

James Moses
Regional Director for Child Care Resource Center (CCRC)

James Moses is the Regional Director for Child Care Resource Center (CCRC), which has served children, families, and child care providers in San Bernardino County since 2013. CCRC has been serving children and families in Northern Los Angeles County since 1976. Each month, CCRC provide quality, support, development, and education to almost 50,000 children and families in our 22,500-square-mile service area.

James is a member of the Government Relations team, in the Strategic Engagement Office, for CCRC. This team advocates at the federal, state and local level to improve child, family, and community well-being. James also leads the agency’s strategic engagement in San Bernardino County and works with the broader CCRC team around state and national strategic engagement.

James has worked in San Bernardino County, for more than 30 years. He served as a District Manager with the County of San Bernardino and as a Program Manager with the San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools prior to joining CCRC. In these roles, he administered social service and educational support programs.

In his spare time, James loves to spend time with his family and get outdoors, to listen and dance to live music, play golf and fish. James was raised in San Bernardino County and is a graduate of Cal State San Bernardino.

Claudia Castillo-Magallanez, M.Ed.

Making Center Time Intentional

Center time is a significant part of an early education day. However, many educators are uncertain about how to make this an effective, purposeful practice time. This session will give educators the tools, strategies, and examples to make the most of center time. Participants will understand the difference in implementation and structure. Participants will learn about the best methods of designing centers for optimal impact. This training features activities that help children solidify previously taught concepts by providing intentional practice. This session would be appropriate for intermediate to advanced participants and stakeholders that work with toddler to transitional kindergarten aged students.

Optimizing the Classroom Environment for Dual Language Learners

Learning environments are becoming increasingly diverse, such a demographic shift requires early childhood educators and administrators to embrace culturally relevant practices. We know that children learn best in environments where they feel comfortable, accepted, and safe. This training will focus on the Dual Language Learner:  A child who is acquiring two or more languages at the same time, or a child who is learning a second language while continuing to develop their first language.  We will discuss effective teaching strategies and the environment needed to support dual language learners. You will learn about activities that support the child’s cognitive, social and emotional, and language/literacy development, as well as strategies that promote a learning environment that is safe, nurturing, responsive, language and communication rich.