Yeah Baby!

Yeah Baby! is a specialist conference concerned with the education and care of our infants from birth to three years of age. This one day conference runs from 9am-3pm on a Saturday, includes a packed lunch, trade fair, and great seminar and workshops style presentations. The format for the day ensures delegates will return to their early childhood settings affirmed and inspired with topics covered all relevant to work and play with children under 3.

Programme for Yeah Baby! Hamilton

9 – 10.30am
Toni Christie: Intentional language, infancy, and the interbrain
Toni will open Yeah Baby! with some deliberate provocations regarding the language we use and how it directly affects our own and others’ view of our profession. Infancy (often referred to as the first thousand days of a child’s life) is being studied from a neuroscience perspective, highlighting the danger for infants of living in an unsafe environment. In this opening workshop Toni will share her knowledge gained through study at Dr Shanker’s MEHRIT centre in Canada. She will explain and unpack the neuroscience concept referred to as the ‘Interbrain’, and why it is regarded by scientists as ‘natures gift’ for relationship building in children and adults. This workshop will enhance delegates’ professional attributes and afford a deeper knowledge and understanding of the importance of practising respectful, calm and nurturing relationships with children, parents and colleagues.

11am – 12.30pm
Wendy Lee: Savouring the moment: What might the ‘slow movement’ look like in an early childhood setting?
As Carl Honore states, these days our culture teaches us that fast is better. The ‘slow movement’ is not about doing everything at a snail’s pace; rather it challenges us to question the view that fast is better! We need to savour the time we have with infants and toddlers rather than race through routines and ‘activities’, giving the children time to explore, investigate, create, and question so that we can support them to learn how to learn and to develop a love of learning. As adults in ECE settings, we also need to consider whether our mind is full, or mindful? We could consider what we might do to become more mindful and thereby to value our intuition, improve our working lives and make them more rewarding and productive. If we have a richer and fuller life we will be better kaiako for this.

1.15 – 2.45pm
Lorraine Sands: Make that difference! Write Learning Stories that go straight to the essence of what it means to be a curious, wondrous learner in the first thousand days
This workshop is one that seeks to understand how we might all write with ‘undefended hearts’ and with ‘relational connection’ so that what we write makes a difference in children’s learning lives, and contributes to their identities as lifelong learners, right from the beginning.

2.45 – 3pm Wrap up, giveaways, and farewell.

Event runs from 9am-3pm.
Normal Price: $180