My York University Kindergarten AQ course is completely full!

Happy March Break to all of the educators who are fortunate enough to have it off!!!

Have you planned anything exciting?  Last year at this time I went on an adventure to Costa Rica with one of my closest friends, Marlena Marra.  It feels like a lifetime ago we were planning this vacation!!!  In many ways it was a week that felt like a dream, with its slow pace and beautiful scenery, a welcomed change to our busy lives.     

Since our fun in the sun, a lot has changed for the two of us!  This year Marlena is a proud new mommy and I am happily married!!! As a new wife, I decided to stay in Toronto over the March Break, in order to get our home more organized!  If you are curious, you can follow my Instagram hashtag throughout the next few months #projectstylemyhomesweethome. 

What room do you think I have prioritized and worked on first? My TransformEd Consulting Services Office/Studio space of course!!!  How can I be a serious blogger, without an inspiring environment with endless possibilities? 

Now that I am feeling more organized, and by that I mean that I am no longer working on the floor, I can begin to plan for upcoming professional learning !

I will be instructing the Kindergarten Additional Qualification Course this Spring for York University.  The course is offered to educators (teachers and early childhood educators) who are interested in the topic of early learning.  I am offering a combined course with part 1, 2, and specialist.  Our lectures, guest speaker presentations, and field trips will be the same for each section.  I will differentiate with the assignments, discussion questions, and the focus of each professional learning community (in person and online).

Some important information to note for those who have registered to the York University Kindergarten AQ and Certificate Course:

• The course begins on Thursday, April 2nd, 2015 and ends on Thursday, June 11th, 2015.

• There are already 43 participants, and unfortunately no more space to register!

• We will meet on Thursday evenings and complete the remaining hours (typically 4-5 Saturdays) with a combined online portion.  Our face-to-face sessions will begin at 4:30 p.m. at Anne Frank Public School.  We can negotiate starting later if the entire group agrees on having a working break for dinner.

• We will be relying on social media (Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, YouTube, websites, and blogs) as well as the course Moodle for our online learning.  At each session, time will be provided to support educators new to these social media platforms.

• I will not be instructing the Kindergarten AQ courses this Summer, as I have two weddings in mid-July.  The next time it is offered is TBD!  I promise to offer the course at least once each school year.  With my own PhD courses to complete and conference presentations, I am thinking Spring is a good time to offer the sessions.  

• If you missed out on registering for the Kindergarten Course or TransformEd Winter Series, I will try to have a few workshops in the last week of June (Monday, June 29th, 2015, Tuesday, June 30th, 2015, and Thursday, July 2nd, 2015).  More information to follow! 

I look forward to the rich discussions of the upcoming Spring Kindergarten course and am counting down the days until we all meet!

Some information to note for those who attend #CTInquiry:

If you are part of CTInquiry, please note that March's session is cancelled as I have a religious holiday on March 25h, 2015.  We will meet next in person at my school (Anne Frank Public School) on Wednesday, April 15th, 2015 from 6:30-8:30 p.m. Looking ahead, Wednesday, May 20th, 2015 we will meet online through a Twitterchat at 9:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m. and then again on Wednesday, June 17th, 2015 for a year end social somewhere fun! TBD!! Stay tuned!!

No matter where you are, or what you are doing over this break, I hope that it is wonderful! 

Remember that it is all about your attitude...  You can have just as memorable a time during a #staycatation (often referred to on Instagram for staying home when you have time off), as you can out of town!  

Thank you to everyone who registered for the York University course.  Between word of mouth and my Twitter/Instagram accounts, the course filled up before I could even blog about it!  I am truly so appreciative of your interest in having me as your instructor.  Thank you also to York University for their continued opportunities!

Warm March Break wishes,

Joanne Marie Babalis

Passion is energy.

Feel the power that comes from focusing on what excites you.

                                                                                                            -Oprah Winfrey