- “My teachers love the kit and are so excited about starting the program. I know that I will want to train more teachers next year so I am hoping that you will consider this location or a surrounding one for the next school year.”
- - Lorraine Gilch
- Director of Elementary Curriculum
- Maple Shade, New Jersey
- Comments from Al’s Pals Training Participants:
- “When I first saw the kit I thought I could do it without the training. But the training made it come alive.”
- “Everything was wonderful. I had high expectations of this training and I was not disappointed at all. The facilitation skills were great! The song and handouts are wonderful. Loved it!”
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Al's Pals Training
Core Training on the Al's Pals Curriculum and Teaching Approach
The Wingspan core training that accompanies the Al's Pals: Kids Making Healthy Choices curriculum is integral to the program's success. Wingspan's expert trainers provide hands-on experiences with the curriculum in an open, participatory learning environment. Early childhood educators learn strategies to:
curriculum in an open, participatory learning environment.
- Apply the concepts of resilience and protective factors to early childhood settings
- Effectively deliver the Al's Pals lessons and use the materials
- Integrate Al's Pals prosocial concepts into their daily teaching and ongoing interactions with the children
- Strengthen protective factors at school by validating children's feelings and experiences, actively communicating clear norms, responding to sensitive issues, and guiding problem-solving
Al’s Pals training is offered in two formats: 1) face-to-face training conducted over two days or 2) live, online training consisting of seven sessions, each lasting approximately two hours, scheduled over a period of several weeks. Both training options are available for individuals and groups.
Who Should Participate in Training?
All classroom teachers and instructional assistants in classrooms which will implement the Al's Pals program are required to receive training.
Administrators, principals, assistant principals, guidance counselors, prevention specialists, education coordinators, school psychologists, grant coordinators, and other resource specialists are encouraged to participate in training with the educators. This will allow them to become familiar with, support, and use the same concepts and approaches that the educators will use with the children in their classrooms.
Refresher and Advanced Training for Experienced Al's Pals Teachers
Wingspan offers Refresher and Advanced training sessions for educators who have previously completed the core training and currently use Al's Pals:
- Three hour Refresher training provides a review and skill building of Al's Pals teaching approaches. Participants are given an opportunity to share their experiences using the program and obtain technical assistance to enhance program implementation. This Refresher training is ideal for educators who have implemented Al's Pals for 1-2 years.
- Three hour Advanced training provides new insights and strategies to fully infuse the program into the classroom. The training enhances educators' abilities to use Al's Pals to help manage children's challenging behavior, resolve conflicts peacefully, and avoid power struggles. The Advanced training is available for teachers who have delivered Al's Pals lessons for at least two years.