Signature Professional Development Workshop
Beyond the Puppet
Bringing Social Emotional Learning to Life
Beyond the Puppet is an interactive professional development workshop designed to help educators bring Social Emotional Learning beyond the structured lesson and into meaningful, everyday classroom experiences.
Interactive Professional Development for Preschool - Kindergarten Educators
Developed from more than 20 years of early childhood education experience, the workshop is grounded in Shahonna "Honna" Anderson's experience as both a Preschool Teacher and Teacher Director, giving her the perspective of a classroom educator and administrator. During her career in early childhood education, Honna also taught and implemented the Second Step Social Emotional Learning curriculum, using SEL lessons and puppets directly with young children.
Beyond the Puppet takes educators beyond using a puppet only during a scheduled lesson. The workshop explores how a classroom puppet can become a familiar and purposeful part of the classroom environment, creating opportunities to support emotional awareness, communication, empathy, friendship, problem solving, emotional regulation, and other important social and emotional skills throughout the child's day.
An Interactive Learning Experience
This is not a workshop where educators simply sit and listen.
Educators participate in live demonstrations, realistic classroom scenarios, role play, guided discussions, and practical activities designed to reflect the realities of working with young children. Participants have opportunities to consider different child responses, practice adapting their approach, and explore how SEL strategies can support children with different personalities, behaviors, communication styles, and levels of engagement.
The goal is not to make every child love or interact directly with a puppet. Instead, educators learn how to create a classroom environment where the puppet becomes a recognized and respected part of the classroom community. This allows children to benefit from the social and emotional experiences the puppet helps create in ways that feel natural, engaging, and meaningful.
Extending the Experience
Beyond the Puppet also explores opportunities to extend the classroom experience through meaningful family engagement and connections between home and school.
Children's experiences outside of the classroom can become part of continued conversation, reflection, and learning when they return to their classroom community.
The workshop is designed to complement existing SEL curricula and classroom practices, not replace them.
The curriculum teaches the skill. Beyond the Puppet brings it to life.
Bring Beyond the Puppet to Your Program
Beyond the Puppet is available for schools, early childhood programs, childcare organizations, and other organizations serving Preschool through Kindergarten children.
Professional Development Inquiries provide information regarding workshop options, scheduling, organizational needs, and pricing. Detailed workshop strategies, activities, materials, and implementation methods are provided as part of the professional development experience.
Workshop Format & Location
Beyond the Puppet is designed as a highly interactive professional development experience. In person training is strongly recommended to provide educators with the full experience of live demonstrations, realistic classroom scenarios, role play, guided practice, and group participation.
In-person professional development is available in Springfield, Indian Orchard, West Springfield, Chicopee, East Longmeadow, Longmeadow, Ludlow, and Agawam, Massachusetts. Professional development outside of these communities is also available, with an additional travel fee based on location.
Virtual professional development may be available for organizations outside of Massachusetts or by special arrangement.
Professional Development Inquiry
Beyond the Puppet is an interactive professional development workshop designed to help educators bring Social Emotional Learning beyond the structured lesson and into meaningful, everyday classroom experiences.