Hands-On Workshops for Educators
Forget static lectures. Our training sessions are designed for educators, facilitators, and designers who want to experience the power of play firsthand, co-creating solutions alongside a vibrant community of peers.
Our training sessions are interactive and participatory. Here, our Playmakers are engaged in a group activity, sharing insights and learning from one another in a supportive, hands-on environment.
We believe in the power of community, and our training sessions often include parents who are experts in their fields. Here, a parent leads a workshop on using AI in education, bringing new perspectives to our team.
After two long years, we were thrilled to be back for in-person training days. Here is our amazing team of dedicated educators, or Playmakers, ready to bring another year of joyful childhoods to life.
We practice what we preach. Our training days always include time for our team to play, connect, and recharge together, like this fun evening of bowling. A happy team fosters a happy learning environment.
We were honored to host the incredible Jyoti Thyagarajan for a Playmaker Learning Saturday. Her stories and wisdom on her journey as a teacher left our team feeling inspired, energized, and full of laughter.
Play isn't always noisy and messy. In this masterclass with Bachpan Manao, our founder Helen Issar discusses the different forms of playful learning and how to involve parents in creating playful spaces.
We believe in building playful learning communities. This flyer announces our masterclass with Bachpan Manao, where we share live examples of parent engagement and community building.
About this collection
Our training is not about sitting through a presentation. We work in collaborative circles where you might be building math tools from recycled materials one moment and discussing emotional regulation the next. You will walk away with tangible, low-cost ways to turn your classroom environment into an active, engaging participant in your students' learning.
We believe that if we want children to learn through play, we have to start by showing up to play ourselves. Our sessions move away from traditional, lecture-heavy formats to embrace a more experiential approach. Whether you are a teacher looking to refresh your pedagogy or a school leader aiming to build a more playful environment, these workshops are built for doing, experimenting, and reflecting together.
We structure our training around the same principles we use in our classrooms. You will find:
- Collaborative Design: We use active problem-solving to tackle real classroom challenges, like tracking learning without relying on standard testing or setting up 'invitations to play' using everyday, low-cost resources.
- Playmaker Techniques: Learn the 'Playmaker' approach to building relationships, managing classroom risk, and supporting children's emotional wellbeing through observation and connection.
- Community Integration: We often bring in diverse perspectives, from parents with unique expertise in fields like technology or art to seasoned educators, creating a space where the wider community contributes to the learning process.
Our sessions are inclusive of nature, art, music, and even food, ensuring that the strategies we discuss are not just theoretical, but practical enough to implement in your own setting immediately. We want you to leave with more than just a certificate. We want you to leave with a kit of ideas, a new way of seeing your classroom, and the confidence to let curiosity lead the way.
Papagoya
I am Helen, and at Papagoya, we believe that education needs a shake-up. My team of Playmakers and I design these sessions to be messy, honest, and deeply practical because we know that teachers need to feel that same spark of curiosity they hope to ignite in their students.
Looking for a different type of workshop?
Explore other learning sessions we host at Papagoya.
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