Find ways to move from chaos to calm

with lifetime access to course resources

  • Printable course workbook

    Take notes and pause for reflection in your printable course workbook, as you make your way through the course material. Add your workbook to your personal reference resources to refer back to over time.

  • 4 tutorials and 5 videos

    There's 3 hours of course tutorials and videos, to support you to rethink your approach to children's social and behavioural learning. Join Andrea in professional conversations with Sandi Phoenix and Narelle Dawson.

  • Learning checks & practical resources

    Take advantage of the learning checks throughout the course to check your understanding, and download the provided resources to support your new ideas and strategies.

What will educators learn from Behaviour Rethink?

  • BEHAVIOUR

    Understand behaviour and learn ways to support children

  • STRATEGIES

    Use better strategies to guide children

  • CONFIDENCE

    Build confidence in their approach

"Amazing insight, very helpful and powerful - a must-have for Early Childhood educators"

Watch the Course Overview

and see inside with Andrea Isitt, First Door Company Director

Work at your own pace through these 4 parts:

  • Part 1: Reframe behaviour and understand behaviour
    Reframe behaviour as communication that is being used to meet basic needs for wellbeing, based on the Phoenix Cups framework™. Use this knowledge to see from the child's perspective and support their wellbeing.

  • Part 2: Review your approach and curriculum for stressors/triggers - and reduce them
    Discover triggers for behaviour and how reinforcement of behaviour works. Reflect on what's happening in your curriculum to create stress/frustration for children, and consider child-focused routines/practices.

  • Part 3: Support self-regulation
    Explore the impact of your language, interactions and relationships on children's emotional wellbeing. Rethink your response to children's big emotions, to model and support their resilience and self-regulation.

  • Part 4: Bring it all together with a shared plan
    We introduce you to Hayden. He guides us in how to better understand a child, their behaviour, and in reflecting, planning, and reviewing what we do. Use provided templates to reframe and understand behaviour, then make a plan to support and strengthen wellbeing.

Course curriculum

Your toolkit for ongoing learning & reflection

    1. Meet Andrea: your course facilitator and First Door's company director

      FREE PREVIEW

    2. Video: Our purpose - seeing each child flourish (2 minutes)

      FREE PREVIEW

    3. Video Guide: How this online course works

    4. Your action steps: What's in Behaviour Rethink for you?

    5. BEHAVIOUR RETHINK INTRO VIDEO (12 minutes) Andrea Isitt and Sandi Phoenix discuss rethinking children's behaviour

      FREE PREVIEW

    6. Online course AGREEMENT OF USE

    7. Before you begin - SHORT SURVEY

    1. Behaviour Rethink course workbook (Printable file)

    2. Reframe the behaviour visual poster

    3. Observations of reoccuring behaviour worksheet (Printable template)

    4. Shared thinking, planning, implementation and review (Printable templates)

    5. Recommended reading: short articles to support course learning

    6. Reference list and recommended reading: Books for ongoing learning

    1. TUTORIAL 1: Understand behaviour from a child's and theoretical perspective (21 minutes)

    2. 1.1: Video: Your Image of the Child (5 minutes)

    3. 1.2: Video - Sandi Phoenix outlines the five Cups in the Phoenix Cups framework

    4. Phoenix Cups ™ - Cup filling planner

    5. Phoenix Cups ™ Fills and empties - Activity sheets

    6. Check your learning for Part 1: Understand behaviour

    1. TUTORIAL 2: Review your approach and the curriculum for influences on behaviour (25 minutes)

    2. The Phoenix Cups ™ Connection Plan

    3. Observation for patterns of reoccurring behaviour worksheet

    4. 2.1: Video - Reflecting on practice to meet children's needs at Bribie Island Community Kindergarten

    5. Check your learning for Part 2: Review your approach and curriculum

    1. 3.1: Video - Self-Regulation Skills - Why they are fundamental, by Committee for Children (2 minutes)

    2. TUTORIAL 3: Supporting self-regulation (30 minutes)

    3. Self-regulation infographic: Do you Magnify or Meet behaviour?

    4. Quiz for scenarios: Is it a 'Magnify or Meet' response?

    5. Self-regulation list of 'too low strategies'

    6. Self-regulation list of 'too high strategies'

    7. 3.2: Video - Strategies for breathing and calming

    8. Printable: Rainbow Breathing poster

    9. Check your learning for Part 3: Supporting self regulation

    1. Meet Hayden: he's here to guide us in understanding behaviour, reflecting, planning and reviewing what we do

    2. TUTORIAL 4: Bringing it all together - Planning to support behavioural and social learning (27 minutes)

    3. Templates: Shared thinking, planning, implementation and review

    4. Downloadable resource: Recipe for wellbeing -Vs- Combination for ill-being

    5. 4.1: Video - What does quality in Early Childhood look, sound and feel like? (3 minutes)

      FREE PREVIEW

    6. Check your learning for Part 4: Bringing it all together

About this course

  • $65.00
  • 41 lessons
  • 2.5 hours of video content
  • Lifetime access

Enjoy lifetime access to the course inspiration, resources and tools

Review spotlight

"First Door's 'Transforming Pedagogy for Authentic Learning' course is an exceptional, immersive experience in the "how" and "why" of bringing the Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF) to life in every moment of our everyday practice.

This multimedia learning opportunity provides any early childhood educator and team with ways to reflect on our own pedagogy, the rationale for changing our own beliefs and judgments, and the real possibilities that will nurture each individual child's development and learning.

Additionally, Andrea Isitt and the course contributors share their knowledge in such sensitive and thoughtful ways, inspiring participants to shift their practice in order to nourish and encourage each child's journey toward the EYLF learning outcomes. Early Childhood educators are given the tools to advance their professional practice while creating a learning environment in which each child can flourish."

- Dr. Shelley A. Stravitz

Hear what other educators are saying...

Silioti Fatiaki

Early Childcare Educator

"This beautiful course helps me to understand more about the children's learning and development and change my old way of nurturing and educating children to a much better one. The focus is shifting practice to respecting the children. Everyone is happier with the practice in this course and there is long-term benefits. I enjoyed taking my time to slowly take in and use all of the information in this course. The whole team and all early childhood teams should do this course!"

Katie Samuels

Early Childcare Educator

"I have loved every moment of this learning. The course is so well organised and the layout/delivery is incredibly user friendly. The content is of the highest quality and provides relevant information, ideas, and tools with rich and practical examples in both video and text format that help to really cement learning and understanding. I cannot speak highly enough of the professional learning courses through First Door." | Katie Samuels

Sonya Buchanan

Early Childcare Educator

"Great! I have learnt some valuable information to help me in my practices. I loved learning about the theory side of things."

Jane Bailey

Early Childcare Educator

"This course had so much valuable and informative material which I will now be able to apply in my own work practice. It has equipped me in becoming a better educator inspired to enrich children's learning in a much more authentic and holistic way. It has made much more aware of the importance of critical reflection and my motivations for pursuing a career in this field. The combination of video and text in the course content meant that the information was delivered in a very user friendly fashion and it enabled me to retain the information better. the work books and printable documentation will be valuable tools to look back on and refer to."

Erika Holtzhausen

Early Childcare Educator

"This course totally exceeded my expectations. The content is presented in such a way that you feel you are there, taking part in every aspect and able to apply this in real life. This has changed my thinking of my own pedagogy and the way that I will apply this in future, taking in consideration the different theoretical perspectives and how they link to each other in certain scenarios. Andrea has such a lovely manner conveying the learning material that ignite a certain enthusiasm to want to dig deeper and learn more."

Tamara Gear

Early Childcare Educator

"This course has a lot of valuable information for any teacher or educator in the Early Childhood sector to further their development and gain valuable information to improve their practice."

Course Facilitator and Contributors

Course creator and facilitator Andrea Isitt

Andrea commenced studying early childhood development over 30 years ago, and this started a career focused on achieving best outcomes for children in Early Childhood. After several years working as a qualified educator and leader, Andrea co-founded First Door in 2012. Her passion as Company Director is driven by her desire to promote exceptional education and care for children.

Andrea promotes respectful practice that nurtures emotional security and a natural childhood. She is an avid researcher and shares views from Dr. Emmi Pikler and many leading Early Childhood theorists, play and learning ambassadors, and from current neuroscience research. Andrea has been influenced by her experience of Early Childhood Education in New Zealand, and by visiting Bush Kindys and Forest Kindergartens in Norway, California and Australia.

Course contributor Stephen Gallen

Stephen is a consultant and teacher who has over 30 years of roles and experience in Early Childhood Education and Care, with over 20 years as a contact educator/teacher. During this time, he has experienced all service types including long day care, in home care, school age care, primary school and kindergarten. Stephen has supported educators in their professional development since 1999, delivering a range of programs on behalf of providers including Gowrie, Workforce Council (PSC), TAFE and QUT. Stephen is currently the Director/ECT at Cawongla Play House, and has collaborated with Andrea to share practical examples of authentic learning, agency and social justice in action within the every day curriculum. Throughout this course, Stephen engages in professional conversations with Andrea sharing his inspiration from the Reggio Emilia approach, and his wealth of knowledge in relation to practical and theoretical perspectives.

Course contributor Clare Caro

Clare Caro is the founder of The Pikler Collection, Nature Play® (UK) and Authentic Learning Environment. As an ongoing learner, researcher and writer, her wealth of insightful knowledge is shared through her websites and in workshops. Clare embodies this knowledge and shares practical application through Nature Play groups, and in every day life and pedagogy with her own two daughters.

Andrea and Clare have enjoyed professional collaboration since 2016. Clare is a strong advocate for supporting children to be active learners in authentic learning environments, and for supporting the natural unfolding of development. This knowledge has contributed to the resources provided in this course.

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