Vanessa Callaghan, MEd.
HELPING SCHOOLS In educational settings, Vanessa provides customized professional development experiences for educational communities by empowering teachers to develop meaningful and transformative practices. Her workshops, coaching, program reviews, and other professional development services are available in the San Francisco Bay Area and beyond.
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SUPPORTING PARENTS In her coaching program called Raising Our Resilience, Vanessa provides live and virtual trainings and 1-on-1 support to empower parents with high-quality tools to stay calm, confident and connected, so that even through the toughest moments, parents can build a lifelong relationship based on respect, appreciation, and love.
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EXPERIENCE Vanessa is a proven educator and coach with 15 years of classroom experience. She presents at the national AMS conferences, consults in non-profit, for-profit, and charter Montessori schools, and researched the science of gratitude with her colleague Professor Giacomo Bono through the Greater Good Science Center's Youth Gratitude Project. See below for a complete list of her talks and workshops.
EDUCATION Vanessa holds an Early Childhood and Lower Elementary teaching credential from the American Montessori Society, a B.A. in Psychology from UC Berkeley, and a M.Ed. from St. Catherine University.
MISSION Vanessa’s mission is to provide high-quality research-tested strategies and tools that elevate social and emotional learning and set up children to thrive.
Speaking Engagements
Local, National, and International Events
2016-2017:
Effects of a Gratitude Program on Student Engagement, AMS National Conference Research Poster Session, Chicago, IL, March, 2016
Going Beyond Good Manners: Gratitude and Student Engagement, Montessori Family School, El Cerrito, CA, May, 2016
A Journey in Montessori, Montessori Family School, El Cerrito, CA, January, 2017
Gratitude Practices for the Elementary Student, AMS National Conference, San Diego, CA March, 2017
Leading Effective Parent-Teacher Conferences, American International Montessori, Berkeley, CA, May, 2017
Gratitude Practices for the Elementary Student, Urban Montessori Charter School, Oakland, CA, August, 2017
Whole-School Gratitude Practices, Beverly Hills Academy, Beverly Hills, MI, November, 2017
2018:
Positive Classroom Management: Overview, Rehearsing Routines, Guiding Questions, Urban Montessori Charter School, Oakland, CA, January, 2018
Preschool Gratitude Research Overview, Nia House Learning Center (Montessori Preschool), Berkeley, CA February, 2018
Positive Classroom Management: Character Strengths, American International Montessori, Berkeley, CA, February, 2018
Bringing Gratitude Home, Nia House Learning Center (Montessori Preschool), Berkeley, CA, March, 2018
Practicing Gratitude in Early Childhood, AMS National Conference, Denver, CO, March, 2018
Positive Classroom Management: The Five Love Languages, American International Montessori, Berkeley, CA, April, 2018
Positive Parenting: Character Strengths, American International Montessori, Berkeley, CA, May, 2018
The Power of Character Strengths in Anti-Bias Education, Montessori for Social Justice Annual Conference, St. Paul, MN, June, 2018
Montessori Support Teacher Training (3-days: Positive Classroom Management, Montessori 101), Urban Montessori Charter School, Oakland, CA, August, 2018
Practicing Gratitude in Early Childhood (2-day training), HD Schools, Ningbo, China, August, 2018
Practicing Gratitude in Elementary, Montessori Europe Congress, Sofia, Bulgaria, October, 2018
Grateful Parents and Kids, ABED Kids, Albany, CA, December, 2018
Grateful Teacher, Grateful Classroom, Grateful School, Urban Montessori Charter School, Oakland, CA, December, 2018
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2019:
Grateful Parenting: 3 Keys to Raising Authentically Grateful Children, American International Montessori, Berkeley, CA, January, 2019
Grateful Leadership: 3 Ways Appreciation Transforms an Organization, Albany Rotary Club, Albany, CA, January, 2019
Grateful Classrooms: An Authentic Approach to Teaching Gratitude in Early Childhood, East Bay Montessori Training Center, Fremont, CA, February, 2019
Grateful Classrooms: An Authentic Approach to Teaching Gratitude in Early Childhood, Nia House Learning Center, Berkeley, CA, February, 2019
The 3 Keys to Navigating Meltdowns with Confidence, CCC Moms, Walnut Creek, CA, March, 2019
Our Family, Our Values: Setting Limits with Love and Consistency, Nia House Learning Center, Berkeley, CA, March, 2019
The 3 Keys to Navigating Meltdowns with Confidence, Nia House Learning Center, Berkeley, CA, March, 2019
Striking the Imagination: A Cosmic Curriculum That Ignites Awe & Wonder, AMS National Conference, Washington D.C, March, 2019
The 3 Keys to Navigating Meltdowns with Confidence, School CARE fundraiser, Albany, CA, March, 2019
Nurturing a Growth Mindset in Young Children, Alameda, CA, March, 2019
The 3 Keys to Navigating Meltdowns with Confidence, Madera Elementary, El Cerrito, CA, April, 2019
Three Kind and Clever Ways to Motivate Your Kids, Marin Elementary, Albany, CA, April, 2019
Three Kind and Clever Ways to Motivate Your Kids, Madera Elementary, El Cerrito, CA, May, 2019
The 3 Keys to Navigating Meltdowns with Confidence, Marin Elementary, Albany, CA, May, 2019
Social Emotional Learning, ATDP, UC Berkeley, Point Richmond, CA, July, 2019
Gratitude Practices in Early Childhood, St Catherine University, St. Paul, MN, July, 2019
Social and Emotional Learning in the Montessori Classroom: Tools for Transformation, St Catherine University, St. Paul, MN, July, 2019
Three Keys to Curbing Entitlement before It Starts...with Gratitude, Nia House Learning Center, Berkeley, CA, August, 2019
Whole-School Gratitude Practices, Valley Montessori School, Livermore, CA, August, 2019
Setting Limits that Stick, Raising Our Resilience Parent Group, virtual masterclass, August, 2019
Establishing Routines for a Smooth School Year, Raising Our Resilience Parent Group, virtual masterclass, September, 2019
Establishing Routines for a Smooth School Year, Nia House Learning Center, Berkeley, CA, September, 2019
Gratitude Practices for Every Plane of Development, Valley Montessori School, Livermore, CA, October, 2019
Three Keys to Curbing Entitlement before It Starts...with Gratitude, Valley Montessori School, Livermore, CA, October, 2019
Finding Calm in the Chaos of Family Life, Raising Our Resilience Parent Group, virtual masterclass, October, 2019
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2020-2023 Coming Soon
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