FirstDay Learning – Behavior Bootcamp

Category

Early Care and Education

Child's Age

0-1 years, 1-2 years, 2-3 years, 3-4 years, 4-5 years

Participant

ECE Teachers

Languages

English, Spanish

Brief Description

Behavior Bootcamp is a 2-day professional development event appropriate for a variety of professionals, including home visitors, classroom staff, instructional coaches, and admin/directors. Behavior Bootcamp introduces participants to principles of behavioral health that are crucial to creating happy & confident teachers who can respond appropriately to challenging behavior.

Expected Impact

  • Increase in participant confidence in responding to challenging behaviors
  • Improvements in children’s behavior
  • Improved understanding of children’s behaviors

Core Components for Model Fidelity

  • Overview: Behavior Bootcamp is a two-day event focused on introducing participants to the mental health and behavioral philosophies needed to create responsive classrooms from day one. Content is developed based on trauma informed, behavioral focused research.
  • Day 1: Designed with a focus on mindfulness and attention to the diverse emotional and mental health needs of children, day one is all about being proactive. Participants will be introduced to FirstDay Learning’s key pillars of a proactive approach to preventing challenging behavior. Sessions will explore the complex connections between these pillars and various aspects of our shared human experience. Participants will consider ideas in new ways, create interesting and unique cognitive connections, reflect on their own practice and plan for continuous improvement. 
  • Day 2: Day two focuses on the psychology of behavior change and considering this important field through the lens of real-world experiences. Participants will examine background factors influencing behavior and will be introduced to the basics of Applied Behavior Analysis; a powerful tool for examining the sequence of events surrounding challenging behavior. Participants will reflect on and plan for ways to ensure their efforts at influencing behavior change are long-lasting and well-supported. Behavior Bootcamp can accommodate up to 25 educators and there is no minimum number of attendees required.

Languages Materials are Available in

English, Spanish

Delivery Mode

Behavior Bootcamp is predominantly delivered in-person over two consecutive days but is also available virtually over four half-days when requested by the client.

Dosage

Behavior Bootcamp is a 2-day event totaling 12 training hours.

Infrastructure for Implementation

Materials: FirstDay Learning Method Cards are provided by the purveyor and included in the cost of implementation.

Staffing Requirements

All coaches are FirstDay Learning staff members trained to provide the service. FirstDay Learning specialists have extensive ECE background including teaching, coaching, and behavioral/mental health/inclusion expertise.

Training for Model Fidelity

Behavior Bootcamp is a professional development program for early childhood educators. There is no train the trainer program. FirstDay Learning is the direct service provider (DSP). All coaches are FirstDay Learning staff members trained to provide the service.

Contact Information

https://www.firstdaylearning.com/

Development and SME- Rebecca List Freedman: Co-Founder & SVP of Professional Development; rebecca.listfreedman@firstdaylearning.com, (954) 459-5233

Delivery and Operations- Michael Royal: Co-Founder & SVP Operations; michael.royal@firstdaylearning.com, (434) 242-6029

Administration and Finance- Peter Thomas: Co-Founder and SVP Administration; peter.thomas@firstdaylearning.com, (434) 465-0762

Other: info@firstdaylearning.com, (434) 989-2434

Cost Estimates

Behavior Bootcamp costs $9,940 for 25 attendees when delivered in-person over 2 consecutive days or virtually over 2 or 4 non-consecutive sessions.

Purpose Service Code (PSC)

3105 - Accessing Professional Certification and Course Work

Program Identifier (PID)

First Day Learning-Behavior Bootcamp

Minimal Outputs for NCPC Reporting

FY 24-25:

  • Number of ECE professionals trained via Behavior Bootcamp

Minimal Outcomes for NCPC Reporting

FY 24-25:

  • Improved teacher knowledge

Minimal Measures for NCPC Reporting

FY 24-25:

  •   TBD

NCPC Evidence Categorization

Evidence Informed- 2 annual reports. Internal evaluations only with no comparison groups.

Research Summary

Two of the most recent publications on Behavior Bootcamp include the 2020-2021 Impact Report1 and the 2021-2022 Impact Report.2 Participants sampled in these surveys included all participants each year, with no further demographic information provided. Survey responses in 2020-2021 indicated that participants found Behavior Bootcamp’s facilitators and training format to be impactful (94%) and they reported an increase in their confidence in dealing with challenging behaviors after completing the program (98%). Participants indicated that they would recommend Behavior Bootcamp to others (100%) and rated their experience as highly effective (98%). In the 2021-2022 cycle, participants reported a reduction in stress (66%), an increase in confidence (78%), and an improved understanding of children’s behavior (94%) after attending Behavior Bootcamp. Results also indicated that participants felt that the training activities helped them apply content to their personal experiences (89%) and that Behavior Bootcamp was a good use of their limited PD time (94%). Participants indicated that they would recommend Behavior Bootcamp to others (100%). 


  1. See FirstDay Learning 2020-2021 Impact Report. Participants sampled in these surveys included all participants in the 2020-2021 year, with no further demographic information provided. Survey responses indicated that participants found Behavior Bootcamp’s facilitators and training format to be impactful (94%) and they reported an increase in their confidence in dealing with challenging behaviors after completing the program (98%). Participants indicated that they would recommend Behavior Bootcamp to others (100%) and rated their experience as highly effective (98%). 
  2. See FirstDay Learning Annual 2021-2022 Impact Report. Participants sampled in these surveys included all participants in the 2021-2022 year, with no further demographic information provided. After completing Behavior Bootcamp, participants reported a reduction in stress (66%), an increase in confidence (78%), and an improved understanding of children’s behavior (94%). Results also indicated that participants felt that the training activities helped them apply content to their personal experiences (89%) and that Behavior Bootcamp was a good use of their limited PD time (94%). Participants indicated that they would recommend Behavior Bootcamp to others (100%). 

Researched Population

  • Early childhood educators who serve a diverse population of students and families

FirstDay Learning 2020-2021 Impact Report. 

FirstDay Learning Annual 2021-2022 Impact Report.



Local Partnerships Currently Implementing

Local Partnerships in purple have adopted FirstDay Learning – Behavior Bootcamp. Local Partnership contact information can be found here.