SAN DIEGO KIDS FIRST (SDKF) PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT SERVICES<\/span><\/h2><\/div>PROVIDE CUSTOMIZED AND SITE-SPECIFIC PRESENTATIONS, TRAINING, AND SPECIALIZED SUPPORT FOR TEACHERS, EDUCATORS, AND PRESCHOOL\/SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\u201cTeachers need to feel supported, heard, and validated in today’s classrooms. The needs of our students are changing, and so are the needs of our teachers. We believe teachers should feel confident in their classrooms and be reminded of the positive impact they are making on a daily basis. It is our goal to be a team member in equipping our teachers with tools and reminding them of strategies that they can use to foster the success they are working toward. As a prior teacher myself, I remember the mental drain of trying to meet everyone’s needs and feeling like I was coming up short. Let\u2019s work together to ask questions, gain tools, and grow our confidence to be a part of the solution and the best teachers we can be for today’s students.\u201d – Kaydon Schanberger, M.Ed., Director of the Educational Psychology Dept.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur passion is teaching teachers! Supporting educators and administrators in their role in educating their students is quite honestly such a privilege for us. We know how hard our educators work each and every day to provide the very best for our children, and we know how overwhelming and frustrating it can feel at times when they don\u2019t feel they have all the tools or resources to help a student or family.\u00a0 We have tremendous respect for the important role they serve,\u00a0 and want to provide them with as much support as possible to enable them to help all their students be successful. \u201c – Dr. Deborah Pontillo, Director, San Diego Kids First.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>![](\"http:\/\/sdkidsfirst.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/kohphoto-52.jpg\" "\\"kohphoto-52\\"")
<\/span><\/div>Kaydon Schanberger, M.Ed., Director of Educational Psychology Dept. & Dr. Deborah Pontillo, Director of San Diego Kids First<\/em><\/h3><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>Why Professional Training?<\/h2><\/div>General education teachers across a wide variety of settings and populations are seeing a dramatic rise<\/strong> in the number of students in their classrooms with behavioral, social, emotional, or academic needs or<\/strong> challenges<\/strong> in the mainstream classroom<\/strong>. These challenges are consequently leading to a decrease in teacher retention rates in our schools. Although teachers and administrators in general education often have a wealth of knowledge and experience in teaching a wide range of students with varying learning abilities and styles, they are often challenged by behaviors, unique developmental challenges, or learning challenges in their classrooms<\/strong>. One of the most common things we hear is, \u201cWe don\u2019t have the tools, resources, or staff to support these students.\u201d<\/p>\nOur trainings are created to empower our teachers and schools and equip them with the tools they need to feel successful, supported, and happy in their classrooms. Our goal is to provide relevant tools, strategies, and training so that educators feel confident handling all types of behavioral or learning challenges in the classroom.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>Who provides the Professional Training?<\/span><\/h2><\/div>Deborah Pontillo, Ph.D., The director of San Diego Kids First and Kaydon Schanberger, M.Ed., the Director of San Diego Kids First Educational Psychology Dept., have successfully established multiple partnerships with various educational organizations around the United States to provide high-quality, comprehensive workshops and training opportunities tailored to the needs of teachers and school administrators<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>What are your Training Topics \/ Areas of Specialty?<\/span><\/h2><\/div>Training topics\/Areas of Specialty include:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n- Early Childhood\u00a0 0 -3 (Development and Behavior)<\/li>\n
- Preschool\/ Kindergarten Readiness and Behavior<\/li>\n
- Autism Spectrum Disorder<\/li>\n
- ADHD<\/li>\n
- Trauma and Attachment in Children<\/li>\n
- Parenting and Working with Parents of Students<\/li>\n
- Effective inclusion for the neurodiverse population<\/li>\n
- Behavioral Challenges and Management in the Classroom<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>
What Services do you offer Schools\/Organizations?<\/span><\/h2><\/div>Services we can offer your Organization\/School\/Staff\/Faculty include:<\/b><\/p>\n\n- Staff training and workshops<\/b> -Please see the list of prior presentations below – customized topics can be devised for your organization-<\/span><\/li>\n
- Inclusion Support<\/b> –\u00a0 Allow us to support a student by observation and\/or in-class intervention<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
- Case consultation<\/b>: We will discuss a particular child and\/or family in your school and setting with you and provide you with school-based recommendations to implement.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>
What type of organizations do you serve?<\/span><\/h2><\/div>Organizations we serve include:<\/b><\/p>\n\n- Private preschools<\/span><\/li>\n
- Private Elementary Schools<\/span><\/li>\n
- Public School Districts K-12<\/span><\/li>\n
- Public\/Government-subsidized programs: Toddler through 12th grade<\/span><\/li>\n
- Homeless shelters with children or youth populations<\/span><\/li>\n
- Community-based centers with children or youth populations<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>
What are some of your prior presentation titles?<\/span><\/h2><\/div>The Prior Workshop\/Training Titles are listed below. At your request, Customized topics can be devised for your organization.<\/b><\/p>\n
– Managing Challenging Behaviors in the Classroom<\/p>\n
– How Teachers Can Communicate with Parents: Challenges and Strategies<\/p>\n
– Autism Spectrum Disorder in the Classroom – Strategies and Tools<\/p>\n
– ADHD in the Classroom – Strategies and Tools<\/p>\n
– PTSD in the Classroom – Strategies and Tools<\/p>\n
– Bright Stars – Bright students on the Autism Spectrum. Special strategies for highly verbal and intelligent students with social\/behavioral challenges<\/p>\n
– How to Successfully Model Inclusion in our Classrooms<\/p>\n
– What is a Behavior and How Should I Respond?<\/p>\n
– How to Restructure to Encourage Success<\/p>\n
– Attachment Styles and How they Play a Role in your Classroom<\/p>\n
– Transitions: Why Transitions are Hard for Some Children, and How to Help Students Navigate Transitions Successfully<\/p>\n
– Is this Developmentally Appropriate or a Red Flag?<\/p>\n
– What are the Zones of Regulation, and How can I use them in my Classroom?<\/p>\n
– Building Relationships – Strategies to Establish Rapport with Students with\u00a0 Challenging Behaviors<\/p>\n
– The Three Main Behavior Triggers and How we Prevent them<\/p>\n
– I am a General Education Teacher -What Can I do? Practical, Specialized Strategies for Gen. Ed Educators<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>
The feedback we’ve received from teachers during our recent training sessions!<\/h2><\/div>\n- Dr. Pontillo & Kaydon masterfully weave together the worlds of psychology and early childhood education, creating a harmony between theory, practice, and the classroom. What really illuminated my experience was how they adapted their training as they learned about our program, tailoring the content to better fit our specific needs. Their personalized approach made the material more relevant but also empowered us to immediately apply what we learned in our center’s unique setting. I truly believe their insight has truly enriched our program and started the \u201cwhat can I be doing better\u201d conversation within myself. \u00a0-Mr. Chris Franco, Lead Child Development Specialist, Therapeutic Childcare at Father Joes Villages.<\/li>\n
- \u201cAwesome presentation. LOVE everything you guys are saying. Very helpful!\u201d<\/li>\n
- \u201cExcellent training. You answered all my questions. I really appreciate it!\u201d<\/li>\n
- \u201cThis is such an amazing training! It\u2019s so beneficial to me.\u201d<\/li>\n
- \u201cGreat information! Awesome training!\u201d<\/li>\n
- \u201cWe are excited for your next training!\u201d<\/li>\n
- \u201cSO helpful! Great Examples!\u201d<\/li>\n
- \u201cAmazing and very helpful!\u201d<\/li>\n
- \u201cLove this info! \u2018Heart heart heart emojis\u2019 \u201c<\/li>\n
- \u201c This is amazing\u2026!!!\u201d<\/li>\n
- \u201cThank you very much! Great training!\u201d<\/li>\n
- \u201cLove the focus on intentionality..\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>
My school\/organization is not in San Diego.
\nDo you do remote training\/workshops?<\/p><\/h2><\/div>
Although we are based in San Diego, California, we have been very successful in providing high-quality, informative, and practical training for those outside the local area via Zoom webinars or live training. <\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>Who do I contact to learn more?<\/span><\/h2><\/div>We would love to serve as a resource for you and your community! Please contact Kaydon Schanberger, M.Ed., Director of Educational Psychology, for more information or to discuss your organization\u2019s current needs at edpsych@sdkidsfirst.com<\/a> .<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>
PROVIDE CUSTOMIZED AND SITE-SPECIFIC PRESENTATIONS, TRAINING, AND SPECIALIZED SUPPORT FOR TEACHERS, EDUCATORS, AND PRESCHOOL\/SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div> \u201cTeachers need to feel supported, heard, and validated in today’s classrooms. The needs of our students are changing, and so are the needs of our teachers. We believe teachers should feel confident in their classrooms and be reminded of the positive impact they are making on a daily basis. It is our goal to be a team member in equipping our teachers with tools and reminding them of strategies that they can use to foster the success they are working toward. As a prior teacher myself, I remember the mental drain of trying to meet everyone’s needs and feeling like I was coming up short. Let\u2019s work together to ask questions, gain tools, and grow our confidence to be a part of the solution and the best teachers we can be for today’s students.\u201d – Kaydon Schanberger, M.Ed., Director of the Educational Psychology Dept.<\/p>\n \u201cOur passion is teaching teachers! Supporting educators and administrators in their role in educating their students is quite honestly such a privilege for us. We know how hard our educators work each and every day to provide the very best for our children, and we know how overwhelming and frustrating it can feel at times when they don\u2019t feel they have all the tools or resources to help a student or family.\u00a0 We have tremendous respect for the important role they serve,\u00a0 and want to provide them with as much support as possible to enable them to help all their students be successful. \u201c – Dr. Deborah Pontillo, Director, San Diego Kids First.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div> General education teachers across a wide variety of settings and populations are seeing a dramatic rise<\/strong> in the number of students in their classrooms with behavioral, social, emotional, or academic needs or<\/strong> challenges<\/strong> in the mainstream classroom<\/strong>. These challenges are consequently leading to a decrease in teacher retention rates in our schools. Although teachers and administrators in general education often have a wealth of knowledge and experience in teaching a wide range of students with varying learning abilities and styles, they are often challenged by behaviors, unique developmental challenges, or learning challenges in their classrooms<\/strong>. One of the most common things we hear is, \u201cWe don\u2019t have the tools, resources, or staff to support these students.\u201d<\/p>\n Our trainings are created to empower our teachers and schools and equip them with the tools they need to feel successful, supported, and happy in their classrooms. Our goal is to provide relevant tools, strategies, and training so that educators feel confident handling all types of behavioral or learning challenges in the classroom.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div> Deborah Pontillo, Ph.D., The director of San Diego Kids First and Kaydon Schanberger, M.Ed., the Director of San Diego Kids First Educational Psychology Dept., have successfully established multiple partnerships with various educational organizations around the United States to provide high-quality, comprehensive workshops and training opportunities tailored to the needs of teachers and school administrators<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div> Training topics\/Areas of Specialty include:<\/strong><\/p>\n Services we can offer your Organization\/School\/Staff\/Faculty include:<\/b><\/p>\n Organizations we serve include:<\/b><\/p>\n The Prior Workshop\/Training Titles are listed below. At your request, Customized topics can be devised for your organization.<\/b><\/p>\n – Managing Challenging Behaviors in the Classroom<\/p>\n – How Teachers Can Communicate with Parents: Challenges and Strategies<\/p>\n – Autism Spectrum Disorder in the Classroom – Strategies and Tools<\/p>\n – ADHD in the Classroom – Strategies and Tools<\/p>\n – PTSD in the Classroom – Strategies and Tools<\/p>\n – Bright Stars – Bright students on the Autism Spectrum. Special strategies for highly verbal and intelligent students with social\/behavioral challenges<\/p>\n – How to Successfully Model Inclusion in our Classrooms<\/p>\n – What is a Behavior and How Should I Respond?<\/p>\n – How to Restructure to Encourage Success<\/p>\n – Attachment Styles and How they Play a Role in your Classroom<\/p>\n – Transitions: Why Transitions are Hard for Some Children, and How to Help Students Navigate Transitions Successfully<\/p>\n – Is this Developmentally Appropriate or a Red Flag?<\/p>\n – What are the Zones of Regulation, and How can I use them in my Classroom?<\/p>\n – Building Relationships – Strategies to Establish Rapport with Students with\u00a0 Challenging Behaviors<\/p>\n – The Three Main Behavior Triggers and How we Prevent them<\/p>\n – I am a General Education Teacher -What Can I do? Practical, Specialized Strategies for Gen. Ed Educators<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div> My school\/organization is not in San Diego. Although we are based in San Diego, California, we have been very successful in providing high-quality, informative, and practical training for those outside the local area via Zoom webinars or live training. <\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div> We would love to serve as a resource for you and your community! Please contact Kaydon Schanberger, M.Ed., Director of Educational Psychology, for more information or to discuss your organization\u2019s current needs at edpsych@sdkidsfirst.com<\/a> .<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/span><\/div>Kaydon Schanberger, M.Ed., Director of Educational Psychology Dept. & Dr. Deborah Pontillo, Director of San Diego Kids First<\/em><\/h3><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>
Why Professional Training?<\/h2><\/div>
Who provides the Professional Training?<\/span><\/h2><\/div>
What are your Training Topics \/ Areas of Specialty?<\/span><\/h2><\/div>
\n
What Services do you offer Schools\/Organizations?<\/span><\/h2><\/div>
\n
What type of organizations do you serve?<\/span><\/h2><\/div>
\n
What are some of your prior presentation titles?<\/span><\/h2><\/div>
The feedback we’ve received from teachers during our recent training sessions!<\/h2><\/div>
\n
\nDo you do remote training\/workshops?<\/p><\/h2><\/div>Who do I contact to learn more?<\/span><\/h2><\/div>