Mackenzie Weintraub is an early childhood education consultant and Oregon Registry Master Trainer based in Portland, OR. She specializes in supporting teachers, home visitors, classrooms, and programs in implementing Pyramid Model or Early Childhood Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (EC PBIS) practices.
Mackenzie began her work with Pyramid Model in Head Start classrooms implementing as a teacher in both San Francisco and Portland. Mackenzie later moved into program-wide implementation as a program administrator and chaired an EC PBIS county leadership team before transitioning to consulting. Mackenzie earned her MA of Early Childhood Education from San Francisco State University.
Mackenzie has provided training and coaching extensively with Head Start programs, Early Intervention and Early Childhood Special Education programs, childcare centers and school districts. She has completed the Teaching Pyramid Observation Tool (TPOT) reliability training and is a proficient TPOT observer. Mackenzie has also presented at numerous conferences, including conferences hosted by the Confederation of Oregon School Administrators (COSA), NWPBIS Network, Oregon AEYC, Infant and Early Childhood Conference, and the Oregon Head Start Association.
This training is geared toward preschool classroom teams and support staff. The training looks at building positive relationships with children, families, and coworkers, designing supportive environments, and creating effective schedules, routines, and expectations.
Pyramid Model module 1, EC PBIS tier 1, Set 1
This training is geared toward preschool classroom teams and support staff. The training looks at the importance of teaching social skills and covers teaching friendship skills, emotional literacy, problem solving, and anger and impulse control.
Pyramid Model module 2, EC PBIS tier 2, Set 1
This training is geared toward preschool classroom teams and support staff. The training looks at collecting data on children’s challenging behavior, creating a behavior support team, writing behavior plans, and evaluating plans for individual children. This training is provided after universal and secondary supports have been put in place.
Pyramid Model module 3, EC PBIS tier 3, Set 1
Coaching is an essential component of Pyramid Model implementation. Effective coaching is systematic, data-driven, and relationship based. This training goes over the components of training as adapted by the Head Start Practice-Based Coaching Model. The latest Pyramid Model coaching research backs up information shared about a variety of coaching models and considerations.
Set 1
Building a strong classroom team can help with Pyramid Model implementation and in creating a positive workplace environment. This training focuses on the research and findings connecting strong teams to positive outcomes for children through effective Pyramid Model implementation. It also covers team building activities and exercises that dive into communication and appreciation styles, classroom expectations, and philosophical and educational beliefs of educators.
Set 1
These half-day trainings focus on specific social/emotional topics with more in-depth content and examples. Participants will get hands-on assistance in creating visual supports that they can take with them for their own use.
Individual teacher coaching usually includes classroom observations, goal setting and action planning, focused classroom observations, and coaching meetings with the classroom teacher or classroom team. In preschool classrooms the Teaching Pyramid Observation Tool (TPOT) is used and in infant/toddler classrooms the Teaching Pyramid Infant-Toddler Observation Scale (TPITOS) is used.
Individual home visitor coaching usually involves video recording home visitors and using the Family Coaching Checklist to assess, set goals, and drive the coaching conversation.
Group coaching consists of classroom teachers from several classrooms getting together to set goals and action plan. Classroom observations and/or formal Teaching Pyramid Observation Tool (TPOT) assessments help assist in the goal setting and action planning process. Follow up classroom observations and assessments can be completed.
Group coaching is also possible with home visitors. Home visitors come together on a regular basis to share video footage from their home visits, provide each other with feedback and problem solve, set goals, and learn how to improve their coaching practice.
Program-wide coaching is usually conducted with the program’s leadership team, comprised of administrators, teachers, home visitors, family support staff, and others. The leadership team is tasked with planning and implementing Pyramid Model throughout the program. Tools, including the Benchmarks of Quality (BOQ), are used to assess the program’s current level of implementation and create action plans to strengthen future implementation.
“Mackenzie is remarkably skilled at implementation of EC-PBIS at the program-wide level and holds a strong vision for EC-PBIS in our early childhood community. I am continually impressed by her ability to both conceptualize steps needed for implementation and facilitate changes quickly and effectively. That combination of vision and leadership skills to transform that vision into action is a rarity. Her services are an amazing resource for any individual or program interested in implementation of EC-PBIS!”
“Mackenzie guided us through the EC PBIS process as co-chair of our Leadership Team. She coached us through the identification of strengths and weaknesses in our program using the Benchmarks of Quality. We developed and implemented effective staff appreciation programs, targeted staff training, and an action plan for the future. Our program is now better equipped to sustain EC PBIS program wide. Programs who choose to work with Mackenzie will benefit greatly from her organization, enthusiasm, and expertise.”
“I am a member of the EC PBIS leadership team that Mackenzie co-chaired. She is meticulously organized, presents innovative ideas, and follows through on everything. She is able to take a tiny idea and run with it to turn it into a reality and make it happen. I highly recommend working with Mackenzie!”
“Mackenzie has been a great asset to our classroom environment this past year. She helped us to identify areas where we can improve, set goals, and make a plan to achieve those goals. As a result of Mackenzie’s coaching, we have increased positive relationships among staff and children and less challenging behaviors. She has been very supportive and encouraging through the whole process. Her knowledge and skill set would be a great benefit to any classroom.”
“Mackenzie has been a phenomenal asset to our team. Her compassionate and supportive coaching manner, combined with her solid leadership skills, helped our program navigate the sometimes rocky implementation road. We couldn’t have done it without her!”