ENGAGE . INSPIRE . CONNECT
Who We Are
We are a Canadian, women-led educational consultancy firm delivering professional development, real-plays, and specialized content for educators. Our focus and passion is empowering all teachers experiencing challenging moments in their practice. We offer dynamic sessions and workshops specifically designed to guide anyone working with children and youth, including teachers, administrators, support staff, recreational program staff, and early learning educators.
SERVICES
To book a session, please fill out our contact form.
Professional Development
We lead engaging sessions with teacher candidates, new teachers, experienced teachers, and whole staff teams.
Our workshops deliver:
- Proactive strategies to minimize challenging behaviours
- Real-play opportunities, where real-life scenarios are enacted and different solutions are demonstrated
- Ways for teachers to reconnect with their humour, warmth, and humanity
- Creative spaces where uncertainties shift from desperate problem-solving to moving through tricky situations with more confidence and ease
We focus on the crossroads where a student, parent or colleague says or does something we feel unsure about and we don’t know how to respond. The thing about the crossroads is that beyond whatever is challenging can be relief, connection, humour, and warmth.
Real Plays
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What are real plays? Real plays are re-enactments of what can or has happened in a variety of situations, with the intention of increasing awareness, skill, and strategies in a low-risk environment. At REiL Learning, we lead and focus real plays on accessing and implementing creative responses in challenging moments, especially those where we're unsure about how to proceed.
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Are real plays an acting experience? Overall, no. Some people do get into their roles portraying a child or student, and you can see some great acting, but that’s not the main intention. At the heart of a real play is the opportunity to engage in a scenario, to try out different responses, and to experience what it would be like to say or do something in a situation that we’ve encountered, or are afraid to encounter. Real plays are social emotional-learning activities where we get to practice - in real time - what to do or say in challenging situations.
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Why engage in real plays? Real plays increase participants’ confidence regarding how to respond in tricky situations and build connection by seeing team members' skills and strategies in action. Additionally, real plays ground us in the understanding that we're not the only ones dealing with certain behaviors. What a relief! Real plays offer participants the opportunity to brainstorm a multitude of ways to respond, which expands creativity and confidence, plus bolsters calm for our nervous systems, in that we get to practice our responses in a supportive environment.
Content Creation
We build and adapt educational tools specifically tailored for K-12 environments. We design customized resources and learning opportunities that foster connection, warmth, and candidness in tricky school situations, including:
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Custom Educator Trainings & Workshops
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Educational Frameworks for Schools
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Curriculum Design & Lesson Plans
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Behavioural Guides & Guidelines
Professional Development
We facilitate high-energy, practical workshops for out-of-school providers and youth care staff.
Our workshops deliver:
- Proactive strategies to minimize challenging behaviours
- Real-play opportunities, where real-life scenarios are enacted and different solutions are demonstrated
- Ways for youth workers and out of school leaders and programmers to reconnect with their humour, warmth, and humanity
- Creative spaces where uncertainties shift from desperate problem-solving to moving through tricky situations with more confidence and ease
We focus on the crossroads where a child, youth, parent or colleague says or does something we feel unsure about and we don’t know how to respond.
Real Plays
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What are real plays? Real plays are realistic re-enactments of daily scenarios encountered in out-of-school programs, childcare centers, and youth organizations. They allow staff to build practical de-escalation skills and behavioural strategies in a safe, low-risk environment.
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Are real plays an acting experience? Overall, no. Although staff may occasionally portray a child or program participant, theatrical talent is never the goal. Real plays serve as a social-emotional learning tool where youth workers practice what to say and do in real time, preparing them to respond effectively under pressure.
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Why engage in real plays? Real plays increase participants’ confidence regarding how to respond in tricky situations and build connection by seeing team members' skills and strategies in action. Additionally, real plays ground us in the understanding that we're not the only ones dealing with certain behaviors. What a relief! Real plays offer participants the opportunity to brainstorm a multitude of ways to respond, which expands creativity and confidence, plus bolsters calm for our nervous systems, in that we get to practice our responses in a supportive environment.
Content Creation
We develop custom training tools and resources designed specifically for out-of-school and youth program settings. We focus on designing materials that bring clarity, warmth, and practical structure to out of school learning spaces, including:
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Custom Trainings
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Learning Frameworks
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Curriculums and Lessons
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Behavioural Guidelines
TESTIMONIALS
Katy facilitated training for our summer camp team, and her session was one of the most valuable parts of our staff development process. She created a welcoming, engaging environment and brought a warm, personable approach that immediately put everyone at ease. Katy is truly lovely to work with, and her genuine enthusiasm and ability to connect with people made the training both enjoyable and impactful.
One of the most valuable aspects of the training was the use of real-play scenarios. Rather than simply discussing concepts, Katy guided staff through realistic situations they are likely to encounter at camp, allowing them to practice responses, build confidence, and receive meaningful feedback. These exercises sparked thoughtful discussion and helped our team feel much more prepared for the summer ahead.
Katy's expertise, professionalism, and ability to connect theory to real-world practice made the training highly effective. Our staff left feeling more confident, equipped, and ready for the summer. We are incredibly grateful for her support and would highly recommend her to any organization looking to strengthen their team's skills, confidence, and capacity to support children and families.
Chelsea Madrick, HR Coordinator
Glenlyon Norfolk School
Katy facilitated a series of three virtual workshops specifically catered to the after-school program educator and used her REiL social-emotional framework to encourage reflection, pro-active strategies, and ways to support well-being for self and others. Katy uses a relaxed facilitation style that parallels the way we hope to be with and serve children and families. A quote she shared during the session was that “Anxiety is contagious, but so is calm” and this was enacted in the ways she created a sense of ease for all. Her sessions were interactive and conversational, and she honoured and incorporated the knowledge and experience of the participants while including her own expertise and current research. It was a truly collaborative experience to work alongside Katy to offer this series. Feedback on the sessions was positive - Participants left feeling validated and equipped with practical tools, strategies, and reflections to support and engage all learners.
Early Childhood Services Anglophone East, New Brunswick
It was such a pleasure partnering with Katy at REiL Learning. From the beginning of our planning time together, Katy listened deeply and thoughtfully as she tailored a workshop for over 40 adult learners that work with kids and youth in education, out of school, and recreation programs. Her presentation was fun, engaging and responsive. The participants were so impressed by her knowledge and expertise and walked away feeling informed and inspired. I look forward to working with Katy again soon!
Sheri Brattston, Managing Director, Community Education
Burnaby School District
