TEY 2026 Educators Day

A day designed for
those who teach

Saturday at TEY 2026 is a full celebration of early years educators — a day of inspiration, connection, and practical learning designed to remind you why you do this work and send you back with renewed energy and purpose.

DateSaturday, 26 September 2026
VenueKai Early Years, Bangalore

Four sessions. One unforgettable day.

Keynote · Opening Session
Gavin McCormack

Gavin McCormack
Montessori Australia Ambassador · The Educator’s Most Influential Educator 2021/22/23/24/25 · TEDx Speaker · LinkedIn Top Voice · Author · Filmmaker

Gavin McCormack is an internationally recognised educator, author, speaker and entrepreneur with more than 30 years of experience in education. As the Global Ambassador for Montessori Australia and Co-Founder of Upschool, he works with schools, governments and educational organisations around the world to help young people develop the skills, character and confidence needed to thrive in a rapidly changing world.

Originally from the United Kingdom and now based in Sydney, Australia, Gavin has dedicated his career to reimagining education through child-centred learning, entrepreneurship, global citizenship and real-world impact. He has built schools, libraries and teacher training centres in Nepal and has worked with educators and students across six continents.

Gavin is the best-selling author of seven books, including Raising Resilient Children, Screen Smart Children and The Potential in Every Child. His writing focuses on helping parents and educators better understand child development, resilience, well-being, and the skills children need to flourish in the modern world.

A TEDx speaker and one of the world’s most influential educators, Gavin is passionate about helping children move beyond memorisation and become capable problem-solvers, innovators and changemakers. Through Upschool, he has helped hundreds of thousands of students and teachers engage in meaningful projects that combine academic learning with positive social and environmental impact.

Known for his engaging, practical and inspiring presentations, Gavin shares evidence-based strategies that empower educators to create learning environments where curiosity flourishes, independence grows and every child is given the opportunity to realise their full potential.

His mission is simple: to help education become more relevant, purposeful and inspiring for the next generation.

Keynote: Transforming the Early Years

Every day, early years educators shape the foundations that children will build their entire lives upon. The connections made, the curiosity sparked, the sense of safety created — these are the moments that matter most, and you are the person making them happen.

This keynote is a celebration of that work — and an invitation to go deeper.

Gavin McCormack — one of the world’s most recognised early years advocates, TEDx speaker, and bestselling author — opens TEY 2026 with a session that will reconnect you with the power and purpose of what you do, and send you back to your classroom with fresh energy and practical insight.

At the heart of this session is one idea that changes everything: connection before curriculum. When children feel safe, seen, and that they belong — learning follows naturally. Gavin will bring this to life through storytelling, neuroscience, and strategies you can use the very next day.

What you will take away:

A deeper understanding of why the early years are the most powerful years in a child’s life
Practical ways to build trust and emotional safety in your classroom
Clarity on the lasting impact your work has on children’s lives
Renewed energy, confidence, and pride in the profession you have chosen

Masterclass W1
Mrunal Shah

Mrunal Shah
The Play Dad · Educator

A Dale Carnegie-certified trainer and facilitator, Mrunal has spent over a decade working in education and learning design, with a focus on creating environments where curiosity leads and engagement is built in from the start. His work with learners across ages has sharpened his belief that when learning feels meaningful and joyful, it sticks — a principle he brings directly into the early years classroom.

Playful Classrooms: Making Learning Meaningful and Fun

Play is not a break from learning — it is how children learn best.

In this session, Mrunal Shah brings his signature energy and warmth to explore how play can be woven meaningfully into everyday classroom practice. Drawing on real classroom experiences, he will show you how playful approaches deepen curiosity, spark creativity, and build the kind of conceptual understanding that stays with children long after the lesson ends.

You will leave with practical strategies you can use the very next day to create a classroom where children are actively engaged, emotionally connected, and genuinely excited to learn.

Key Focus Areas:

What purposeful play looks like in a classroom setting
How play supports cognitive, social, and language development
The educator’s role in guiding play with intention
How structured learning and play-based approaches work beautifully together
Simple strategies to make everyday lessons more playful and engaging
How to observe and assess learning through play

Masterclass W2
Fatima Asghar

Fatima Asghar
Psychologist · Teacher Trainer · Founder, EvolveED · Author, Mindful Pause

A psychologist, teacher trainer, and certified parent coach, Fatima heads EvolveED — a Bangalore-based organisation working at the intersection of childcare, mindfulness, and human relationships. She is the author of Mindful Pause, a collection of 22 daily mindfulness practices designed specifically for educators, and chairs SisuShakti, an NGO dedicated to embedding care into home, school, and governance systems.

Thriving, Not Just Surviving: Sustaining Your Passion

Teaching is one of the most purposeful professions in the world — and it deserves to be treated that way.

In this session, Fatima Asghar creates a warm and honest space for educators to pause, reflect, and reconnect with what brought them into this work in the first place. Through practical strategies and heartfelt conversation, you will explore what it truly means to thrive — not just keep up — in a demanding and deeply meaningful profession.

You will leave feeling seen, re-energised, and equipped with simple, realistic practices to sustain your passion and wellbeing every day.

Key Focus Areas:

What it truly means to thrive as an educator
The early signs of burnout and how to respond with care
How to sustain passion and energy over time
Small, realistic practices that support wellbeing in daily routines
How schools can create environments where teachers feel supported
How reconnecting with purpose strengthens both teaching and learning

Masterclass W3
Manju Nair

Manju Nair
IBEN Consultant & Workshop Leader · CBCI Certified Trainer

An IBEN Consultant and Workshop Leader, Manju is a certified trainer in Erickson and Lanning’s Concept-Based Curriculum and Instruction (CBCI) and holds Singapore’s ACTA certification. With expertise in curriculum development and strategic planning, she helps educators build learning environments where children think deeply, make meaningful connections, and develop understanding that lasts.

Making Thinking Visible in Early Years Classrooms

In the early years, learning is a whirlwind of curiosity and discovery, yet much of a child’s cognitive process remains internal. This session explores how to transform classrooms into environments where children’s ideas are not just heard, but seen and valued.

Through the lens of “Thinking Routines,” participants will learn how to capture the intellectual magic of play and inquiry, moving beyond finished crafts to documenting the raw process of how young minds build understanding.

Key Focus Areas:

What Visible Thinking looks like in a pre-literate or emerging-literate setting
Simple routines like See, Think, Wonder that spark deep inquiry in young learners
How documentation can move from displaying work to revealing the learning process
The role of intentional questioning in helping children articulate their thinking
How the physical environment can act as a third teacher that reflects active thought
How making thinking visible strengthens the partnership between educators and families

Saturday Agenda

8:00am – 8:30am
Registration
8:30am – 9:00am
Welcome Address
9:00am – 9:30am
Keynote — Transforming the Early Years
Gavin McCormack
9:30am – 10:00am
Teacher Stories — ED Talk
10:00am – 10:30am
Snack Break
10:30am – 12:00pm
Masterclasses — Round 1
W1: Mrunal Shah  ·  W2: Fatima Asghar  ·  W3: Manju Nair
12:00pm – 12:15pm
Break + Transition
12:15pm – 12:45pm
Professional Learning Circles for Educators
12:45pm – 2:10pm
Lunch & Networking
2:10pm – 2:30pm
Tāla — Music Session by Kevin
2:30pm – 4:00pm
Masterclasses — Round 2
W1: Mrunal Shah  ·  W2: Fatima Asghar  ·  W3: Manju Nair
4:00pm – 4:15pm
Break + Transition
4:15pm – 4:30pm
Thank You!
4:30pm – 5:30pm
Celebration & Networking
Dance · Pottery · Karaoke · Game Stalls · Doodle Zone · Popcorn · Cotton Candy · Photo Booth

+ Optional Add-On — Friday, 25 September

How the Brain Learns Best & The Precocity Paradox

Gavin McCormack · Leaders Day Workshop

This workshop brings together neuroscience, classroom practice, and powerful storytelling to help educators understand how children truly learn — and what may be getting in the way.

How the brain processes, retains, and recalls new information
The role of emotions, attention, and engagement in learning
Why pushing children too early can impact creativity and motivation
What developmentally appropriate learning looks like in practice

₹5,900 — Inclusive of GST

Available at registration

Secure your place

Seats are limited. Register now to secure your spot at TEY 2026 Educators Day.

Individual

₹14,160
Inclusive of GST

Group (4+)

₹12,980
Inclusive of GST / person


Register Now →

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