Dr. Barbara Sorrels
Barbara Sorrels, EdD is an early childhood specialist, educator and consultant with a heart for developmentally appropriate practice for children of all ages. She is committed to providing professional development and training in best practices grounded in the lasted information available in educational practice, brain research and child development. In 2007 she founded The Institute for Childhood Education for the purpose of providing professional development and consulting services in best practices for school districts, Head Start Programs, childcare providers and other professionals who work with children. In recent years her work has focused on trauma responsive education and care for children who have experienced maltreatment and trauma. After recognizing the extent of need for trauma responsive education, she founded the nonprofit, Connected Kids to provide additional services.
Dr. Sorrels is committed to providing professional development and training based on the most current research available in the areas of education, brain development and child development. She values a wholistic approach to education that nurtures the child physically, socially, emotionally and cognitively.
Dr. Sorrels’ passion for helping children began at the age of 14 in Washington, D.C., when she volunteered at a hospital caring for abandoned babies. In the decades since, she has used that passion to raise awareness about the needs of our society’s most vulnerable children.
Prior to founding The Institute for Childhood Education, Dr. Sorrels served as a classroom teacher, founder and director of two early childhood centers in Washington DC and Ft. Worth, Texas. She served as assistant professor of early childhood education at Oklahoma State University, teaching undergraduate and graduate classes.
Mission
To provide professional development, training, and consulting in best practices and trauma responsive education to school districts and early childhood programs.
Vision
To develop systems of education and care both locally and nationally that support the education and care of the whole child and the development of human flourishing.
Values
Trauma Responsive Education. Children who experience maltreatment and trauma deserve trauma responsive educational practices that prevent re-traumatization and support the development of resilience and human flourishing.
Research based practices. Lifelong learning is embraced as I continually seek evidence to support or alter my philosophies and training which requires a dynamic, ongoing and evolving methodology. My teaching is based on available research from education, child development and brain science.
Relationship based practice. We are born to connect and live in relationship with others. Effective teaching practices with children leverages the power of connection; screens and technology are judiciously used to enhance teaching and learning and not take the place of relationally based teaching.
The whole child. Quality education is wholistic in that it seeks to support the development of all aspects of human development including cognitive, physical, social and emotional aspects.
Credentials
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Doctor of Education (EdD) in Early Childhood Education - Oklahoma State University
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Master's Degree - Southwestern Seminary
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Bachelor of Arts in Early Childhood Education - University of Maryland
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Subject Matter expert by the T4PA Center of the US Department of Education
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Trained in Trust-Based Relational Intervention (TBRI)
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Trained in the Neurosequential Model of Therapeutics and Education
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Certified expert witness in Child Development & Trauma for numerous Oklahoma counties
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Author of Trauma Sensitive Care for Infants, Toddlers and Twos, Reaching & Teaching Children Exposed to Trauma, Nurturing Healthy Attachment (with Cathy Chalmers) & Ready or Not Here Comes School
Trainings Presentations and Professional Development of Schools and Agencies
Agencies
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ACT for Alexandria, Virginia
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Association for Christian Schools International: South Carolina, Pennsylvania, Texas, Oklahoma, Florida, California
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Berks County Intermediate Unit, Pennsylvania
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Butler Community College, Kansas
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CAP Head Start (Tulsa)
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CARD Head Start (Tulsa)
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CASA (Tulsa)
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Catholic Diocese (Tulsa)
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Center for Early Childhood Professional Development (Tulsa)
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Cherokee Nation
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Chickasaw Nation
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Child Abuse Prevention New York
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Childcare Resource and Referral Association (OKC)
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Children’s Specialties – Medicaid (Tulsa)
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Choctow Nation
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Circle of Security
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Cleburne Bible Church
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College Bound Academy
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Cooperative Council for Oklahoma Superintendents and Administrators (OKC)
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Crisis Pregnancy (Tulsa)
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Delaware Tribe
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Department of Human Services (Tulsa)
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Devil’s Lake Head Start, North Dakota
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Early Childhood Investigations (on-line)
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Early Head Start (Tulsa)
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Family and Children’s Services (Tulsa)
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First Baptist Church of Owasso
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International Dyslexia Association
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Iowa Childcare Resource and Referral
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Jack Brown Residential Treatment (Tahlequah)
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John 3:16 (Tulsa)
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Juvenile Welfare Board Pinnellas County, Florida
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Keystone Learning Services, Kansas
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Kids In Motion
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Lilyfield
Agencies Continued
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Mid-Sioux Opportunity Head Start
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Minot Head Start, North Dakota
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Missouri Association for Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health
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Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services
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National Association for Regulatory Administrators
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National Indian Childcare Association
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National Resource Center for Children and Youth (Tulsa)
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New Horizon Academy Minnesota
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Oklahoma Child Care Licensing
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Oklahoma Partnership for School Readiness (OKC)
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Oklahoma Scholars Program
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Osage Nation
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Peoria Tribe, Oklahoma
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Pinnell country
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Plumbline Ministries (Tulsa)
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Positive Tomorrows (Tulsa)
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Pueblo of Acoma Head Start
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Randolph County Head Start, North Carolina
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Region 18 Midland, Texas
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San Antonio Head Start, Texas
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Smart Beginnings of Central Virginia
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St. Joseph School District, Missouri
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St. Luke’s Children’s Center (OKC)
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Tennessee Childcare Resource and Referral
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Texas Baptist Church Weekday Association
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The Church at Battlecreek (Broken Arrow)
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Thompson Integrated Early Childhood, Colorado
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Tulsa Community College
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Tulsa Teacher’s Association
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UMCM Suncoast, Florida
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University of Oklahoma
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University of Oklahoma Happy Teacher Project (Tulsa)
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West River Head Start, North Dakota
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Wheat Capital Early Childhood Association
School Districts
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Alexandria School District, Virginia
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All Saints Catholic School
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Bartlesville
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Battiest
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Berryhill
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Bishop Kelley Catholic High School
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Bixby
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Blackwell
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Broken Arrow
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Byng
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Byng
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Catoosa
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Catoosa
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Collinsville
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Crossings Christian School
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Edmond
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Enid
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EPIC
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Glenpool
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Grove
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Jenks
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Keller School District, Texas
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Lawton
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Metro Christian School
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Midland Texas School District
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Mingo Valley Christian School
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Monte Casino
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Muskogee
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Norman
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Oklahoma City
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Oolagah
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Owasso
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Ponca City
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Putnam City
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Sand Springs
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Sapulpa
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Stillwater
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Stillwell
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Sulphur
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Thomas Custer
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Tulsa Public Schools
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Turner
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Tuttle
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Union
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Wagner
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Wewoka
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Woodward
“I help parents and teachers understand the basic principles of child development by 'looking under the hood' to see what makes kids tick."
Dr. Barbara Sorrels