Podcast

Spring Fever seemed to hit early this year for many of us, but then isolation happened, and our whole school year was turned upside-down. 

This week I’m reflecting on what the end of the year means when it doesn’t get to end on our terms. I talk about the parent side of things as well as the teacher perspective; like many of you, I wear both hats! So I wanted to share some tips with you guys on how to deal with day-to-day struggles, how to get through when you’re losing steam, and how these ski…

Raise your hand if you’ve ever worked with a highly sensitive child. All of us? Thought so! 

None of us are in the classroom right now, but if nothing else, this is the perfect time to hone our classroom skills so that when the world finally reopens, we’ll have more tools and better skills than ever before. In the meantime, there are so many ways to apply these tools, either with our own Littles or by working virtually with our students! 

In this week's episode, I chatted up Sandra E. Clifton,…

I sat down with Ruth Rau, toy maker of Mouse Love Pig, this week and chatted all about the power and joy of OPEN-ENDED PLAY. 

Ruth says that ‘children see magic because they look for it’ -- and well-designed toys will give them control over their play, empower them, and encourage them to use those beautiful imaginations and find that magic. 

Nowadays, most toy manufacturers are offering toys with one function, one “right” answer. But we all know that life just doesn’t WORK that way. Life isn’t…

This week’s podcast starts with a confession: I’m still trying to find my footing with remote learning. 

Find out What I Lean into these days! 

I’ve been supporting the parents of my students by encouraging them to start by building up that foundational relationship, that mindful connection with their Littles. Because as Jeffrey R. Holland so wisely stated: 

Maybe you can’t teach them yet, but you can love them. And if you can love them today, maybe you can teach them tomorrow. 

And so, teac…

Let’s get UNcomfortable, friends! 

This week, we are dealing with EMOTIONS. Our Littles sure can exhibit some big emotions, and even the best of us are sometimes stumped when it comes to figuring out how to deal with them in the moment while also giving our Littles guidance so they can eventually learn to self-regulate as healthy adults. And doing all this while managing a classroom can seem like a truly insurmountable task! 

Enter Katie Crosby, an occupational therapist! She and I sat down th…

Teachers of Littles have collectively had an enormous shift in gears over the past few weeks. We have suddenly moved from classroom to family support, and these shifts aren’t always easy. As parents are struggling to adapt and adjust, they are leaning on us more than ever, with new sets of challenges for us to help them navigate. 

This week, we are chatting about saying goodbye to students we may not get to see again, embracing imperfection as we adjust to our new roles, and how we can support …

Friends, we’ve all been there. You dedicate yourself to creating a wonderful, engaging environment for your littles; then suddenly — bam — out of nowhere you are hit with some really challenging behaviors from one of your students. And challenging behaviors do just that; they CHALLENGE us. Sometimes we know just what to do. Other times, well… 

We could all use a little help. 

And who doesn't need a little bit of help, distance learning, or when we return to the classroom? 

I sat down this wee…

Today’s podcast is a message of hope, solidarity, and proactive solutions to help you help the families in your care because… 

Times are WEIRD, guys. 

I had a whole different episode recorded and ready for you, and then the proverbial-ish hit the fan. Now that we’ve all been removed from our classrooms and thrown into these new roles, I think we’ve all been asking the same questions: 

• What would our students have done without us now that schools have been closed down?
• How will our students…

I wanted to be able to share nuggets of the old show with you.

IEP Tips

• This is especially about how to make sense of IEP goals.
• Kids are more than their recipes…more than their IEPs!”
• I hear this all the time from Early Childhood Teachers, “I am not a special education teacher. What is the deal with this IEP goal?”
• Here is the podcast show.

The Heart of Play: Why Hygge Matters with Kimberly Smith

• This show is about how we need to take care of ourselves and equip ourselves …