PreKTeachandPlay.com Podcast

While I can't recall all the details, from the first time I met Lisa Pepper-Satkin, to the time we recorded this podcast (which was actually back in February of 2020), I remember how she made me feel during each encounter. In a word: inspired! 

Lisa has really helped me to grow in my thinking about what it means to lead...h...

This episode is actually a repeat...meaning I lost the first recording and had to go back and ask Isela to sit and chat with me again.

I'm so glad she said yes because I remember the 1st recording brought me to tears (in a good way) and so did this one.

Whether you are a leader by title or not, this episode if for you!

In it, we dig into what it means to show up and be open-hearted. Not just with our staff, but with families, with ...

For me...this quote from Ijumaa Jordan says it all!

I'll allow your initial shock, but we're still going to move forward. It's not going to stop us. We still had to talk about...we still have to move forward, because right now children are being harmed-" Ijumaa Jordan

Here are just a few of the topics we dive into:

1. Developing humility
2. Classroom rules
3. Characteristics of the White dominant culture
4. Refe...

This is such a powerful episode!

In it we talk about many of the issues that we're facing... living through a pandemic, and we aim to provide hope, specific strategies, and practical ideas of how we might transition to and reimagine what education will look like in the future.

I learned so much, I have pages of notes and in fact, within an hour of recording this episode, I was already sharing what I've learned. Here's a quick examp...

Do you all know Dr. Barb O'Neill? Host of the Transform Challenging Behaviors Online Conference. 

Well in this episode you get to hear how the conference came to be, what Barb has learned over the years (aka her top tips for addressing behaviors that are challenging), and what to expect during the 3rd annual conference.

We also talk a bit about how she came to love puppets and how to use them with young children to promote their so...

In this bonus Pre-K Teach & Play podcast episode, I sit down to talk with Pat Radel, a special education lawyer, advocate, and father.

We start off by sharing what he know as of April 7, 2020 about serving students on IEP during the pandemic.

We then explore 20 U.S.C. 1414 (d)(1)(A)(i)(I)(bb) that states - IEP shall identify "for preschool children, as appropria...

I've been talking with so many fellow ECE {r}evolutionaries these past few weeks.

I see you and I hear you. 

In these unprecedented times, having to think about how best to support children on IEPs can feel overwhelming...and maybe even a bit scary.

And while information can help some of us with our anxiety...it can also add to the confusion and uncertain...

In this episode I chat with my longtime friend, colleague, and autism expert Barb Avila, and Dr. Dan Siegel, a New York Times bestselling author and clinical professor of psychiatry.

We dive into some really amazing stuff. Like how interpersonal neurobiology intersects with autism and the challenges of forming secure attachments with 24 children at the same time!

We end with a brief conversation that left me knowing just how necess...

One question that comes up all the time when I'm taking about how to teach before the peak and weather the storm is, "What do we do about giving a child our attention when they are demonstrating behaviors that are challenging?".

I suspect...what you really want to know is...

"What do we do when some team members and experts suggest the strategy of planned ignoring and others say connect with the child"?

So...who is right?!?!

In thi...

This podcast is divided into two parts.

Part 1:

The first, clarifies why our primary job is to extend the green zone for optimal learning, even when it comes to placement decisions for children who qualify for early childhood special education.

It will be a bit of an eye opener/conversation starter for those who think we're soothing the nervous system by placing a child in a more restrictive environment. In other words, while a "se...

If your behavior "management system" is public (verbal or visual), if it is whole group, or if it is highly symbolic, it's a practice that we can no longer engage in.

Meaning...it's three strikes and you're out, behavior charts.

In this episode, I unpack the top three reasons (ok five reasons) that behavior charts aren't effective in helping children learn to self-regulate. I also talk about why we have used them, and how our good ...

In Episode 35, we dive into more of the practical stuff...and what to do with conflicting messages around screen time and young children. For example, what do we do when we want to limit screen time and we also want children to have technology literacy skills?

There's an ancient parable about a farmer who lost his horse, and as As Heather Lanier say in her Ted Talk, "The parable has been my warning that by gripping tightly to the s...

You've seen the posts right? The ones that talk about the dangers of screen time and children's brains. How caregivers are more interested in texting than connecting with their children. And how secondhand screen time is the new smoking epidemic.

But what can you believe when it comes to children and screens? What about district policies that promote the use of screens with young children?

In this episode, which was so good (and so...

In this episode, I talk to Alyssa Blask Campbell about supporting and intentionally teaching self-regulation.

Or as Alyssa would say, "Helping tiny humans process big emotions".

In this episode, we delve into the difference between coping mechanisms and coping strategies, what self-regulation is (and isn't), and myths about how children learn to become increasingly self-regulated.

What You Will Learn

1. The difference between c...

In this episode, I talk to Dr. Shauna Tominey about her book, Creating Compassionate Kids: Essential Conversations to Have with Young Children.

The main purpose of her book is to support adults to build compassion and understanding through the conversations we have with children. 

What You Will Learn

1. How to model compassion by letting children know they are loved no matter who they are or what they experience
2. How to support ch...