Shaping Little Minds

Due to gun violence in the US, it's understandable that schools are focused on physical safety. On today's episode, Coach Ed Bradley discusses his desire to bring emotional and psychological safety into schools as priority as well.  Coach Ed Bradley is a retired educator and coach with more than 20 years of experience and the co-founder and co-owner of Powerful Minds Counseling. He is a...

Your classroom most likely feels chaotic because of a lack of systems or a lack of clarity around the systems you do have.  Systems are the processes in which you do something inside of your classroom and the lack of systems is usually the reason the classroom feels chaotic. So let’s talk about the different systems you can implement into your classroom in the next 24 hours that could support you...

Right now, you're probably reacting to every behavior that pops up. You feel like you're constantly putting out fires and never actually getting to teach. This isn't what you signed up for. That's why, today's episode is giving teachers the 3 shifts that completely changed the way I handle behavior after my first year of teaching and three years in early intervention. * Sh...

This is when things start to really show up for teachers. This is also when teaching can start to feel HARD and you question if you'll even make it through. That's why, today's episode is giving teachers 3 systems they can start to implement before October to minimize that stress and chaos. System #1: A predictable arrival routine System #2: Transitions that do the work for you Syst...

If you've ever been to a professional development workshop, wanted to take something specific into your classroom but then either weren't supported in that endeavor or not knowing how to implement it... you're in the right place. Dr. Cheryl Hovey is an early childhood educator, consultant, and national presenter with more than 30 years of experience in the field. Her work focuses on...

In today's podcast episode, I got to talk to Coach Rae -- an established coach and mentor in the early education sector. She supports teachers via her Hey, Coach Rae Educational venture, promoting the importance of collaboration among staff and understanding the efficacy of quality systems. Coach Rae and I have similar stories in their growth paths in our journeys as early childhood educators...

In conversation with new teachers, the anxiety around parent communication comes up often. In this episode, we dive into: Setting the foundation for parent communication Delivering "bad" news to parents and a preferred method of communication 3 strategies to help you navigate parent communication  Importance of setting boundaries in communicating with parents RESOURCES MENTIONED: Built t...

If you were building a house, you'd want to build it on a solid foundation. So why are new teachers expected to build their teaching careers on a rocky foundation? Part of new teachers building a solid foundation requires them to be provided with mentorship and in-class support.  It's why I wrote my book, From College to Classroom. And it's why I'm launching my course, Built to...

If you've ever struggled to navigate challenges as an early childhood educator, this episode is for you! Today, I have the incredible Dr. Jamie Lewis as a guest. Dr. Lewis is an award-winning early childhood education leader, entrepreneur, speaker, and Founder/CEO of SheEO Educational Institute and New Horizon Learning Academy in Louisiana. With years of experience in childcare leadership, me...

You're starting the school year and feeling the excitement but that excitement is also mixed in with a little stress and a little overwhelm. That stress and overwhelm may have you shutting down or going even harder -- doing everything you can, even if it means you sacrifice your life outside of teaching. In this episode, Adva dives into ways in which you can start the school year without feel...

As teachers, we always hear that "behavior is communication." In today's episode, you'll learn the science behind the emotions that can drive behavior especially in young children.  Today's guest is someone who believes early childhood education should be taken more seriously because it all starts in early childhood – what we absorb and the environment around us makes us w...

We're BACK! And ready to dive in as if this extended break never really happened. I'm on a mission to bring this podcast back and make it better than ever. 3 KEY TAKEAWAYS: I blamed the wrong people for the hardships I was going through this past school year I let fear take over certain decisions I made in and out of my business I (once again) did not listen to my gut, my intuition. I le...

I'm tearing up as I write this.  This school year has been extraordinarily tough on me and I have to make some hard decisions as I go into the craziness of the last few weeks. I've struggled with mental health (depression and anxiety), I've struggled with a lot of resentment toward the classroom, and really struggled to show up the way I wanted to.  I'm taking an extended break...

This time of year can feel like a lot for so many teachers. It's almost the end of the school year, the students are even more chaotic than they were at the start, everyone is ready for summer vacation, BUT there are still a few weeks left before you are officially on summer vacation. Today, I dive into 3 habits that will help make teaching more sustainable during this time of year. Consisten...

It can be really hard to hear the news of non-renewal. It makes it hard to show up to work each day. It makes you question whether or not you were meant to be teaching. In today's episode, I have Stephanie on the podcast.   She speaks from prior experiences of being non-renewed more than once and gives those in this position some incredible advice to get through; especially if you want to sta...

It can feel challenging being in a mainstream classroom and having to support neurodivergent students. Today, Dr. Tara Williams shares what she’s learned as a professor and an academic executive functioning coach and will help you to support your neurodivergent students in your classroom in a way that isn’t overwhelming or stressful. 3 KEY TAKEAWAYS: Doing something for a neurodivergent student ca...

In society today, we learn to believe that we are only worthy when we do the thing, when we get all the things done, when we achieve a huge goal, etc. But what if I told you you can cultivate a worthy based mindset that doesn't base you worthiness on what you've gotten done?!  Today's episode is a little different than the others. And the reason is I am reading an excerpt of my newe...

Something so many teachers struggle with in a sense of identity outside of the classroom and many times, that can go back to the fact that they don't keep promises to themselves. Research shows that when a person stop keeping even the smallest promises to themselves, it can affect their self-efficacy; the way they see themselves.  In today's episode, we dive into why it's so importa...

It's the last stretch before summer vacation and there's always lots to do. With that also comes feeling like we're constantly in survival mode. Survival mode, many times, comes from become consumed with the workload and letting all other things go to the wayside. In today's episode, I'll break down 5 habits to upkeep, even in the busiest seasons so you're not constan...

If literacy comes easily to you, but you struggle to teach it... you're not alone. Today's guest was in your shoes once and dives into what she found once she became a literacy consultant (or as she calls it, a traveling teacher). 3 KEY TAKEAWAYS: Correcting a child's mistakes doesn't actually help them to learn When you know something really well, it can be harder to teach Lit...

Nervous system regulation has become a hot topic but it's also something I've focused on for myself and with clients. Today, you'll 4 ways to help you regulate your nervous as a busy full-time teacher. 3 KEY TAKEAWAYS: Regulating your nervous system brings you back to state of homeostasis where you're able to handle what's being thrown at you. Regulating your nervous syste...

As I was writing the outline for this episode, I googled: "what do you teachers need to hear right now?"  I wanted to show up here with intention. I know that this time of year can be really tough for teachers. Between parent-teacher conferences, spring break coming up, and the end of the school year being around the corner, this is a time where teachers can feel burnt  out and anxious....

When you change your mind, you can change your life. That honestly sound cliche but it's true. At the start of the school year, I was showing up burnt out and overwhelmed. I thought the only way to make things better for myself was by quitting teaching. Sounds familiar, right? Maybe that's the answer for some, but it wasn't the answer for me. I had to make the decision to do things...

My coach recently reflected something back to me that is unbelievably true -- Teachers are comfortable with burnout.  You are comfortable with burnout because it's become normalized. You're comfortable with burnout because it's all you've ever known. You're comfortable with burnout because you believe that it's just a part of teaching.  I'm going to challenge you...

Mentorship is one of my favorite topics to talk about and it’s something I have spoken about in length. I’ve even given presentations on the topic.  We’ve got a special guest today talking to us about mentorships and the gaps that have been discovered over the years. Kerry Drake is the founder of KD Talks, a Canadian-based professional development company dedicated to empowering early childhood ed...