Shaping Little Minds

Today’s podcast episode is all about the mistakes I made when I decided I wanted to transition out of the classroom. This episode is really to help you learn from my mistakes so you don’t repeat them and so that you can create a better outcome more quickly once you transition rather than it taking you over a year to get to that place, like it did for me.  Putting all my eggs into one basket Believ...

Have you ever considered that ensuring children know how to navigate their emotions in an appropriate way will help you to continue managing your classroom in a way that works for both you and your students? Today, I bring you that perspective after a hard first week covering a maternity leave. We discuss: Keeping calm in the midst of chaos Creating a routine in the classroom Reading books about e...

Have you been considering transitioning out of the classroom? Maybe you're worried you don't have the qualifications for other positions outside of teaching;  maybe you don't know what you'd be good at; or you are just nervous and want to hear about someone else's experience.  You're in the right place!  On today's podcast episode, I had Jill Berkowitz talk about...

Do you have centers within your classroom? Have you ever thought about how layout of your classroom could actually affect the learning? In today's podcast episode, we cover: What centers are + what they're used for Why centers are important in an early childhood setting Reflective questions to think about Center suggestions to consider With that being said, there is always extra support...

I have always valued movement in my classroom when I was a full-time teacher and wanted to encourage you to incorporate movement into yours. In today's podcast episode, I was lucky enough to bring my good friend Lauren on to speak about movement. Lauren is a PE teacher who has been in the education space for over 20 years.  We discuss the benefits of movement. We dive into various books in wh...

If you are ready to feel confident in your preparation, know how to manage your time + prioritize tasks, and create space for YOU you're going to want to tune in. In this week's podcast episode, I outline 3 of the biggest issues I see as teachers start to prepare for parent-teacher conferences to help you eliminate stress + overwhelm even though more work has been added to your plate. I...

I have a guest with an incredible story. Her name is Michele Benyo and she is a Certified Grief Recovery Specialist®, early childhood parent coach, and the founder of Good Grief Parenting. After her 6-year-old son died of cancer, her 3-year-old daughter said, “Mommy, half of me is gone.” This heartbreaking statement focused Michele’s career as an early childhood parenting specialist on the impact...

We all have excuses as to why we are too busy to make plans or too busy to spend quality time with our partners or spouses.  Teaching is always busy and I doubt that will change. It's a matter of changing our thoughts around our ability to integrate work + life; letting teaching be a small part of your life rather than you entire life. In today's episode I dive into 3 excuses I hear teac...

In this episode, I am bringing my friend Brittany onto the show to talk about her first year as an enrichment teacher.  You'll hear about: What her first year has been like The mentorship she's received What resources have helped her most  The challenges she's faced as a first year teacher, and Words of wisdom for other new teachers There are so many important lessons in this episod...

Have you ever wondered what 1:1 coaching calls are truly like? You've heard that they are 60 minutes and geared toward your needs as a teacher but is that really accurate? In today's episode, I break down some topics of conversation inside of my 1:1 calls with a client. This client is an assistant teacher + is struggling with bringing stress home with her and doing work on her days off. ...

This may be a more controversial topic to discuss but I thought it was important. I have always believed that a degree can get you further than you imagined when your end goal is to be a classroom teacher. I might have been wrong... or at least my thoughts around that have changed. On today's podcast episode, I have my good friend + roommate as a guest because she has made some tremendous str...

Happy New Year!! Here is your first episode of 2023. We are diving into ditching the stress of going back to work after a long break. Here's what we cover: Identity work; who are you at the core?  Journal Prompts to help you take action Setting boundaries I have been lucky enough to be asked to participate in this year’s Leader’s Lounge Virtual Summit hosted by Beth Cannon.    This year, I’ll...

2022 was a hard year for many, myself included and today, I wanted to share some lessons I've learned over the last year. I wanted to share these lessons with you because I truly believe they are invaluable and can help you grow + move into the new year positively. There is a way to integrate work and life without burnout Identity outside of your work is crucial Being productive is not everyt...

Behavior management has become the topic to discuss. Why? Behaviors in the classroom are more drastic and very different than they’ve been in the past. So many teachers are struggling to gain control of those said behaviors and it is one of the many reasons teachers are leaving education. This becomes a reason teachers burnout; when the classroom is chaotic, teachers feel like life is chaotic. And...

Today, we are diving into the juicy details of what it means to join The Confident ECE. I answer questions like: who is this for? How much will it cost? What is the time commitment? The Confident ECE is a mentorship program for new and struggling teachers who are looking for in class support. Tune in to find out if this program is the right fit for you. Learn more:  https://shapinglittleminds.myka...

Have you ever thought about incorporating sensory play for your students?  In today’s podcast episode, I got to talk to Tiffany about sensory play in the early childhood classroom. We dive into what sensory play is, how it encourages learning, various activities teachers can incorporate, and the way it impacts a child’s development and behavior.  Thank you so much for listening to this week's...

Classroom and behavior management is something all teachers are struggling with at the moment.  When I put a poll up to ask what teachers want to learn about, the most prominent answer was classroom management. In today's episode, I dive into the 4 steps I've taken to create a classroom management plan . It's the steps I find to be the hardest and challenging inside the classroom. S...

We can’t just assume that our students will know what they are feeling let alone be able to verbalize it. We need to teach them the vocabulary necessary to express their feelings. In this episode, we dive into various ways we can start to teach our students about emotions and feelings throughout the school year. A question to consider: What does the feeling look like? This will help our learners r...

I talk a lot about this idea of getting consumed in teaching to the point where we end up losing who we are at the core. I think that a big part of this is the idea that rest is bad and the only way we’re using our time wisely is by being productive. What if you changed your mindset around rest? Today we discuss the lessons I've learned after shifting my mindset around the idea of rest. Shift...

I’m excited to dive into this week’s episode because I’ve never done an episode on this topic. I’ve talked about all the things you can do inside an early childhood classroom to encourage learning and play but I’ve never discussed the importance of listening. Listening is a powerful tool educators need and should practice on a consistent basis.  We talk about the 4 ways you can become more intenti...

Today, I’m going to dive into a topic I’m super passionate about and it happens to be my #1 piece of advice for early childhood teachers. If you’ve been with me a while, you know that I whole-heartedly believe that early childhood teachers need a mentor. Someone that will help to guide and support them throughout their education journey.  We'll cover: Why mentorship is so critical for new and...

I’m bringing the theme of play back onto the podcast but we’re diving into how to make play a part of the learning process. I got to welcome back my good friend, Carla Ward; an early childhood educator and entrepreneur. She is the founder of Early Learning Foundations and is one of the biggest advocates for early childhood educators. Here's what we cover: Why play is a controversial topic in...

Boundaries set the foundation for balance in your teaching career. Boundaries help to create balance between your work as a teacher and your personal life.  In this episode, I give you different ways to start setting boundaries so that you start to enjoy your life outside of teaching. I dive into: - Morning routines; why that in and of itself is setting a boundary, what my morning routine looks li...

Have you ever thought about incorporating the practice of mindfulness into your classroom or looking for new ways to continue bringing mindfulness into your classroom?  Look no further!! In this episode, I got to speak to one of my best friends, Adina about mindfulness in the classroom. Adina is not only one of my best friends but an amazing educator. She brings mindfulness into her classroom each...

Today I have a very special guest on the podcast! Kathleen Gomes is a Registered Early Childhood Educator with 10 years experience working in full day kindergarten and more recently, she is employed as an ERW, caring for children with diverse needs. In today’s episode, we talk about teacher self- care; what self-care is, why it’s important, and how you can incorporate it into your daily routine. ...