Debbie Wolski explains the practicality of using pancake flipping as the visual for flipping unwanted emotions! If you wait too long to flip any pancake, it will eventually burn. Keeping in mind that every pancake has two sides, opposite sides, we can flip that negative feeling to the opposite before it burns! This should be reinforced by the adult in the child’s life being a good example and flipping their negative feelings often and successfully.
Jul 09, 2025•15 min•Season 5Ep. 129
In this podcast episode, Sara McBryde explores the significant role of games in early childhood education, discussing how they facilitate cognitive, social, and emotional development. The benefits of both structured and unstructured play in games help improve problem-solving skills and encourage cooperation and creativity. Games provide a supportive environment where children can experiment, make decisions, and learn from their mistakes. Join us as we dive into practical examples and insights on...
Jun 25, 2025•15 min•Season 5Ep. 128
Rob Sanders understands that a positive classroom environment is established before the first child arrives and goes beyond the physical space. (Of course, who doesn’t learn better in a classroom that is stimulating and enjoyable?) A positive classroom environment begins in the heart and mind of an educator. A teacher’s attitudes, perspectives, and actions shape the environment, fostering connections and encouraging meaningful interactions. From personal greetings to open discussions and a sense...
Jun 11, 2025•14 min•Season 5Ep. 127
Alicia Oldham asks our listeners to rethink how they teach early childhood education courses and provide professional learning for teachers in the classrooms. Many adults who work with children have lost the ability to play, be curious, and find joy in the moment alongside the child. In order to truly connect with a child and best grow with them, we need to rediscover the shared language of play we once knew. By cultivating a playful mindset in educators and college students through interactive ...
May 28, 2025•16 min•Season 5Ep. 125
Calm-down corners began as a way to support students with escalating and disruptive behaviors by providing a space to self-regulate and calm themselves. Laurie Tess will share the importance of recognizing less obvious emotions that might also benefit from a mindful and calming approach to emotional regulation. She will share what educators might put in these areas, along with thoughts on monitoring and intervening. If you would like a closed captioning version of this podcast, please contact St...
May 14, 2025•15 min•Season 5Ep. 125
When a conversation about a child’s development is hard for us to lead, it is likely also hard for families to hear. We must approach conversations with compassion. We so desperately want families to take our advice and seek evaluation that we forget to fulfill our primary obligation to be supporters of children and families. In this episode, Cindy Terebush will share the experience that changed how she approaches conversations with families, what support looks like during tough conversations, a...
Apr 30, 2025•18 min•Season 5Ep. 154
Dr. Ariel Sylvester talks about her experience in the field of early childhood education and what has led her to become an entrepreneur and leader in the field of ECE. Dr. Sylvester explains why it is important for early education leaders to support current educators in the field to help improve their practice. She explains how she does this through her early education consulting business. Dr. Sylvester has also created an empathic studies curriculum and will speak about the inspiration behind t...
Apr 16, 2025•12 min•Season 5Ep. 123
Kristina Lucia shares about the importance of healthy communication. Identifying and understanding both our own feelings and those of others is a skill that requires continuous practice and nurturing. When we develop this awareness, we can empathize more deeply and connect with others, strengthening our communication. Effective communication fosters healthy relationships. Kristina Lucia offers simple, practical daily exercises to help integrate these skills into your routine, setting the foundat...
Apr 02, 2025•22 min•Season 5Ep. 89
Rex Kreuder explains why it is vital for teachers to personally connect with parents of the children in their classroom. Good two-way communication between families and school is necessary for student success. This collaboration leads to informed decision-making about the child’s learning experiences and helps ensure that the child’s individual needs are met both at home and in the school setting. By encouraging a student’s family to help complement what the child is learning at school it is a w...
Mar 19, 2025•16 min•Season 5Ep. 121
Join Dr. Melissa Smith as she debunks common myths about process art in early childhood education, from concerns about messiness to doubts about its educational benefits and how to showcase student creations. Discover how to reframe these misconceptions, balance process, and product art, and implement practical strategies that foster creativity while maintaining structure. Whether you’re a process art advocate or just exploring the approach, this episode will inspire you to embrace exploration, ...
Mar 05, 2025•16 min•Season 5Ep. 120
Dr. Michelle Otstot explains the "Walk the Line" activity, a key Practical Life exercise in a Montessori early childhood classroom. The activity is designed to foster motor development, concentration, coordination, emotional regulation, and cognitive skills. She emphasizes how this simple exercise aids children's independence and social awareness while promoting a sense of balance, both physically and emotionally. If you would like a closed captioning version of this podcast, please contact Step...
Feb 19, 2025•14 min•Season 5Ep. 119
Jessica Sager discusses the child care cliff that educators and families are facing following the expiration of pandemic relief funds in September. If you would like a closed captioning version of this podcast, please contact Stephanie.heald@uagc.edu.
Feb 05, 2025•17 min•Season 5Ep. 118
Breanna Boyd, Founder and CEO of FeedWells , a nationally recognized organization, addresses food insecurity by nourishing students' bodies and minds. Through student-curated, locally-sourced nutritious meals and educational initiatives, FeedWells empowers students with both sustenance and knowledge. If you would like a closed captioning version of this podcast, please contact Stephanie.heald@uagc.edu....
Jan 22, 2025•11 min•Season 5Ep. 117
Melissa Thiebaut inspires us with an overview of The Project Approach. If you would like a closed captioning version of this podcast, please contact Stephanie.heald@uagc.edu.
Jan 08, 2025•12 min•Season 5Ep. 116
Celeste Venezuela shares that partnerships are everything! Building parent-teacher partnerships are essential for the success, development, and growth of a child. The more we build connections with parents, the more we can help create balance between home and school. This will in turn create consistency and stability for child and parent. Together we can do so much more. If you would like a closed captioning version of this podcast, please contact Stephanie.heald@uagc.edu....
Dec 11, 2024•14 min•Season 4Ep. 115
Dr. Rhonda Idris delves into early intervention for children with developmental needs, offering insights from her roles as a parent, educator, and early childhood professor. She emphasizes the importance of addressing developmental delays openly, reducing parental guilt, and expanding awareness of screening and monitoring resources. Her approach encourages families and educators to leverage available support systems, empowering children to build emergent literacy skills and reach their developme...
Nov 13, 2024•15 min•Season 4Ep. 113
Collette Hiller shares several ways to help children develop their vocabularies using good, rich words. If you would like a closed captioning version of this podcast, please contact Stephanie.heald@uagc.edu.
Nov 09, 2024•11 min•Season 4Ep. 114
Andrea Lara explains how academic conversations have transformed classroom engagement by encouraging students to think critically, analyze information, and consider diverse perspectives. These conversations not only strengthen language skills but also help students articulate their thoughts, express ideas clearly, and use academic vocabulary—all essential for academic success. By actively engaging with material through discussion, students build a sense of community, benefit from peer-to-peer le...
Oct 30, 2024•11 min•Season 4Ep. 112
Carla Ward shares how the more ECE podcasts there are, the more the voices of Early Childhood Educators are heard around the world. Podcasting is an opportunity to empower other educators. It is a way for us to support each other on a bigger scale, sharing strategies and experiences that others can learn from. And it aligns with ECEs commitments to continuous learning and improving Early Childhood Education.
Oct 16, 2024•13 min•Season 4Ep. 111
Kate Barrand, President & CEO of Horizons for Homeless Children, is here to share her experience of how offering STEM-based learning activities has positively impacted the lives of children experiencing homelessness. Many children, especially those living in poverty or who are members of linguistic and ethnic minority groups, lack exposure to STEM opportunities. It's critical we better recognize how we can close this opportunity gap and its consequences. If you would like a closed captioning...
Oct 02, 2024•12 min•Season 4Ep. 110
Dr. Michelle Otstot discusses how to differentiate learning using the “Stretch Your Brain” strategy. Specifically, this strategy is theoretically grounded by Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences and leans heavily on Universal Design for Learning. If you would like a closed captioning version of this podcast, please contact Stephanie.heald@uagc.edu.
Sep 18, 2024•17 min•Season 4Ep. 109
Claire Kabine talks about the five “F”s to being an A+ Administrator. If you would like a closed captioning version of this podcast, please contact Stephanie.heald@uagc.edu.
Sep 04, 2024•22 min•Season 4Ep. 108
Tanya Wright shares with us about her book Goodnight, Hairiette. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S-eP9klTCas If you would like a closed captioning version of this podcast, please contact Stephanie.heald@uagc.edu.
Aug 21, 2024•13 min•Season 4Ep. 107
Ron Shuali, M.Ed., shares how to choose to create a win-win classroom environment. If you would like a closed captioning version of this podcast, please contact Stephanie.heald@uagc.edu.
Aug 07, 2024•26 min•Season 4Ep. 106
Chrissy Chen, of Boys & Girls Clubs of America, will delve deep into insights about youth development and ways for young learners to fall in love with learning and in turn reach their full potential. Boys & Girls Clubs offer engaging, impactful youth development experiences to more than 3.6M youth. Club programming, including arts, education, health and wellness, sports and recreation, leadership and service, and workforce readiness combined with high-quality youth development practice i...
Jul 24, 2024•12 min•Season 4Ep. 105
Dr. Meghan L. Green shares how resilience and self-care are interconnected concepts that contribute to our overall well-being and ability to cope with challenges. Resilience refers to our capacity to bounce back from adversity, adapt to change, and maintain a positive outlook. Self-care involves engaging in activities that promote an individual’s physical, mental, and emotional well-being, while communal care focuses attention on the holistic needs of everyone. As early childhood staff members c...
Jul 10, 2024•11 min•Season 4Ep. 104
Dr. Sam Hubley shares how he is leading a novel collaboration with Pixar Animation Studios to adapt the Disney/Pixar film Inside Out into a social emotional learning program called InsideU. InsideU is a cost-free, web-based application designed for 6–12 year-olds that includes online learning modules on emotional awareness and regulation. InsideU employs the conceptual model of Entertainment Education and includes a series of episodes that are interactive, choose your-own-adventure stories. http...
Jun 26, 2024•14 min•Season 4Ep. 103
Veronica Green shares how to lead children in loose play experiences and build environments that truly create authentic play experiences. If you would like a closed captioning version of this podcast, please contact Stephanie.heald@uagc.edu.
Jun 12, 2024•17 min•Season 4Ep. 102
Dr. Amy Johnson shares the ABCDs of writing lesson plan objectives. If you would like a closed captioning version of this podcast, please contact Stephanie.heald@uagc.edu.
May 29, 2024•12 min•Season 4Ep. 101
Drs. Heald and Shipley take a moment to reflect on the past 100 episodes and give you a glimpse of what's to come! Thank you so much for sharing this time and space with your friends at Early Childhood Chatter. We appreciate you so much. :) Steph and Tisha If you would like a closed captioning version of this podcast, please contact Stephanie.heald@uagc.edu.
May 15, 2024•12 min•Season 4Ep. 100
