How Preschool Teachers Do It

We often talk to children about what they want to be when they grow up, but are we focusing them on goals that will last through their lives? Cindy and Alison discuss why who we want to be should be more than an occupation.

Ever have one of those weeks when everything you do seems to go wrong? Children have those weeks, too. Cindy and Alison discuss how to help them express that and move forward from it. You also won't want to miss the Feedback 5 at the end!

At long last, Cindy and Alison talk about their take on homework. Should it be assigned? What should we think about? What would actually be a way to partner with families about what their children are learning? Listen to find out!

Cindy and Alison reminisce about the many lessons they learned by having PenPals and why we need to bring them back. Be part of the movement to bring PenPals to early childhood classrooms.

Do all those stories, television shows, and movies give children a false impression of life and happiness? Join Cindy and Alison for a discussion about how children internalize what they see and the conversations we can have with them about fairy tales, tv shows, movies, and more.

Our words matter when addressing adults as much as they do when talking to children. Being welcoming and inclusive means providing children and adults with a sense of belonging. Cindy and Alison discuss how we name or label people who are raising children and if there is even a word that includes all possibilities.

Learn about another cognitive bias sometimes called the Ikea Effect. Intrigued? Listen to find out what Ikea has to do with teaching and raising young children.

Cindy and Alison discuss a cognitive bias - sometimes called the digital effect, digital amnesia, or the Google Effect - and how that should help us think about priorities for children's learning. Don't miss learning about how our brains are sorting information in our highly digital world!

One trip to a small group breakout room made us think about the activities we don't want to do that we ask children to participate in. Should participation be voluntary or is it important to make children try? Cindy and Alison discuss the things we don't even like to do and that fine line.

It's time to examine your dress code and think about the people in our early childhood classrooms. Are the people reflective of the real world that children experience outside the classroom? Are we unintentionally teaching shame or embarrassment about their family or others? Cindy and Alison discuss dress codes, staff, and more!

We talk about high-quality curriculums, environments, and other aspects of early childhood settings, but how do we figure out if the adults are behaving in high-quality ways? Join Cindy and Alison for a discussion about the actions that make someone a great professional.

Erik Erikson taught us that young children struggle with initiative vs. guilt. That guilt plays out for a lifetime. Listen to Cindy and Alison discuss some of the nonsense we are raised with and how we can do better for today's children.

As promised during their episode about what they wish families knew, Cindy and Alison discuss what they wish teachers knew about families, children, colleagues, and more! Don't miss this conversation and contribute by sending your wishlist in our contact form at HowPreschoolTeachersDoIt.com or as a message on our Facebook page.

Now that use of technology has become an even bigger part of the lives of young children, what do we do about their screen time? Cindy and Alison discuss the American Academy of Pediatrics recommendations and how we might "right-size" the amount of time young children spend looking at screens.

Cindy and Alison share their top 3 lists of what they wish parents knew about young children. Share yours with us at HowPreschoolTeachersDoIt.com and on our Facebook page!