The Preschool Podcast

In this episode of The Preschool Podcast with Jo and Maddie, our hosts talk about one of the biggest challenges in childcare: burnout.   WebMD describes burnout as “[A] form of exhaustion caused by constantly feeling swamped. It's a result of excessive and prolonged emotional, physical, and mental stress. … Burnout happens when you're overwhelmed, emotionally drained, and unable to keep up with life's incessant demands.”   Sound familiar?   Jo and Maddie start the episode by sharing their own experiences with burnout, then consider other professions with high burnout rates and how they compare with early childhood education. From there, they discuss why burnout happens and how childcare providers can avoid it with suggestions from HiMama's Early Childhood Education Blog and the HiMama Helps Webinar Series. Join the conversation and share your thoughts in Circle Time! Additional Resources on Burnout: [Blog Post] Overcoming burnout in childcare [Webinar] Addressing staff burnout at your childcare center [Webinar] How to break burnout in 2021

In the first full episode of The Preschool Podcast with Jo and Maddie, our hosts discuss one of their favorite topics in early childhood education: Process vs Product. What does it mean to focus on the process rather than the product when it comes to making art with young children? Jo and Maddie start with a definition taken from our Circle Time Facebook Group: Product-focused art has a right way and a wrong way to work on the project and typically requires a specific skill and technique to reach that end goal. Process-focused art is when a child is given an open-ended project and they have the opportunity to express themselves through their work. From there, our hosts dive into their own experiences with artwork in the classroom and share their personal educational philosophies. (Spoiler: Jo and Maddie are both Team Process.) Plus, ideas for process-based projects for holidays, communicating the benefits of process art with parents, and striking a balance between giving children the freedom to explore their creativity and preparing them for kindergarten and beyond. Join the conversation and share your thoughts in Circle Time!

Welcome to the introductory episode of The Preschool Podcast with Jo and Maddie! Get to know our new hosts as they share their journeys into early childhood education: their first days on the job, the struggles they faced, and their personal philosophies of education. This episode also includes a Lightning Round where Jo and Maddie quiz each other on such hard-hitting questions as, “Coffee or Tea?” “Infants or Toddlers?” and “Circle Time or Free Play?” Check it out, let us know what you think, and share your answers to our Lightning Round questions in the comments!

In this episode of The Preschool Podcast, we're revisiting our first-ever Preschool Podcast episode from July 2016! Ron Spreeuwenberg has the pleasure of interviewing Debbi Sluys the Director of Growing Together Family Resource Centre in Blenheim, Ontario. Debbi discussed what has changed in early childhood education since she first started in the field. And what has made Growing Together such a successful organization, in particular, the progressive culture that encourages discussion, learning, leadership, and a sense of community.

On this week's episode of the Preschool Podcast, we revisit an episode from last year with Tania Ferrandino, Occupational Therapist and Senior Professional Learning Producer at Learning Without Tears. Tania dives into the importance of play in early childhood education rather than focusing on an end goal such as children writing their names.

This week on The Preschool Podcast, we are changing things up a bit! Last week, our team was on the ground in Washington, DC for the NAEYC Annual Conference! We met with tons of our partners, friends, customers, and new connections and had an absolute blast! While there, we caught up with our fellow educators and asked them about their outlook on the childcare industry for 2023. Today on the podcast, we are sharing their responses! Check out this episode to hear from previous podcast guests such as Ron Grady, Samuel Broaden, Senate Alexander, Jane Ann Benson, and more! Want to win a $50 gift card? Fill out our brief podcast feedback survey here!

This week on The Preschool Podcast, we welcome Dr. Christina Bretz, Senior Professional Learning Developer at Learning Without Tears. We chat about preschool assessments: what they are, how to administer them, and provide meaningful results to parents! Want to win a $50 gift card? Provide some feedback on The Preschool Podcast here - it only takes one minute! 

This week on The Preschool Podcast, we chat with Julie Hansen, Early Years Consultant and Founder of Inspired ECE. We discuss invitations to play and how educators can best facilitate these in their classrooms. Win a $50 gift card by providing brief feedback on The Preschool Podcast here!

This week on The Preschool Podcast we welcome back Rae Pica, Early Childhood Education Consultant and Author. Rae is a reoccurring staple on the podcast and this time we are discussing her latest book: Spark a Revolution in Early Education: Speaking Up for Ourselves and the Children. Win a $50 gift card by filling out our short podcast feedback survey here!

This week on The Preschool Podcast, we chat with Dr. Shira Leibowitz, CEO of Discovery Village Childcare Center and Preschool and REVABILITIES™ Educational Leadership Training Center. We discuss reimagining early childhood education and advocating for change. Enter to win a $50 gift card by taking five minutes to leave feedback on The Preschool Podcast here!

This week on The Preschool Podcast, we are joined by Rebecca Rolland, Speech-Language Pathologist, Lecturer, and Author. We discuss how to have purposeful conversations with young children and the impact these have on their growth and development. Be entered to win a $50 gift card by leaving feedback on The Preschool Podcast here! 

This week on The Preschool Podcast, we are joined by Hilary Price, Professional Learning Literacy Advisor at Learning Without Tears. We discuss how to leverage culturally responsive literature in early learning classrooms. Enter to win a $50 gift card by taking one minute to fill out our podcast feedback survey here! 

This week on The Preschool Podcast, we welcome Samaya Khattak, Vice President of Education and Quality at Busy Bees North America. We discuss the importance of the classroom learning environment and how to run a high-quality early childhood education program.

This week on The Preschool Podcast, we are excited to chat with Ariél Saint White, Founder of My Little Yoni. We discuss the crucial role parents and educators play in children's early sex education and the importance of having these conversations progressively over time as children grow up. Ariél is dedicated to helping parents embrace and learn more about sex education as it is happening. She empowers parents to have conversations with children directly in their homes. Enter to win a $50 gift card by filling out The Preschool Podcast's one-minute feedback survey!

This week on The Preschool Podcast, we welcome Gail Lovely, Independent Early Learning Specialist. Gail joins us to discuss how to move children away from passive technology use and focus on the wiser uses of tech - interactive and collaborative. This is a social undertaking, not a solitary one. Enter to win a $50 gift card by filling out The Preschool Podcast's one-minute feedback survey!

This week on The Preschool Podcast, we welcome Chantal Lavergne, Founder of Fun Sensory Play and Blogger. Chantal shares the story of her daughter's autism diagnosis, the importance of early intervention, and how it inspired her to start her business. If you can spare one minute, we would love to hear your feedback on The Preschool Podcast! Click here and be entered to win a $50 gift certificate! 

This week on The Preschool Podcast, we are excited to welcome Judy Newman, Executive Vice President and President of Scholastic Book Clubs. We discuss the importance of reading and literacy skills in early childhood education, along with the United States of Readers program, how it came about, its mission, and its vision for the future. Additionally, we touch upon how this program is also created to support educators, and what Scholastic is doing to support the participating educators throughout the year.

This week on The Preschool Podcast, we are honored to have TJ Borile, RECE join us to discuss his journey as a male entering the early childhood education field. TJ has been an educator for 8 years. Prior to that, in the corporate world, he felt like he was working with a group of adults acting similarly to children, managing a lot of interpersonal issues and because of this, he decided to make a career change to education. He wanted to make an impact and ensure that children grow up feeling, confident, healthy, and happy. The second he joined the field, he knew he had made the right decision. If you can spare one minute, please provide some feedback on The Preschool Podcast here and be entered to win a $50 gift card! 

This week on The Preschool Podcast, we are excited to welcome Samuel Broaden, Trainer/Consultant at Honoring Childhood. Samuel is passionate about giving children the best childhood possible. He aspires to be the adult that he feels would have been amazing for him to have when he was younger. We discuss how to create safe spaces for children to develop into who they are. We need your help! Please take one minute to provide feedback on The Preschool Podcast here and be entered to win a $50 gift card! 

This week on The Preschool Podcast, we sit down with Denise Cesare! Denise is an Educator, Speech Language Pathologist, Social Emotional Learning Specialist, and Published Author of Moments in Motion with Love. Denise joins us to discuss the importance of social-emotional skills, mental health, and wellness in a preschool classroom. We chat about the importance of creative thinking and learning through play. She also shares her tips for getting all age groups to participate in mindful moments! Want to tell us what you like about The Preschool Podcast and how to make it better? Click here and let us know! You'll also have the chance to win a $50 gift card.

This week on The Preschool Podcast, we welcomed back Chanie Wilschanski, CEO of Schools of Excellence. We discuss how to create space in your day as an insurance policy for retention, growth, and maintaining a positive mental state.

This week on The Preschool Podcast, we welcomed Sydney Bassard, Speech-Language Pathologist. Sydney has been an SLP for over three years. During university, her brother was diagnosed with dyslexia and ADHD, which inspired her to fall in love with the field. She works primarily with children who are deaf or hard of hearing. We chat with Sydney about the difference between speech and language and how both are formed in early childhood development.

This week on The Preschool Podcast, we are excited to welcome Janet Foster, RECE. Janet is a Professor and Coordinator of the ECE program at Fanshawe College and an Early Years Specialist at Tools for Life. She specializes in emotional literacy and we discuss the development of emotional regulation in the early years through childcare classroom socialization and books!

This week on The Preschool Podcast, we are honored to welcome Ram Puvanesasingham, Founder of Gepeto Labs. Ram is passionate about implementing a digital curriculum to assist specialists in early childhood intervention. We discuss how parents and educators can be empowered to be involved in this process and how technology can help assess the potential of developmental disabilities.

The week on The Preschool Podcast we are excited to welcome Lucy Song. Lucy is the proud author of Awesome Art Activities for Kids: 20 STEAM Projects to Spark Creativity and Imagination. We discuss her favorite STEAM art activities for children and how to spark creativity and imagination at all ages and stages!

This week on The Preschool Podcast, we are excited to welcome Heather Bernt-Santy. Heather is an Early Childhood Professor, Speaker, and Podcast Host. She has been in the early childhood education field for over 30 years. She has a special love for toddlers and we discussed how to understand them and work with them to effectively promote their growth and development.

This week on The Preschool Podcast we have a very exciting episode! We are overjoyed to welcome Darryl McDaniels, Co-founder of Run-DMC and Makeda Mays Green, Vice President of Digital Consumer Insights at Nickelodeon to the podcast! We discuss Darryl's journey as an early literacy advocate and how he and Makeda work closely together. We dive deep into early literacy strategies that stick and how educators can use digital tools, including music, to support literacy learning as early as PreK.

This week on The Preschool Podcast, we are excited to welcome Gigi Schweikert, CEO of Lightbridge Academy Gigi shares her tips on how to provide high-quality childcare at your center that will entice families to stay with you long term!

The week on The Preschool Podcast, we are honored to welcome Judy Jablon, the Executive Director of Leading for Children. Judy is passionate about shaping experiences that ignite children's personalities. Through Leading for Children, she gets a chance to interact with all of the adults in children's ecosystems and finds so much wisdom in this community. We discuss how these adults play a key role in achieving equity and quality in early learning environments.

This week on The Preschool Podcast, we are excited to be revisiting an episode from 2020 with Anisha Grossett. In this episode, Anisha, RECE, BASc shares with us her experience in helping educators rediscover their passion for early childhood education in the classroom and how fellow educators can do the same. Also, Anisha gives us a glimpse into her book, Zoey Has an Allergy- a great resource for young children, parents, and educators who are navigating a severe food allergy. 

This week on The Preschool Podcast, we are excited to welcome Tirusha Dave, Founder of Ellie's Academy. Otherwise known as the “Early Education Entrepreneur", Tirusha is a professional leader in early childhood education and has worked in the childcare industry for over ten years! We chat to her about navigating the role of a director prior to and during the COVID-19 pandemic.

This week on The Preschool Podcast, we are excited to welcome Mark Romera, CEO of Spimbey. Mark and his team strive to create a proper balance between the digital and offline worlds – inspiring children to disconnect from the digital world and reconnect with their imaginations, playmates, and the outdoors. 

This week on The Preschool Podcast, we are excited to be revisiting an episode with Holly-Elissa Bruno! Holly-Elissa Bruno is the author of the book Happiness is Running Through the Streets to Find You, which is all about supporting traumatized children. She shares practical tips on how to talk to children about the feelings that come with traumatic experiences and how to build trust in an authentic way.

This week on The Preschool Podcast we are honored to welcome back Andrew Roszak, Executive Director at the Institute for Childhood Preparedness. We discussed how to be prepared for emergencies at your childcare center in a cost-effective manner. 

This week on The Preschool Podcast, we are excited to welcome Mariana Carazo, educator and founder of Developing Minds! Mariana discusses 21st-century education and how to implement it in your classroom through play-based learning. 

This week on The Preschool Podcast, we revisit an episode with Tom Hobson (aka Teacher Tom). We discuss his thoughts on how early childhood educators can work together to face the challenges of reopening after COVID-19 while maintaining the engagement that they receive from learning through play.

The week on the 300th episode (!!) of The Preschool Podcast, we are honored to welcome Shawn D. Byrd, Founder and Executive Director of the SYMI Academy. Shawn is also our 2021 Early Childhood Educator of the Year and he joins us for our 300th podcast episode!! Shawn decided to champion the cause of community youth after witnessing years of violence and conflict and its' direct effect on the lives of the community's greatest hope and most vital resource; young people. We discuss how to teach STREAM in the classroom and he gives some amazing tips! 

The week on The Preschool Podcast, we are honored to welcome Paula Jackson, Director of Global Citizenship at Barefoot Books. Paula has lived in three continents and seen the effects that positive early childhood experiences have in establishing a solid foundation for life. Children are born with open hearts and creative and curious minds. This, unfortunately, shifts as they become older. We learn all about global citizenship and how it impacts early childhood educators! 

This week we are excited to welcome Nancy Kopman to The Preschool Podcast. Nancy Kopman is an Educational Children's Music Specialist, Recording Artist, and Performer. Nancy has been creating, testing, developing, recording, and performing her short, catchy, educational songs for children 0-10 for over 20 years. In this week's podcast, we dive deep into how to use music as a learning tool to regulate, guide and assure children. Nancy provides many tangible tips for immediate use in a classroom or home! 

This week we are excited to welcome Kelly Wilk-Downs to The Preschool Podcast. Kelly is an Occupational Therapist and the owner of Junction of Function. She is certified in the Sensory Integration and Praxis Test and has specialized in working with Autism. Kelly is the developer of Shoe Tying Made Simple and Writing Made Simple products. She has spent most of her career working in the schools where she was responsible for staffing the schools with clinicians and she also owned her own clinic. We discuss occupational therapy and the educational value of toys and games. 

This week on The Preschool Podcast, we are honored to have revisited a previous episode with Dr. Elanna Yalow, Chief Academic Officer at KinderCare. We discuss how educators can support children as they learn through play. She highlights how play and academics are not separate from each other. Instead, play is the instinctive way that young children learn how to problem solve and develop skills. We discuss some strategies that educators can use to incorporate play into their practice.

This week on The Preschool Podcast, we are honored to welcome back Prerna Richards to talk about strategies for hiring and retaining quality educators. Prerna is the CEO and Founder of Together We Grow. Prerna has a calling for early childhood education and is honored to support educators, caregivers, and children.  As most of us know, this moment in time has been dubbed the great resignation. Prerna is encouraging us all to reframe that to the great opportunity. A chance to do things differently! There is a difference between hiring and recruiting. Hiring is when you put a job ad out and hire for that specific position while recruiting is when you see someone show up in the world and you approach them with an opportunity. Start looking at the people around you in a new light. If you recruit for attitude, you can teach skill after the fact.  Click below to listen to the full episode for FREE! 

This week on The Preschool Podcast, we are honored to have revisited a previous episode with Rae Pica. Rea joins us to talk about how to avoid challenging behaviors in children before they begin. Rae is an early childhood consultant dedicated to the development and education of the whole child.  Are kids really ‘misbehaving' or are we simply setting unrealistic expectations for them? In this episode, Rae Pica returns to the podcast to discuss her book, “Acting Out!: Avoid Behavior Challenges with Active Learning Games and Activities,” and provides actionable techniques for you to use to harness children's natural behavior into activities that will make everyone happy.

This week on The Preschool Podcast, we are honored to have Senate Alexander join us to talk about how quality early childhood education can close wealth, wellness, and class gaps. Senate is the Executive Director for Catherine Hershey Schools for Early Learning. Growing up in poverty, he understands the struggles children and their families face. He has dedicated his career to being part of the solution to our poverty crisis. High-quality early learning is an incredibly important path to better things for our future generations. 

This week on The Preschool Podcast, we are honored to have Tiffany Semmons join us to talk all about sleep deprivation and how it affects children, educators, and caregivers. Tiffany is an Early Childhood Executive Director, a Children's Book Author, and the creator of So Much Semmons. Sleep deprivation exists in both quantity and/or quality and happens in children and adults. Educators can impact families by spreading more awareness around sleep deprivation, especially with parents as many are not aware of the trickle effects sleep deprivation can have. The entire family needs to be well-rested to create a safe space for a child physically and emotionally. Sleep impacts your choices, temper, and mood constantly.  Click below to listen to the full episode for FREE! 

This week on The Preschool Podcast, we are honored to have Ron Grady, the Founder of Childlogy.co and a teacher at NOLA Nature School join us to talk about reflective practices and how they stoke curiously and deepen relationships. At the end of each week, Ron goes to a coffee shop with his computer, gives himself a time frame, and writes reflections on each of his children. Once you can step outside of the physical space of your classroom, you can take a few minutes for yourself and it can become a spot for you to stay energized in your own practice. It has helped him be more patient, understanding, and curious with children. Listen to the full episode to dive deeper into these tips!

This week on The Preschool Podcast, we are honored to have Jeron Bailey, Principal ECE Consultant and Trainer join us to talk about the importance of culturally responsive recruitment and retention. She has seen too many educators leave the field because they do not feel valued, and this sparked her passion for finding ways to retain high-quality educators.

In this episode of The Preschool Podcast, we connect with Marcelle Waldman. Marcelle is a teacher, parent, and founder of FeelLinks. She is passionate about teaching social-emotional skills to our youngest learners so that they can grow up with skills in self-awareness, social awareness, self-management, and relationship skills.  We learn the basics of why it is important for children to recognize and understand their feelings, as well as talk about what our emotions are called - otherwise known as emotional vocabulary. We learn the importance of children sharing how they are feeling, and how to teach children to recognize, label, and understand words and physical feelings for their emotions. We also touch on how journaling can help with this learning.

In this episode of The Preschool Podcast, we connect with Diane Kashin. Diane helps us to understand what is meant by a Reggio-inspired approach and how early childhood educators can use pedagogical documentation to enhance their own learning and development while improving learning outcomes for children.

In this episode of The Preschool Podcast, we connect with Evelyn Knight, CEO of Childcare Business Professionals, an organization that helps owners and directors through mentorship and providing resources. Evelyn discusses her passion for ensuring the centers are set up for success at their center even if they're not physically there. In this episode, Evelyn discusses how directors, owners and, admins can ensure that their center can run efficiently even while you're not physically present in the center.

Roxanne Thompson, National Presenter and Content Specialist from Learning Without Tears. Roxanne discusses the power and benefits that crayons have to teach young children fine motor development. Roxanne provides our listeners with several tips and ideas on how to encourage fine motor skills and how both educators and parents can make using crayons accessible and easy.