-BAM! Body, Mind and Child - Preparing Your Child's Body and Mind for Life!

Why do young children who don't bite at home come to preschool or day care and suddenly mimic carnivores? Our guest explain why young children bite, how to talk to parents about the problem and how to minimize the occurrences.

Susan Campbell was a Principal Investigator on the NICHD Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development and author of Behavior Problems in Preschool Children: Clinical and Developmental Issues. Gretchen Kinnell is the author of No Biting:Policy and Practice for Toddler Programs. Deborah J. Stewart, M.Ed.,over 20 years experience in the field of early childhood education as a teacher, director, curriculum writer.

The definition of child abuse varies from state to state, as do the laws regarding abuse. The problem of understanding and meeting your mandated requirements as an educator is further complicated by the fact that policies regarding child abuse tend to change as well. Here are the basics you need to know.

Jody Martin has worked over 20 years in the early childhood field, she taught preschool and directed a Children's World Learning Center. James M. Hmurovich is the President & CEO of Prevent Child Abuse America and was the Indiana State Welfare Director.

Dr. David Bloomfield is Professor of Education Leadership, Law, and Policy at Brooklyn College and the City University of NY Graduate Center.

Classroom setup and structure are critical elements in teaching and controlling behavior and student interactions. What do you need to know? What are the best practices? How might rearranging your classroom help you?

Dr. Rebecca Gail Isbell has been working in early childhood education for over 25 years.

She is co-author Early Learning Environments That Work. Deborah J. Stewart, M.Ed. is the Executive Educational Director over three childcare campuses.

You know the student we're talking about. Yes, the one who regularly makes you want to consider a new career. Dealing with difficult students has always been a part of teaching, but with all the new demands, many teachers are feeling more challenged in this area than ever before. Our guests offer proven strategies that can make a difference immediately.

Sheryl K. Pruitt, M.Ed., ET/P, is the Clinical Director of Parkaire Consultants, a clinic she founded to serve neurologically impaired individuals. She is the Co-author of Challenging Kids, Challenged Teachers. Ross W. Greene, Ph.D. is the author of The Explosive Child and Lost at School and he is Associate Clinical Professor, at Harvard Medical School. He is also founding director of the non-profit, Lives in the Balance, through which he provides free, web-based resources on Collaborative Problem Solving.

We hear it all the time: teachers feel disrespected by principals; principals feel disrespected by superintendents;

superintendents feel dissed by local school boards; school boards feel discounted by the feds; early child-

hood educators feel dismissed by the rest of the education community; and parents feel marginalized by all levels of professional educators. - Why do so many educators feel disrespected? What can be done about it? We start with principals and teachers.

Gail Connelly is Executive Director of the National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP). Kathleen Hoffman is Teacher & Spokesperson for the American Federation of Teachers (AFT). Stephen Sawchuk is an assistant editor for Education Week. He is the senior writer of Joining Forces, a recent special report on the topic of labor-management collaboration.

The development of fine motor skills are often a casualty of the rush to get young children up to academic speed. In this segment our guests explain why fine motor skills are a critical building block for higher learning and should never be overlooked.

Dr. Christy Isbell is a pediatric occupa- tional therapist and Professor of Occupational Therapy. She has authored five books including, Mighty Fine Motor Fun. Allison Sampish is a kindergarten teacher and author of the Education Week article "Getting Hands On with Fine-Motor Skills." Deborah J. Stewart, M.Ed. has 20+ years in the early childhood education field and the Executive Educational Director over three childcare campuses.

Why is professionalism such a controversial subject among educators? Why is there a raging debate about whether some sectors of the education community qualify as professionals? What does professionalism really mean in the education field and, in practical terms, what does all of this mean to you on the front lines?

Dr. Stephanie Feeney is Professor Emerita of Education at the University of Hawaii and author of "Professionalism in Early Childhood Education: Doing Our Best for Young Children." Dr. Sue Martin is Co-author of "Perceptions of Professionalism Among Individuals in the Child Care Field."

Sarah Garland is a staff writer at the Hechinger Report, a nonprofit news organization that focuses on education journalism.

There are reports that ADHD in children is on the rise. But are we seeing a growing epidemic of ADHD or simply an increase in labeling children with the affliction? Our guests give us some insight into what is transpiring and offer specific tips for teaching children thought to have ADHD.

Thomas Armstrong, Ph.D. is author of The Myth of the A.D.D. Child.

Richard Lougy oversaw mental health services for Head Start and Early Head Start programs before retiring in 2007. He now runs a private practice specializing in ADHD and related disorders and has co-authored three books on ADHD. Deborah J. Stewart, M.Ed. has over 20 years experience in the field of early childhood education and is the Executive Educational Director over three childcare campuses.

Of course parents, teachers, and school directors all want children to have safe environments in which to play. But is sterilizing playground dirt going too far? Our guests disagree. Tune in and decide for yourself where to draw the line.

Robin Moore is a professor of landscape architecture and director of the Natural Learning Initiative, College of Design, NC State University. His books include Childhood's Domain and Natural Learning. Thelma Harms is Director of Curriculum Development at the Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute. Deborah J. Stewart, M.Ed. has over 20 years experience in the field of early childhood education and is the Executive Educational Director over three childcare campuses.

Hard to believe that with everything educators are dealing with today that chocolate milk has become controversial. Tune in to find out why some schools are banning this flavored delight and decide whether your school

Connie M. Weaver, Ph.D., Distinguished Professor and Department Head

Purdue University, Nutrition Science. Kathryn E. Henderson, Ph.D. Director of School and Community Initiatives

Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity, Yale University. Susan Offutt is the Executive Director at the McCormick Center for Early Childhood Leadership.