Every Child's Champion

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Have you ever considered that PLAY might be the missing piece in making children’s education truly effective and joyful? Join me in this episode as we explore the transformative potential of PLAY-based learning in the classroom. Reconnect with your inner child and rediscover the joy of teaching. We know how life's pressures can overshadow our passion for education but there are strategies to reignite that spark through playful engagement. Educators can become co-players in inquiry-based learning, helping children naturally grasp complex concepts like stabilization through playful interactions.

This episode is packed with practical strategies to elevate your teaching game! Learn how to spark meaningful conversations with children using open-ended questions, self-talk, and parallel talk, all while fostering their language skills and critical thinking. Do you know that emotional support and secure attachments contribute significantly to both cognitive and emotional development of these children? By prioritizing these connections, educators can inspire children to become confident, problem-solving individuals. Embrace PLAY, foster curiosity, and witness the transformative impact on both you and your students.

Make sure you tune in to this podcast, and share it with colleagues, as we discover the inner secrets of beingEvery Child’s Champion!

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Thank you so much for joining us on today’s episode. If you liked listening to this episode, don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE!

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For a copy of all our show notes, go HERE ß

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Imagine being the cornerstone of a child's development, where every action you take has the potential to shape their future. As educators, your mental, emotional, and physical well-being is indispensable. In this episode, we will delve into the profound influence you have on your students. Reflecting on self-efficacy, we urge you to list your strengths and find joy in your teaching practice, even amid the current staffing crisis and high stress levels. This episode is a tribute to your immense value, to foster a positive mindset that will enhance both your effectiveness and the learning experience for your students.

Building strong relationships with students is at the heart of our discussions. Drawing from attachment theory, we’ll figure out how early relationships influence a child's ability to trust and regulate emotions. By prioritizing personal connections and maintaining a positive attitude, educators can create a secure environment that supports both emotional and behavioral development. This episode is packed with practical advice and heartfelt insights designed to help you become an even more nurturing and effective Champion for every child in your classroom.

Make sure you tune in to this podcast, and share it with colleagues, as we discover the inner secrets of beingEvery Child’s Champion!

(Refer to the Chapter Markers tab for time-stamped highlights)

Thank you so much for joining us on today’s episode. If you liked listening to this episode, don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE!

On Apple Podcasts                 
On Spotify           
On Google Podcasts

Make sure you’ll never miss out, Children’s Champions!!!

For a copy of all our show notes, go HERE 🡨

Even better if you could also join our Facebook Page to share your thoughts and let us fire your sparks, dear Champions! Or follow us on Instagram.

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What happens when nearly one-third of early childhood educators abandon their classrooms? The alarming ripple effects of teacher shortages, inadequate training, and rising stress levels are unraveling a crisis in early childhood education. In this eye-opening episode of Every Child's Champion, Sara unpacks the statistics and stories behind this troubling trend. Let’s explore the urgent necessity for systemic change, including better support structures like mental health consultants, on-site coaching, and comprehensive training to help educators navigate these turbulent waters.

There's hope! This episode can guide you to actionable strategies that can transform early education experiences for both teachers and children. Every Child's Champion offers resources and community support designed to empower teachers. Let’s uncover how we can collectively bring about the broader societal and systemic changes needed to fortify early childhood education for the future.

Make sure you tune in to this podcast, and share it with colleagues, as we discover the inner secrets of being Every Child’s Champion!

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Thank you so much for joining us on today’s episode. If you liked listening to this episode, don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE!

On Apple Podcasts
On Spotify
On Google Podcasts

Make sure you’ll never miss out, Children’s Champions!!!

For a copy of all our show notes, go HERE 🡨

Even better if you could also join our Facebook Page to share your thoughts and let us fire your sparks, dear Champions! Or follow us on Instagram.

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Teachers at all levels are seeing unprecedented levels of challenging behavior in the classroom due to the pandemic and societal changes. Fortunately, researchers have identified exactly which teacher practices will work best to prevent most negative behaviors, and which practices are most effective when teachers do need to intervene. The Pyramid Model was born from research and is continually adapting, as our knowledge of things like trauma, adverse childhood experiences (ACES), and effective teacher professional development also grows. The Pyramid Model  uses systems thinking and implementation science to give teachers the most effective strategies for prevention and response to challenging behaviors.

Today’s podcast features Sara’s interview with Deidre Harris, an educational consultant who’s also a certified professional coach. Deidre has over twenty years experience in the implementation of the Pyramid Model, having worked first as a program administrator and later serving as an implementation coach to work with programs across many states. She reports that she has seen the framework grow and expand over the years and attests to the relevance it continues to make in supporting not only teachers but administrators. The Pyramid Model even influences programs’ policies and procedures.

Make sure you tune in to this podcast, and share it with colleagues, as we discover the inner secrets of being Every Child’s Champion!

(Refer to the Chapter Markers tab for time-stamped highlights)

Thank you so much for joining us on today’s episode. If you liked listening to this episode, don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE!

On Apple Podcasts
On Spotify
On Google Podcasts

Make sure you’ll never miss out, Children’s Champions!!!

For a copy of all our show notes, go HERE ß

Even better if you could also join ourFacebook Page to share your thoughts and let us fire your sparks, dear Champions! Or follow us on Instagram.

 Have you missed the last episode?

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Engaging parents of our most "at-risk" children can be super hard. Grant-funded programs serving poor and disadvantaged, or otherwise at-risk families utilize a weighted eligibility scale for making enrollment decisions, to ensure that the neediest children are served. But what if the neediest families don't know your program exists?  

One program in Mattoon, IL has created the solution to this issue, by establishing a presence within the community and making strong connections with teens and other high-risk parents, right from birth or even before. 

In this podcast, Sara interviews Katrina Farris, the Director of Early Childhood in Mattoon, IL.  Katrina spearheaded an effort in Mattoon to create Mattoon's Birth to Three home visiting program for parents of infants and toddlers. Katrina's passion, ingenuity, and sheer dedication to finding out about the needs of young parents and then setting about to bring in the resources families need are what has made this program successful. When it comes to engaging and serving our most hard to reach families, Katrina and her team have identified several key factors: 1) It's all about relationships - we can build them by being where they are and providing help when they need it; 2) Teen parents and other at-risk parents may be in crisis - If we can provide supports at these critical times, we will build the trust that is needed for parents to receive child development and parenting information as well; and 3) Connect them to us (their school or child care program) and the greater community! This way, parents learn how to utilize the community resources that are out there for them, now and forever. Other program administrators and home visitors may really cultivate some good ideas for what they might like to include in their own Infant / Toddler / Parent programs, and will definitely be inspired by this podcast!! 

Make sure you tune in to this podcast, and share it with colleagues, as we discover the inner secrets of being Every Child’s Champion!

(Refer to the Chapter Markers tab for time-stamped highlights)


Thank you so much for joining us on today’s episode. If you liked listening to this episode, don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE!

On Apple Podcasts
On Spotify
On Google Podcasts 

Make sure you’ll never miss out, Children’s Champions!!!

For a copy of all our show notes, go HERE ß

Even better if you could also join ourFacebook Page to share your thoughts and let us fire your sparks, dear Champions! Or follow us on Instagram.

Have you missed the last episode?

Send us a text

This episode is a replay of my all-time highest listened to podcast ever and here we will be talking about classroom management. While you're listening, you might think about next year and plan ahead. Try to ask these questions:

-         What routines do you need to put in place?

-         What are your classroom rules going to be?

-         What things do you have to really work on explicitly teaching the children during the early weeks of school?

These questions would greatly help during your planning session. You will have so much better behavior in your classroom and routines can be planned out.

Make sure you tune in to this podcast, and share it with colleagues, as we discover the inner secrets of beingEvery Child’s Champion!

(Refer to the Chapter Markers tab for time-stamped highlights)

Thank you so much for joining us on today’s episode. If you liked listening to this episode, don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE!

On Apple Podcasts
On Spotify
On Google Podcasts

Make sure you’ll never miss out, Children’s Champions!!!

For a copy of all our show notes, go HERE ß

 Even better if you could also join ourFacebook Page to share your thoughts and let us fire your sparks, dear Champions!

 Have you missed the last episode?

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As we've shared in other podcasts, the prenatal to 3 period of development is all about incredible amounts of brain development that is occurring at this time, with billions of new connections forming the very architecture of the brain not only during the prenatal period but for the entire span of these early years. The sensory inputs (not the least of which is touch) a child is receiving throughout this period is what makes this development happen. In this Sensori-motor period, the ability to touch, taste, smell, see, and hear the world around babies is literally the curricular landscape for infant / toddler teachers.

This week's podcast is all about the power of touch for infants and the parents, caregivers and other adults to whom they become attached. An interview with certified infant massage instructor Lynn Barts, owner of Baby and Me, LLC. Lynn brings over 29 years of experience in Prenatal to 3 work, with Early Intervention, Home Visiting, and Early Childhood Professional Development for teachers and caregivers. She shares what a beautiful compliment to the parent-infant bonding experience Infant Massage can be, as well as how this simple but powerful practice can be offered through early childhood programs across multiple sectors of the early childhood field.

Make sure you tune in to this podcast, share it with colleagues, as we discover the inner secrets of being Every Child’s Champion!

(Refer to the Chapter Markers tab for time-stamped highlights)

Thank you so much for joining us on today’s episode. If you liked listening to this episode, don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE! 

On Apple Podcasts                     
On Spotify             
On Google Podcasts

Make sure you’ll never miss out, Children’s Champions!!!
For a copy of all our show notes, go HERE

Even better if you could also join our Facebook Page to share your thoughts and let us fire your sparks, dear Champions!

Have you missed the last episode?

Send us a text

Today’s podcast message goes to all children’s champions out there. Sara is sharing ideas and resources for our own emotional and mental health. Difficult times will always be ahead of us even post pandemic and still, teachers are really hit the hardest. So, how are you all holding up emotionally and physically? 

When our minds are under stress, it is really difficult to focus. So in this episode, Sara will take you to a place of mindfulness, of simply paying attention to the experiences of paying attention. Let us support emotion management and reduce the stress that might have built up since the pandemic started. Every teacher should learn to do this for their own self-care practice. So we can give from a place of inner fulfillness, rather than depletion (from the article of Sharon Salzberg, Care for the Caregiver: How to Practice Self-Compassion). 

Make sure you tune in to this podcast, share it with colleagues, as we discover the inner secrets of being Every Child’s Champion!

Thank you so much for joining us on today’s episode. If you liked listening to this episode, don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE! 

On Apple Podcasts                     
On Spotify             
On Google Podcasts

Make sure you’ll never miss out, Children’s Champions!!!

For a copy of all our show notes, go HERE 

Even better if you could also join our Facebook Page to share your thoughts and let us fire your sparks, dear Champions!

Have you missed the last episode?

Send us a text

In this podcast, Sara shares her own personal history with trauma, depression, and anxiety, and introduces what she has learned about the different ways children cope with trauma. Why do some children have hairpin triggers, lashing out at their classmates, teachers, and virtually anyone else who tries to set limits on their behavior? On the other hand, why are some children “walled off,” aloof, or mostly disconnected from others, socially?

Humans are social beings, and we all need other people. When children experience scary, stressful situations in their lives, this can impact the ways they relate to others, and we see this regularly with some children who have great difficulty adapting to basic Pre-K expectations. The Polyvagal Theory provides a framework for understanding the many complex behaviors teachers are faced with on a daily basis, as well as the most helpful ways for responding to them. So in this podcast, we look at the different response patterns that are built-in to all of us, and how things like abuse, neglect, or chronically high-stress levels can set children up for some very maladaptive social behaviors. We also talk about the primary solution to helping these children adapt and learn how to interact in more socially acceptable ways.

Make sure you tune in to this podcast, share it with colleagues, as we discover the inner secrets of being Every Child’s Champion!

(Refer to the Chapter Markers tab for time-stamped highlights)

Thank you so much for joining us on today’s episode. If you liked listening to this episode, don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE!

On Apple Podcasts
On Spotify     
On Google Podcasts

Make sure you’ll never miss out, Children’s Champions!!!

Even better if you could also join our Facebook Page to share your thoughts and let us
fire your sparks, dear Champions!

Have you missed the last episode?
Take a listen here →A Play Therapist’s Perspective on the Impacts of Trauma on Children’s Behavior, Ep22

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“You need to work on building your relationship with that child.” How many times have you heard this from a supervisor or coach, when trying to get support for dealing with extremely challenging behavior? What more do we have to DO, beyond what we do with all students? Our guest today will answer this question, as we explore the reasons why the RELATIONSHIP you build with a challenging child is the  KEY to healing their heart and changing their behavior. In today’s podcast, play therapist Megan Wolf expands our understanding of how things like abuse, neglect, and dangerous home environments can impair children’s ability to form relationships and get along with others. Megan is a licensed clinical social worker in the state of Missouri who works with all ages of children, and their families. Her caseload includes some of the most challenging kids who have experienced abuse, neglect, developmental trauma, severe medical issues or disability.

Developmental trauma is the cumulative impact of chronic, high levels of stress and fear. These experiences can elicit strong feelings and physical reactions that impact children’s development and cause major disruptions in their behavior and their ability to form relationships. As teachers, we can provide immediate aid to these children in ways that are fun and helpful for the child. This episode is going to open our eyes to some simple but very effective methods of building relationships, calming, and building social skills with some of our most challenging children.

Make sure you tune in to this podcast, share it with colleagues, as we discover the inner secrets of beingEvery Child’s Champion!

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About Megan Wolf

Megan Wolf is a licensed clinical social worker in the state of Missouri. She got her MSW from Washington University in St. Louis Brown School of Social Work, and her undergraduate degree was from Augustana College in Illinois in sociology and social welfare.

Megan works with lots of different types of families and lots of different types of kiddos. She does early intervention and deals with children who have developmental delays, medical issues, and disabilities. She also helps parents work through that. She practices play therapy with some of those children, specifically the children who've had mental or medical traumas who are in foster care or were in the foster care system and subsequently were adopted. She helps these kiddos survive to learn some skills and to learn how to regulate their bodies and deal with their traumas.

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Thank you so much for joining us on today’s episode. If you liked listening to this episode, don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE!

On Apple Podcasts
On Spotify
On Google Podcasts

Make sure you’ll never miss out, Children’s Champions!!! 

Even better if you could also join our Facebook Page to share your thoughts and let us fire your sparks, dear Champions!

Have you missed the last episode?
Take a listen here →Children and Trauma: A Look at Resilience in Early Childhood Development, with Allen Rosales, Ep21