Lean Into You

In today's episode of Lean Into You, we talk with Barbara Brown Taylor, a New York Time's bestselling author and retired Episcopal priest and professor. In this conversation, we will talk about what our rituals and traditions can teach us about self-care.  We will cover:
   
     1) Barbara Brown Taylor's own seeking journey through her faith tradition
     2) How her faith tradition taught her how to ask better questions rather than providing specific answers
     3) The importance of rituals and traditions in the search for becoming more fully human
     4) How she became inspired by religious traditions outside her own and by those who claim no religious affiliation

If you would like to engage more with Barbara's work or writing, visit her website at www.barbarabrowntaylor.com.

This podcast is funded through a grant with the Tennessee Department of Human Services and Signal Centers, Inc.

In today's episode of Lean Into You, we talk with Lisa Walsh, the Registry and Training Manager for TECTA. In this conversation, we will talk about how educators can really take ownership of their professional development with the Tennessee Professional Archive of Learning. We will cover:
   
     1) What TNPAL is and how it works
     2) Why TNPAL is an invaluable tool in a child care setting
     3) How TNPAL makes fulfilling licensing requirements easier for directors
     4) How TNPAL empowers educators to view their work with young children as a career

If you would like to find out more about the TNPAL system, or to register today,  visit www.tnpal.org.

This podcast is funded through a grant with the Tennessee Department of Human Services and Signal Centers, Inc.

In today's episode of Lean Into You, we talk with Brian Taylor, the Vice-President of the Enneagram Institute. In this conversation, we will talk our how we can use the Enneagram as an evaluation tool to help us break out of self-limiting beliefs.  We will cover:
   
     1) What the Enneagram is and how it is structured
     2) How we can use the Enneagram as a self-evaluation tool
     3) How the Enneagram encourages growth
     4) Why it is important for educators to understand the Enneagram

If you would like to engage more with Brian's work or to start the Enneagram assessment today, you can visit www.enneagraminstitute.com. 

This podcast is funded through a grant with the Tennessee Department of Human Services and Signal Centers, Inc.

In today's episode of Lean Into You, we talk with Dr. Christopher Willard, a psychologist and education consultant who specializes in mindfulness. In this conversation, we will talk our relationship with food and how we can begin to eat more mindfully. We will cover:
   
     1) What does mindful eating mean?
     2) What are some benefits of eating mindfully and how do we do it?
     3) How we can strike a balance between self-care and self-indulgence
     4) Some mindful eating prompts educators can ask their kids

If you would like to engage more with Chris' work you can visit www.drchristopherwillard.com. To learn more about his books on mindfulness for kids, visit www.alphabreaths.com. Visit him on instagram at Dr. Chris Willard for mindfulness challenges and healthy habits you can form.

This podcast is funded through a grant with the Tennessee Department of Human Services and Signal Centers, Inc.

It’s easy to think about things we can be grateful for, family and friends, our basic needs being met. But how hard is it for us to be grateful for growth opportunities that come from challenging times, an annoying person, a moment of disrespect. We wrote this guided meditation as a way of helping us hold both in our hands and viewing both as being worthy of gratefulness. This meditation does require you to write down some lists so it is best to have a journal or notebook for this exercise. If you’d rather make a mental list, that is okay too. We hope you enjoy this guided meditation on cultivating gratefulness in your everyday life. 

In today's episode of Lean Into You, we talk with Eugene Schneeberg, the Director of Outreach for Fatherhood.gov. In this conversation, we will talk about how educators can start to activate fathers during the early childhood years. We will cover:
   
     1) How to identify whether we carry biases about fathers into our work with families
     2) Strategies for activating fathers in our child care environment
     3) The outcomes for families when fathers are present
     4) What educators can do when they encounter a family with an absent father
     5) The self-care benefits of leading this work with families

If you would like to engage more with Eugene's work you can visit Fatherhood.gov.

This podcast is funded through a grant with the Tennessee Department of Human Services and Signal Centers, Inc.

In today's episode of Lean Into You, we talk with Maureen Hollocker, the director of Great Start Collaborative, an early childhood collaborative which trains educators on utilizing the protective factors in their work with families.  In this conversation, we will talk about the importance of connecting with families by offering them concrete supports in their times of need. We will cover:
   
     1) What it means to be a concrete support
     2) The importance of self-reflection in being that support to a family
     3) What it means to know your community
     4) The self-care benefits for educators in leading this work with families

If you would like to engage more with Maureen's work you can visit Great Start Collaborative or the Children's Trust Fund Alliance.

This podcast is funded through a grant with the Tennessee Department of Human Services and Signal Centers, Inc.

In today's episode of Lean Into You, we talk with Rebecca Slaby, the Executive Director of Amazeworks. In this two part conversation we will talk about how directors can create a culture of belonging through anti-bias training.  In part two, we will cover:
   
     1) Some practical strategies for creating an anti-bias culture in your center
     2) How leading this work can operate as a self-care method
     3) How the desire to preserve relationships doesn't excuse accountability
     4) The consequences of leading this work and how they balance with the benefits

If you would like to engage more with Rebecca's work you can visit www.amazeworks.org, or email her directly at [email protected]. If you would like to access some of the resources she mentioned in this episode, visit: Anti-Bias Education for Young Children and Ourselves and Leading Anti-Bias Early Childhood Programs: A Guide for Change.

This podcast is funded through a grant with the Tennessee Department of Human Services and Signal Centers, Inc.

In today's episode of Lean Into You, we talk with Rebecca Slaby, the Executive Director of Amazeworks. In this two part conversation we will talk about how directors can create a culture of belonging through anti-bias training.  In part one, we will cover:
   
     1) What biases are and some of the misconceptions surrounding having a bias
     2) The difference between creating a safe space and creating a brave space
     3) What it means to call someone in versus calling someone out
     4) How the core of this conversation stems from understanding intent versus impact

If you would like to engage more with Rebecca's work you can visit www.amazeworks.org, or email her directly at [email protected]. If you would like to access some of the resources she mentioned in this episode, visit: Anti-Bias Education for Young Children and Ourselves and Leading Anti-Bias Early Childhood Programs: A Guide for Change.

This podcast is funded through a grant with the Tennessee Department of Human Services and Signal Centers, Inc.

In today's episode of Lean Into You, we talk with Dr. Toni Sturdivant, a researcher and consultant working in forming positive racial identities. In our chat, we will talk about how to lead this work with the children in our care.  We will cover:
   
     1) The Clark's "Doll Test" and where there is room for improvement
     2) When children start to notice difference and show preference
     3) The steps for formulating our own racial identity
     4) Strategies for building strong racial identities in children

If you would like to engage more with Toni's work, you can visit her website www.toniphd.com or her Instagram account @positive.identity.teacher. 

This podcast is funded through a grant with the Tennessee Department of Human Services and Signal Centers, Inc.