In this episode of Reimagine Childhood, host Monica Healer chats with Emily Flaherty, children's and family minister at Cliff Temple Baptist Church in Dallas, Texas. Emily shares her unique and practical strategies for integrating faith-based teachings into the daily lives of young children and their families at her Child Development Center (CDC). She emphasizes the importance of building community and relationships among children, parents, and staff. Emily discusses initiatives like storytelling classes, parent support groups, and community dinners, and shares insights on how these efforts bridge the gap between the church and local families. This episode offers inspiration and actionable ideas for early childhood educators and church leaders looking to make a lasting impact.

00:00 Introduction to Reimagine Childhood

00:41 Meet Emily Flaherty

02:10 Cliff Temple Baptist Church and CDC Overview

05:38 Building Relationships with Children

12:20 Supporting and Discipling Teachers

16:29 Engaging and Building Community with Parents

29:48 Impact and Reflections

35:48 Conclusion and Call to Action

In this episode of 'Reimagine Childhood' by Early Childhood Christian Network, host Monica Healer welcomes Bobette Gore, a veteran educator with nearly four decades of experience in early childhood and special education. The discussion centers around addressing behavioral challenges in early childhood classrooms, particularly post-pandemic. Bobette emphasizes the importance of using visual supports, maintaining routines, and fostering a communication-rich environment to meet the diverse needs of all children. Visual aids like first-then boards, choice boards, picture schedules, social stories, and visual timers are highlighted as effective tools for facilitating smooth transitions, reducing anxiety, and enhancing classroom engagement. Bobette shares personal anecdotes and practical tips, underscoring the significance of consistency and individualized communication strategies. The episode encourages educators and caregivers to adopt these practices, benefiting both children with and without diagnosed special needs.

Additional Resources: 

Remember that social stories aren’t just for children with special needs or learning differences.  They can benefit ALL children!

Carol Gray and Social Stories - https://carolgraysocialstories.com/

Autism Little Learners https://autismlittlelearners.com/social-stories-for-school/ 

How to write social stories - https://www.autismparentingmagazine.com/social-stories-for-autistic-children/ 

Connect with Bobette - https://www.facebook.com/bobette.gore 

As always, we would love to connect with you on Instagram and on Facebook 

David Rische has served in public education for 28 years as a teacher, assistant principal, and principal. He retired as the principal of a public school Early Learning Center in the summer of 2024.  He has presented at a wide variety of educational conferences throughout the state. David has had multiple educational articles published in professional journals and he has self-published 3 books. He holds a Masters of Education Administration. David also loves performing magic shows for children and families alongside an encouraging message of faith. 

Today, we are having an important conversation about the health and well-being of early childhood educators. We recognize early childhood educators are facing increased stress, anxiety, and burnout, which is contributing to a decline in the number of people entering the profession. While acknowledging the very real stressors, David is going to share with us 4 practical tips to combat anxiety that will help us have a holistic view and approach toward it. 

Our hope for you in hearing this message is that you will leave feeling better equipped to show up in your classroom well and have the capacity to set a healthy example for the children under your care.

Additional Resources: 

ECCN Habit Tracker - https://earlychildhoodchristiannetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Habit-Tracker.pdf

David's website - https://davidrische.com/

David’s Instagram - @davidrische

As always, we would love to connect with you on Instagram and on Facebook 

I’d love to introduce you to my guest today – Jennifer Pickett. Jennifer is a seasoned Dietitian with a Master’s in Human Nutrition and over 26 years of experience. Transitioning into Functional Medicine, she now specializes in women’s hormones as a Certified Midlife Specialist and Functional Medicine Certified Health Coach. Jennifer coaches women virtually, helping them reclaim their spark and revitalize their bodies.  As the creator of The Hormone Huddle and host of the Healthy Harmony podcast, she brings humor and real-life insight to her empowering work with women 40+. She is bringing some super practical ideas to help us start 2025 off on the right foot.  She’s anti-shame and guilt and definitely PRO-realistic goals and habits. 

Today she is going to share with us how we can tend to our overall well-being with FREE and practical steps, like stepping outside into natural sunlight first thing in the morning or waiting to have coffee until after you’ve eaten some protein. Jennifer will also talk us through things that impact our overall health including spiritual and mental health–not just the typical things when we think about weight loss.  She has so much wisdom to share and we can’t wait for you to hear her heart on this topic.

Additional Resources: 

Jennifer's website - https://www.inspirehealthyharmony.com/ and her midlife health course info https://thehormonehuddle.com/

Jennifer's Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/inspirehealthyharmony/

Jennifer's Facebook Group for women's health - https://www.facebook.com/groups/748795618938682

ECCN Habit Tracker - https://earlychildhoodchristiannetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Habit-Tracker.pdf

As always, we would love to connect with you on Instagram and on Facebook 

It’s our 50th episode of the Reimagine Childhood podcast! Thanks for making it this far with us. We hope it’s been beneficial to you and those you are tending to. Today, I am going solo and diving into a topic that I am very passionate about–the importance of building strong partnerships between church weekday ministries and the overall church community. 

More than likely, your weekday program is serving both church members and non-church members, which means you have a prime opportunity to reach families who may not regularly attend church. I have found that many young families today prioritize activities, hobbies, and community outside of traditional church attendance and I firmly believe weekday ministries can be a vital link to connect these families with the church. Today we will discuss the importance of weekday ministries being deeply integrated into the mission and work of the church, rather than feeling like separate, disconnected programs. We will talk through not only why this is important, but also how you can go about creating a unified culture with your weekday and weekend ministries. I can’t wait for you to tune in.

HERE is a link to a list of ideas for connecting the families in your weekday ministry with your church family.

Need more resources? Check out the Resources Page on our website!

As always, we would love to connect with you on Instagram and on Facebook

We’re having a conversation with a longtime friend and advocate for faith-based early education, Peggy Osborne today. Peggy has journeyed alongside her husband, Chris Osborne, in pastoral ministry for over 40 years. Having served faithfully at Central Church in College Station, Texas for over three decades, she now finds herself in Fort Worth, supporting her husband's teaching role at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary as a mentor for pastor's wives and female seminary students. Peggy has a broad knowledge and experience base as a classroom teacher and administrator in the Early Childhood Department of the College Station Independent School District. Since December 2010, she has collaborated with her daughter, Lauren, providing consultancy services to Faith-Based Schools, childcare centers, school districts, and Head Starts across the nation.

Today we are going to talk all about character development and why teaching virtues like kindness, love, joy, patience, etc. are important in early childhood. We’re laying a foundation of faith for young children years before they make a decision to follow Jesus. Peggy will give us insight into how to use concrete, visual examples, and repetition to help young children understand abstract virtues. Things like, Intentionally "spotlighting" and praising specific acts of virtue in children, rather than just general praise, and connecting virtuous behavior to biblical stories and principles, are incredibly impactful in building their internal sense of character. She will share just how creating a classroom culture that prioritizes and celebrates biblical virtues can positively shift the overall environment.

She cares so deeply about teaching the next generation in the ways of God. Finding ways to intentionally teach children these virtues (the fruit of the spirit) will repay big dividends. Just as you will learn from her in this episode, you’re building the culture of your classroom! We know that the Holy Spirit’s power is what makes those “morals” or “virtues” significant but just think…YOU are introducing many of these families to the Truth of God by intentionally teaching their children to walk in Jesus’ ways. 

Additional Resources: 

Instagram: @deuteronomy14.2

Website: https://youaremytreasure.com/product/the-fruit-project/

Facebook group: Treasured (You Are My Treasure)

As always, we would love to connect with you on Instagram and on Facebook 

Today on the podcast, my guest is Shela Mobarak. Shela is passionate about high-quality early learning for everyone. She has a wide array of experiences, from corporate HR to faith-based weekday leadership, and she is the founder of Be The Seed of Change, a consulting and professional development organization based in Plano, Texas. She is known for her passion for the early childhood profession and collaborates with a variety of teams at all levels. Shela has a Masters degree in Conflict Analysis and Resolution and is working on a PhD in Early Childhood Leadership and Advocacy. She is well-researched in infant/toddler development and believes that high-quality care in the early years is paramount for a healthier, more well-rounded society as a whole!

Our topic today is the importance of intentional and developmentally appropriate support for the physical development of infants and toddlers. We know educators play a crucial role in fostering the development of infants and toddlers in their classes, and we hope this episode will help you feel well-equipped to make the most impact in these critical years. We will talk through how you can encourage physical development that encompasses gross motor, fine motor, and health/well-being skills that align with research-based developmental milestones. Together we will share how environments for infants and toddlers should encourage exploration, movement, and sensory experiences and how you can partner with families to support the whole child. 

Overall, Infant and Toddler teachers, we want you to know your work MATTERS! After this episode, we hope you learn or are reminded that the ways you interact with young children, the care and nurture you show, and the intentionality you use in planning and creating experiences for these tiny disciples, are the foundation of all other learning.  It’s a huge responsibility and also the best privilege! 

Additional Resources: 

Instagram: @BeSeedChange

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BeSeedChange/

Links we mentioned in the conversation:

The link to the Texas Infant-Toddler Specialist Network is Texas ITSN – Texas Infant-Toddler Specialist Network

Links to brain-building activities for young children - https://developingchild.harvard.edu/resources/brainbuildingthroughplay/

As always, we would love to connect with you on Instagram and on Facebook 

My guest today is Melissa Leach, the owner, and president, of Leach Literacy Training (LLT), Melissa is a sought-after literacy change leader for her knowledge of literacy and her ability to make success in every component feel achievable. Melissa has been a dynamic classroom teacher, a state-level Literacy Specialist, a Professional Learning Designer for the District of Columbia Public Schools, and a K-12 ELAR and SLAR Specialist. She currently works full-time alongside her team of literacy staff developers to run Leach Literacy Training from her home state of Texas. It is Melissa’s life work to make an impact on student achievement. Leach Literacy blends the research and knowledge of best practices and hands-on application to real-life classroom settings. Melissa’s excitement about early childhood and the joys of learning with young children shines through in this episode.

Today we are discussing "sharing the pen" with young children in early childhood classrooms. It involves co-constructing messages and writing experiences with students, allowing them to contribute letters and words to build confidence and joy in the writing process. We will journey through key factors in this process like providing a consistent, permanent space (e.g. name chart) where children can find and interact with letters and words; Using tools like "booboo tape" sparingly to fix mistakes, focusing more on the process than perfection; Engaging the whole class in the writing experience through multisensory activities and verbal prompts; Tailoring support for more reluctant writers by providing visual aids and sharing the pen responsibilities; and Emphasizing the "pre" in preschool by reimagining early childhood experiences as joyful, developmentally-appropriate learning rather than narrow preparation for school.

There are many great nuggets of information in this episode with Melissa and I can’t wait for you to dive in and grab for yourself.  

Visit Melissa’s website or connect with Melissa on Instagram and Facebook

As always, we would love to connect with you on Instagram and on Facebook

Today’s episode will be valuable to all of you at this time of year.  I’m looking forward to introducing you to Claire Turner.  As an educator with two decades of experience, Claire provides a unique perspective on positive behavior interventions, collaborative communication, and other valuable team-building topics. Claire is a Kindergarten teacher and serves as the Director of Programs and Lead Educator for W.I.L.D., a ministry of SUMMIT focused on equipping women to root, bloom, and flourish while disciplining others along their journey of leadership development. Claire strives to inspire personal and professional growth in leaders and educators through interactive training courses, including everything from conferences to camping trips. 

 Claire and I are talking about the motivation behind behavior in young children today.  This episode is a little bit longer than usual, but I think you’ll be glad you listened in. We’ll focus on attention-seeking behaviors as well as control-seeking behaviors and what you can do in your classroom to reinforce specific positive behaviors. We will also spend some time on the four main motivations of behavior: escape, sensory input, attention, and esteem. 

 I think what we will really learn is there are underlying motivations in all of our behaviors – adults included. This time of year with more candy, more celebrations, more everything (except sleep!) children can be a little extra challenging…and we have a little patience for their behavior.  I hope this episode gives you a few new tools to use as you help these little ones learn healthy behavior patterns to meet their needs.

Additional Resources: 

Find Claire online at SummitLead.org and on Instagram

As always, we would love to connect with you on Instagram and on Facebook 

Our guest today is Samantha Phillips, aka, That Sparkly Insurance Chic! She’s spent over a decade coaching childcare leaders about risk management and empowering them to make wise business protection choices.  She is nationally recognized as an advocate for early childhood, breaking ground by educating educators in an often overlooked area. She’s not just an insurance expert (although she definitely is that), she is a valuable resource and a beacon in the early childhood community adding a sparkly touch to the vital task of protecting what matters most! She’s also the VBS coordinator at her church and teaches a Kindergarten Sunday School class. She’s passionate about doing what’s best for children in early childhood so I’m excited to bring you this conversation with Samantha Phillips.

Today, she is going to share her insights on Insurance companies that are dropping childcare centers, leading to concerns about insurability. Samantha will also discuss with us why classroom teachers need to understand the impact of insurance on their job security and what can be done to increase insurability (like thorough documentation of procedures and compliance, property maintenance, and proactive measures). Samantha is going to share her heart with us on why Insurance is critical for early childhood programs, and following procedures and policies is essential!

I know insurance is not something most of us think about regularly, but have you ever thought about the fact that your school has to carry a pretty substantial insurance policy just to be in business at all?  With so many things having the potential of becoming a lawsuit these days, we’ve got to take some things more seriously.  So, your part in all of this is to be intentional in asking yourself, am I doing my very best to be sure that there is the least amount of risk possible to me and the children in my care? Maybe even take a moment and see if there’s something YOU see that your director might not have thought of yet that would make a difference in the safety and security of your children. Take compliance with licensing standards seriously – even the ones that you think are ridiculous. Every school must have insurance and If compliance is low, insurance opportunities will disappear.  

Links from today’s episode:

Samantha has provided a free narrative template for you as you help your church prepare for Insurance renewal - View it HERE

Email Samantha at [email protected]

Find her on Facebook

As always, we would love to connect with you on Instagram and on Facebook