Teaching with CLASS®

Teaching with CLASS®

By Teachstone Inc.Education
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Teaching with CLASS® episodes

  • Getting Intentional about Relationship Building

    In this episode, we discuss the profound impact of classroom relationships on learning and development. Today’s guest is Kate Matthew. Kate is a co-author and Project Director of the STREAMin3 curriculum model from the Center of Advanced Study of Teaching and Learning (CASTL) at the University of Virginia. Today she shares enlightening insights that underscore the crucial role that relationships between educators and students play in shaping successful learning environments.

    Drawing from her wealth of experience, Kate shares practical strategies and innovative techniques such as 'banking time', a unique approach aimed at bridging the gap with students who find connection challenging. Listen to today’s conversation to learn about how educators can fortify these critical relationships by offering choice and autonomy activities coupled with acceptance, interest, and responsiveness.

    Topics Discussed in This Episode

    • [00:00:56] Kate’s background and current role
    • [00:02:05] Ways for educators to start thinking about their relationships with their students
    • [00:05:23] What educators can do to foster their relationships with children
    • [00:11:24] Making relationship-building a priority
    • [00:14:12] Weaving relationship-building into academics
    • [00:15:13] What to do when forming relationships doesn’t come easily and how banking time can help
    • [00:19:05] How to unlock the relationship superpower in the classroom
    • [00:20:17] More resources for listeners

      • Resources

      Kate Matthews

      Streamin3 Curriculum

      ECE Resource Hub

      Banking Time

      22 min
    • From Curiosity to Clarity: Encouraging Children to Explain Their Thinking

      The process of fostering children's critical thinking and problem-solving skills can be challenging yet rewarding. In today’s episode, you’ll hear an enlightening conversation with early childhood education expert, Shawn Kaplan, about the art of cultivating thoughtful interactions in children and unlocking their cognitive abilities.

      With 30 years of experience in the Early Education sector, Shawn Kaplan has supported Teachstone, the Los Angeles County Office of Education (LACOE), and local school districts as a consultant with CLASS-related learning applications and improvement plans. Shawn has also supported Family Child Care programs as a Quality Coach, worked in infant through PreK in both private and public programs, held leadership roles in the private sector, and managed non-profit programs.

      Listen to the episode to hear Shawn’s insights on fostering critical thinking and problem-solving skills in children. The episode offers practical advice on enhancing children's cognitive abilities, understanding their non-verbal communication, and promoting their inherent creativity. Furthermore, Shawn introduces us to the innovative Architects of the Mind program, which aims to nurture advanced problem-solving skills in children.

      Topics Discussed in This Episode

      • [00:00:50] Shawn’s background
      • [00:01:44] What it means to have children explain their thinking
      • [00:02:44] How explaining their thinking helps children develop cognitive skills
      • [00:05:41] Ideal moments for these interactions between students and teachers
      • [00:09:38] Leaning into transitions
      • [00:12:26] Reminders teachers can use to push that kind of thinking in students
      • [00:14:48] How asking students to explain their thinking connects to the other four indicators of quality of feedback
      • [00:18:38] How to have these kinds of interactions with children who are non-verbal or special needs
      • [00:21:01] How educators can balance guidance and allowing children to think independently
      • [00:23:48] Strategies for teachers to implement in the classroom 
      • [00:26:24] Encouragement and grace for educators

        • Resources

        Shawn Kaplan

         

        28 min
      • Transiciones y Formatos didácticos para el aprendizaje

        En el episodio de hoy tenemos a Zaidaliz Beltrán e Iris García como invitadas, ambas iniciadas como maestras de preescolar en Head Start y actualmente consultoras en varios programas de Head Start en Puerto Rico y afiliadas CLASS Trainer - Pre-K. Iris y Zaidaliz han trabajado juntas por más de 20 años, les gusta viajar, entrenar y hacer largas caminatas.

         

        En esta conversación escucharás la importancia de planificar transiciones entre las actividades a lo largo del día, cómo benefician estas transiciones al desarrollo de las funciones ejecutivas cuando son bien implementadas y algunos ejemplos de cómo hacerlo apropiadamente.

         

        Tópicos discutidos en este episodio:

         

        [02:12 - 06:46] ¿Cuántas transiciones se hacen en el día? Y ¿Cómo pueden manejarse esas transiciones?

        [07:01 - 09:35] ¿Qué dice la evidencia sobre las transiciones y el tiempo que se invierte en ellas?

        [09:38 - 13:13] ¿Cómo estructurar los momentos de transiciones?

        [13:24 - 15:24] ¿Qué efecto tienen las transiciones en el aprendizaje?

        [16:06 - 19:18] Una historia que ilustra estrategias para fomentar el interés y participación de los niños y niñas en el salón de clase.

        [21:08 - 22:45] Estrategias que puedes implementar desde hoy. 

        [23:04 - 26:06] Curiosidad intelectual e ideas finales.

         

        27 min
      • New School Year Reset: Embracing a Fresh Start

        As educators, we are all familiar with the hustle and bustle of a new academic year. It's a time filled with excitement, anxiety, hope, and often, an overwhelming to-do list. But amidst the chaos, it's essential to take a moment to breathe, refocus, and reconnect with our passion for teaching.

        In the latest episode of Teaching with Class, our host, Kate Cline, navigates us through the three Ws of teaching - the Why, the Who, and the What - offering actionable strategies to help educators reignite their passion and maintain their motivation throughout the academic year.

        Topics Discussed in This Episode

        • [00:00:52] Connecting to the opportunities of a new school year
        • [00:01:40] Reconnecting with the present
        • [00:02:08] The three Ws
        • [00:02:34] Your educator why
        • [00:03:22] Three whos: your students, your colleagues, and yourself
        • [00:05:17] Finding a mentor as a new teacher
        • [00:06:42] What you do each day in your classroom

          • Resources

          Kate Cline

          10 min
        • Creating a Culture of Belonging

          In this podcast episode, we are introduced to the insightful Pamela Thompson, a director of teaching and learning at Neighborhood Villages in Boston. With a wealth of experience in early childhood education, Pamela shares her approach to fostering a sense of belonging in classrooms for children as young as 15 months. 

          She explores the concept of an 'always yes' environment to nurture curiosity and open-ended exploration among young learners. The episode dives deep into the power of language, family engagement, classroom dynamics, and the importance of diversity in early learning environments. Thompson's fresh perspectives on language development, trust-building, and celebrating diversity are sure to inspire listeners and offer practical tips for cultivating a greater sense of belonging in their own classrooms.

          Topics Discussed in This Episode

          • [00:00:50] Pamela’s background 
          • [00:03:24] What drove Pamela to stay in the classroom
          • [00:04:42] Creating a strong partnership between parents and educators
          • [00:09:14] Specific moments with parents and their children
          • [00:13:44] How a sense of belonging helps children feel safe so that they can focus on learning 
          • [00:18:02] How teachers can facilitate a moment of learning
          • [00:26:55] Takeaways from this episode that educators can put to use right away

            • Resources

            Pamela Thompson

             

            34 min
          • Supporting Strong-Willed Children

            Understanding how best to support strong-willed children is an important question in education. In today’s episode, Megin Ruston, an adept educator and online course facilitation manager, delves into the challenges and strategies associated with teaching strong-willed children. With her expertise in early childhood education, Megin provides insightful explanations of how temperament impacts behavior and classroom dynamics. 

            The discussion encompasses strategies to identify rigid traits in toddlers and preschoolers, practicing flexibility and cooperation during calm moments, and fostering emotional literacy. She also addresses the importance of setting boundaries and behavior expectations in the classroom, handling challenging behaviors, and promoting self-regulation. The episode wraps up with Megin emphasizing the crucial role of positive reinforcement and acknowledgment in the classroom and the importance of practice for educators.

             

            Topics Discussed in This Episode

            • [00:01:38] The definition of a strong-willed child
            • [00:03:13] What temperament means and how descriptions of temperament have changed
            • [00:08:30] Why having a strong will is not necessarily a bad thing
            • [00:09:43] The difference between a cooperative child and a compliant child
            • [00:13:57] Thinking about what a child’s behavior means
            • [00:15:38] Flexibility as a strategy for children with more rigid tendencies
            • [00:21:05] Setting boundaries as a teacher
            • [00:27:10] What happens when the student and teacher share a temperament 
            • [00:29:14] Acknowledging the importance of every teacher

              • Resources

              Megin Ruston

               

              31 min
            • Sumergirse en el Desarrollo de Conceptos

              En este episodio tenemos a María Cristina Caro como invitada para visitar estrategias de desarrollo de conceptos en el salón de clases, una práctica que ayuda a construir un alto nivel de pensamiento.

              El desarrollo de conceptos se basa en cuatro pilares fundamentales:

              • Análisis y razonamiento, se logra preguntando el por qué y el cómo de las cosas, resolución de problemas, ejercicios de predicción y experimentación, y ejercicios de comparación y exploración.
              • Creatividad, se basa en generar oportunidades para que los niños y niñas puedan expresar sus propias ideas.
              • Integración, con otros conceptos y el conocimiento previo.
              • Conexión con el mundo real, para entender las aplicaciones del conocimiento en la vida cotidiana.

                • En esta conversación se discuten los conceptos básicos, ejemplos prácticos y consideraciones especiales.

                Tópicos discutidos en este episodio:

                [00:45] Conociendo a Maria Cristina Caro

                [03:26] ¿Qué es el desarrollo de conceptos?

                [10:51] Expectativas al comenzar

                [16:27] Ejemplos prácticos

                [21:42] Consideraciones para aplicar las estrategias con niños y niñas con necesidades especiales

                26 min
              • Diving Into Concept Development

                What does scuba diving have to do with concept development in early education? In today’s episode, we are joined by Maria Cristina Caro, a seasoned early childhood educator with decades of experience. Maria Cristina takes us on a deep dive into the world of concept development in early education, comparing the process to scuba diving. 

                She shares her innovative strategies for making learning accessible to all children and underlines the importance of preparation, observation, and quality feedback in teaching. Tune in to hear how Maria is thinking about teaching children the 'whys' and 'hows' behind concepts, strategies to make concept development accessible for all children, and the use of visuals, individualization, and inclusion as key components in concept development

                Topics Discussed in This Episode

                • [00:00:41] Maria Cristina, an experienced early childhood educator, and her background
                • [00:02:09] What concept development is
                • [00:04:48] How to go deep into concepts with children
                • [00:10:08] When concept development happens
                • [00:10:52] How to help children think about concepts indicator by indicator
                • [00:13:19] Making connections within a larger concept
                • [00:17:13] Concept development for children with special needs, different cultures, and who speak multiple languages.
                • [00:17:34] How using visuals is helpful
                • [00:17:50] Individualization and Inclusion in concept development

                  • Resources

                  Maria Cristina Caro

                  21 min
                • Building Social Emotional Climate in the Classroom

                  Children need to be calm and able to manage their emotions if they’re going to learn, but they can’t do that without tools to help them handle their emotions – especially the kind of yucky emotions that can really disrupt a student’s day or even a teacher’s day. 

                  In today’s episode, Jess Moorhead, a teacher from Memphis, TN, joins the podcast to explain some of the ways she helps her students develop socially and emotionally. Listen to the episode to learn about how Jess lays the groundwork for her students during the first two weeks of the year, then continues to set the tone every day to help her students develop the strategies they need to both verbalize and manage their feelings. 

                  Topics Discussed in This Episode

                  • [00:00:40] Jessica’s background
                  • [00:01:55] Jess’s dogs
                  • [00:02:40] Strategies for social and emotional development in the classroom
                  • [00:04:45] How Jess handles the first two weeks of the year
                  • [00:06:33] What happens after investing the first couple of weeks in social skills
                  • [00:07:35] Setting the tone in the classroom daily
                  • [00:11:45] Where children’s yucky feelings can come from
                  • [00:15:16] Normalizing kids’ feelings and giving them strategies for managing them
                  • [00:17:14] Making those strategies work for students
                  • [00:19:07] A situation Jess had with a child doing group work
                  • [00:24:05] Moving from one strategy to another when the first one doesn’t work
                  • [00:25:25] Techniques to help kids calm down
                  • [00:29:23] Takeaways for teachers to help children work on their feelings

                    • Resources

                    Jess Moorhead

                    32 min
                  • The Magic of Music in the Classroom

                    How can you incorporate music into your classroom and what does that do for your students? What can it do for you? In today’s episode, you’ll hear from Mary Anderson, founder of My Music Starts Here and the creator and host of Songs and Stories on Virginia PBS. She has a lot of wonderful information to share about how sharing music with children impacts them. 

                    Listen to the episode to learn about how music affects communication and literacy, what’s happening in their lives and in their brains when someone is singing and sharing music with them, and how teachers can share music just using their own bodies or things they have in their classrooms. 

                    Topics Discussed in This Episode

                    • [00:01:37] Mary’s background
                    • [00:04:47] The impacts of sharing music with children
                    • [00:07:58] Why teachers should share music even if they’re insecure about their own singing
                    • [00:09:24] What happens in children’s brains when someone sings with them
                    • [00:13:00] The purpose of using music for communication
                    • [00:16:30] Connecting music to literacy
                    • [00:20:50] Making music with things in the classroom
                    • [00:25:04] Sharing music to build social skills
                    • [00:29:35] How music helps teachers
                    • [00:32:28] Takeaways that teachers can use with children right away
                    • [00:37:32] Incorporating different cultures into musical experiences for children

                      • Resources

                      Mary Anderson

                      My Music Starts Here

                      41 min

                    About Teaching with CLASS®

                    From the publisher's feed

                    Explore topics that are important to you while getting tactical strategies you can implement right away in your classroom! Each episode dives into a specific aspect of teaching and offers short, helpful strategies you can add to your practice.