Teaching with CLASS®

By Teachstone Inc.Education

Teaching with CLASS® episodes

June 30, 2022 Replanteamiento del Comportamiento “Desafiante” y por qué es Importante Nuestra Respuesta
Guiar el comportamiento positivo es un proceso de aprendizaje para los niños pequeños en el que se desarrolla la regulación el comportamiento, las emociones y el control de los impulsos.

En este episodio, discutiremos tres pilares de reflexión que debemos tomar en cuenta para ayudar a los niños en el desarrollo del comportamiento positivo, evitar el comportamiento desafiante y fomentar la autorregulación. Para discutir estos temas, tenemos con nosotros a Michelle Galindo, especialista en primera infancia, quien ha estado brindando capacitaciones dentro de sus 20 años de experiencia. Se ha inspirado para trabajar en estrecha colaboración con los educadores que apoyan el comportamiento positivo de los niños y enseña cursos de orientación conductual a nivel universitario que orientan a los futuros educadores sobre el comportamiento infantil.

Puntos de discusión en este episodio:
[00:00] Conociendo a Michelle Galindo
[03:21] ¿Qué es un comportamiento desafiante y que es ser autorregulado?
[07:57] Introducción a la autorregulación.
[11:15] El impacto que tiene en los niños el manejar nuestras emociones adultas.
[20:31] Crear un espacio seguro para practicar estrategias de autorregulación.
[25:00] Reconocer los sentimientos y establecer límites.
[28:08] Reflexión final.

Recursos:
Conecta con Michelle Galindo en LinkedIn.
Conecta con Mónica Pujol-Nassif en LinkedIn.
Únete a CLASS Learning Community para continuar la discusión con miles de
educadores.
31 min
June 16, 2022Self-Regulation Before Co-Regulation - Supporting the Children in your Classroom
When was the last time you experienced strong feelings in your classroom? Probably every day. Working with children is demanding and can bring up a lot of strong feelings.
Are you considering your own self-regulation needs as well as those of the children you’re working with? How can we process all of what we're feeling so we can move through challenging moments and make a difference for each child in our classrooms?
Dr. Angela Searcy is with us in this episode to talk about how to deal with your own self-regulation in challenging moments. Dr. Angela Searcy holds a Doctorate in Education. Her research revolves around brain-based learning assessed by CLASS® and its correlation to aggressive behaviors in preschool children. Angela who began as an educator in 1990 has experience in all levels of education. Currently, Dr. Searcy is an adjunct faculty member at Erikson Institute, a professional development provider for teaching strategies, a CLASS Pre-K affiliate trainer for Teachstone, and a Bureau of Education and Research trainer. Dr. Searcy is also the author of Push Past It!, a positive approach to challenging classroom behavior for Gryphon House Publishing.
Topics Discussed in This Episode
[00:01:22] Today’s guest: Dr. Angela Searcy
[00:02:57] Angela’s background
[00:05:10] What Push Past It is all about
[00:11:44] How to get started after separating out negative emotions
[00:15:40] Processing, perspectives, and strategies
[00:19:59] Personal space
[00:20:24] How children respond when they’re in trouble
[00:23:50] What to do when you’re out of ideas
[00:26:51] Classroom support
[00:28:16] Wisdom for the move into the post-pandemic phase
[00:32:41] Where to find resources

Resources
Kate Cline
Dr. Angela Searcy
Dr. Angela Searcy at Gryphon House
Push Past It!
Werk It worksheet
35 min
June 02, 2022Teaching Team Vision - Building Trust with Each Other
What would the perfect day look like in your classroom? When was the last time you spent time thinking about that? When was the last time you talked with your teaching team about creating a shared classroom vision? Those are big questions, and you may be wondering how to answer them. Today’s guest may be able to help.
Today you’ll hear from Deirdre Harris. Deirdre serves as an educational coach for the Pyramid Model Consortium. Deidre’s worked in the early childhood field for over 25 years and has a special focus on teaching teams. Listen in to hear what she has to say about how she began to focus on teaching teams, what to do when conflict happens, and why you should write down team agreements.

Topics Discussed in This Episode
[00:01:13] Today’s guest, Deidre Harris
[00:02:49] Why Deidre decided to focus on teaching teams
[00:04:13] What makes a teaching team strong
[00:05:15] How teaching teams can get started
[00:09:24] Plotting your perfect day and the parallels with CLASS
[00:12:42] What to do when conflict happens
[00:15:10] Options for resolving conflict when it happens
[00:18:18] Fixing the situation when you make a big mistake
[00:21:08] The importance of writing agreements down
[00:22:27] What to do when you’ve never been on the same page with a specific person
[00:24:33] How to get people on the same page without forming cliques
[00:27:30] Supporting each other when things are going well

Resources
Kate Cline
Deidre Harris
34 min
May 19, 2022Community in the Classroom with Mr. Chazz
Chazz Lewis is an educational specialist who “teaches teachers to teach” in a chain of child development centers. He works closely with schools, teachers, and children. He earned his master’s in executive leadership at American University. Mr. Chazz envisions a world where most people wake up every day, enjoying the process of becoming the best versions of themselves. He’s also well known on TikTok, Instagram, and his own podcast, Get Vocal.
In today’s episode, Mr. Chazz explains how he got into teaching, why he decided to teach young children, and what kept him teaching. He also talks about building a community in the classroom and being the community you want to build.

Here are some tips that Mr. Chazz shared:
A classroom is a community. It’s important to think seriously about what kind of community I want to create in my classroom, and model it consistently. It all starts with me.
A sense of belonging is important in a community. I need to make sure all children have a sense of belonging in my classroom. I need to find ways to connect with children whose behavior is a cry for support, instead of excluding them which destroys their sense of belonging.
It’s okay to let go of being a perfectionist and be an improvenist instead.

This episode focuses on Regard for Student Perspective.

Topics Discussed in This Episode
[00:00:26] Today’s guest, Mr. Chazz
[00:01:36] Why Mr. Chazz decided to teach young children
[00:03:54] What’s kept Mr. Chazz teaching
[00:06:52] What it was like for Mr. Chazz when he started
[00:10:01] Spoken word for the classroom
[00:11:52] Building community in the classroom
[00:14:30] Setting a tone for the classroom
[00:24:33] How children can recognize insincerity
[00:27:17] Being the community that you want to build
[00:29:04] Encouragement for teachers

Resources
Kate Cline LinkedIn
Mr. Chazz LinkedIn
Mr. Chazz Tiktok

Join the CLASS Learning Community to continue the discussion with thousands of other educators.

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Check out Teachstone's other podcast, Impacting the Classroom!
33 min
December 21, 2021Teaching Children Empathy
What’s the best way to teach empathy to an infant, toddler, or preschool aged child?

Joanna Parker joins the podcast to answer that question. Joanna has spent her entire career in early care and education. She’s worked with Head Start, Early Head Start, child care, early intervention, public PreK, and home visitation programs at the local, community, state, and national levels.

Joanna explains that defining empathy in early childhood is all about understanding social-emotional development. Children will not display empathy the way adults do because they are still developing social-emotional skills. But educators can instill foundational skills for children to build upon as they mature.

Here are Joanna’s 3 strategies to foster empathy in the classroom:
Positive climate: being in tune with children, respecting children’s emotions and needs, support friendship skills creating a sense of belonging and community
Teacher sensitivity: being responsive to children, narrating what children are feeling (emotional literacy) and explicitly individualizing
Regard: child focus and choice, providing opportunities for independence and autonomy promoting a sense of being capable and competent

Joanna also shares:
Ways empathy begins to appear in those early childhood years
Strategies to help toddlers build friendships
Tips for educators to ensure that they are modeling acceptance and eliciting other perspectives throughout the day

This episode focuses on Responsive Caregiving, Behavioral Support, and Emotional Support.

Resources referenced in the episode:
Boy calming brother
Theory of the Mind with Alan Alda
Yale Infant Cognition Center - Can Babies Tell Right From Wrong?
Brené Brown on Empathy
Watch Mamie’s 3-year-old daughter teach her sister how to meditate, a skill she learned at preschool.

Join the CLASS® Learning Community to continue the discussion with thousands of other educators.

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Thanks for listening!
28 min
November 23, 2021Behavior is Communication: Understanding and Responding to Tantrums and Meltdowns
Meltdowns or tantrums in the classroom can be a frustrating experience for both the educator and the child. However, it's important for educators to support children through their development of essential social and emotional capabilities.

In this episode, we are joined by Megin Ruston. Megin has worn various hats in the ECE field, from student to professional to educator and advocate. She started her career as a teacher. During this time, she began working as a Home Visitor in a parenting program supporting families with children ages 5 and under. After that adventure, she provided social- emotional interventions for school aged children identified as having increased risk factors. And now we’re very lucky to have her at Teachstone. Listen as Megin helps educators understand why tantrums and meltdowns happen and how to respond to them.

Here are some tips that Megin shared:
With infants and toddlers, meltdowns and the other behaviors like biting and spitting are developmentally appropriate behaviors for those age groups. Meltdowns are a common response to frustration, sadness, and… emerging independence! Children outgrow this! As they develop that self control and self regulation, they DO outgrow these behaviors!
Control your own emotions.
Conventional wisdom to ignore a meltdown is actually not that effective and can be counterproductive, can prolong meltdowns, and doesn’t really teach what we think it’s teaching (This includes sending a child to a “quiet corner” by themselves to “calm down.”)

This episode focuses on Early Language Support, Behavior Guidance, and Teacher Sensitivity.

Learn more about learning through play and child-led activities on our blog:
3 Overlooked Opportunities for Facilitation of Learning and Development
Behavior Guidance Is as Easy as PB&J

Educators who earn the Child Development Association credential understand how to meet and nurture the emotional, physical, intellectual, and social needs of young children. Earn your CDA credential through our CDA with CLASS® program. CDA with CLASS provides educators with a unique online and high-quality professional education experience.

More good reads:
Understanding and Responding to Children Who Bite

Join the CLASS® Learning Community to continue the discussion with thousands of other educators.

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Thanks for listening!
29 min
November 11, 2021Integrating Learning in Play-based Programs
One thing we have all heard is that children learn the best through play - but how can we fully integrate that into our classroom environments? In this episode, we speak with Devynn Thomas, owner/operator of Lakeside Friends Daycare, an at-home play-based daycare. She started her career in early childhood 10 years ago at a center-based child care center. Devynn is passionate about the connection between play and learning and how literacy, science and math can be explored through play. Listen along as we explore making the most of interactions during play and following the child’s lead in planning the curriculum.

Here are some tips that Devynn shared for teachers who want to do more child-led learning:
Watch and observe, see what comes up naturally, and notice what questions they are asking, what are they drawing when they color, what do they get excited about?
The only limit is your imagination, seek out inspiration by connecting with other educators, look on pinterest and instagram for fun ideas and tweak them to suit your children’s needs
Throw out your check list/preconceived curriculum - “the children will seek out what they need” and you can address all areas of learning under a theme the children provide and it’s ok to have more than one “theme” going at a time.

This episode focuses on Regard for Student/Child Perspective.

Learn more about learning through play and child-led activities on our blog:
What Does Regard for Student Perspectives Look Like in a Teacher-Directed Activity?
How to Increase Children’s Autonomy in the Classroom

More good reads:
Playful learning: Where a rich curriculum meets a playful pedagogy

Join the CLASS® Learning Community to continue the discussion with thousands of other educators.

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Thanks for listening!
19 min
October 28, 2021Promoting Equity in Critical Thinking Skills
How can we shape innovators starting at a young age? Early childhood teachers have a big role in promoting confidence in problem solving.
Dr. Lourdes Norman-McKay joins us to explain how teachers can get students comfortable with shades of grey in the discovery process and with not knowing the right answer.
Dr. Lourdes Norman-McKay is a professor at Florida State College and the author of a globally marketed undergraduate microbiology textbook with Pearson. She earned her baccalaureate degree from the University of Florida and her Ph.D. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from the Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine. For the past 18 years, Dr. Norman-McKay has been teaching allied health students at the collegiate level. She also serves as a speaker for the U.S. Department of State's International Information Programs––a diplomacy outreach bureau––to promote STEM education, innovation, and women in STEM.
This episode dives into Quality of Feedback and Concept Development.
Actionable tips to try from this episode:
Ask more questions, give fewer answers
Increase questions on how children know things rather than on what they know
Focus on learning by experiencing and doing
See mistakes as opportunities

Learn more about promoting equity in critical thinking skills:
How to Help Girls Avoid the Trap of Perfectionism
How Do Integration and Connections to the Real World Contribute to Concept Development?
The Impact of Creating an Emotionally Supportive Learning Environment in Math Classrooms

Join the CLASS® Learning Community to continue the discussion with thousands of other educators.
Subscribe and share this episode on Twitter and Facebook!
Thanks for listening!
29 min
October 13, 2021Encouraging Voice and Choice in the Classroom
It's not uncommon for teachers in early education to need to strike a balance between following children's leads and sticking to the classroom schedule. We know that intentional teachers are aware of their responsibility to assess student progress, understand skill mastery, and plan accordingly to provide opportunities for children to grow. However, many times, as teachers begin a specific teacher-directed activity, it is unsettling when students begin to veer from the step-by-step plans the teacher has worked hard to implement.

Teacher and coach, Colleen Schmit, will share how teachers can strike the balance between following the lesson plans and giving children freedom of choice and flexibility in the classroom.

Learn more about regard for student's perspective on our blog:
What Does Regard for Student Perspectives Look Like in a Teacher-Directed Activity?
Regard for Student Perspectives: A Key Instructional Strategy for Improved Instructional Support

Join the conversation in the CLASS Learning Community!

Subscribe and share this episode on Twitter and Facebook!

Thanks for listening!
28 min
September 29, 2021Keeping Families Engaged in the Early Childhood Years
Many programs struggle with family engagement—particularly with engaging families in helping children with reading and homework at home. Educators may sometimes live in fear of complaints from caregivers and that can lead to a lack of trust between teachers and caregivers. In this episode, we’ll speak with Heather Sason, an early childhood professional who's been supporting families since she was 15. Now she has a child of her own and a community based playroom where families and children are invited to play and interact with other families. Heather is passionate about the topic of family engagement and will share some tips that educators can use to keep families involved in their children’s learning.
Here are some tips that Heather shared on how teachers can develop relationships and build trust with families, both in remote learning and in-person settings:
Teachers should be themselves! Showing your true self as a teacher, will make parents/caregivers feel more at ease.
Bank time with the parents to build those relationships. This helps tremendously, especially at conference time.
In remote settings, invite parents/caregivers to join the first few minutes of each session if they can, and take this opportunity to bank a few moments with each of the parents.
In remote settings, also take the time to schedule virtual parent/caregiver gatherings every few months. Let them talk and get to know one another, and you better.
For in-person settings, invite parents/caregivers to volunteer in the classroom, and drop by anytime they want. Also, invite them to special events such as parties or special visitors coming to the classroom.
If your center permits it, send pictures to the parents/caregivers during naptime of what their children have been doing that day.
Learn more about family engagement on our blog:
Engaging ECE Families in Remote Learning
Interactions at the Core: The Power of Interactions In Any Setting
Check out Heather’s Little Fish Playroom and her blog: How to Set Up Infant & Toddler Learning Spaces to Facilitate Exploration.
To see more photos of Little Fish and learn more, go to facebook.com/littlefishplayroom and www.littlefishplayroom.com
Join the CLASS Learning Community to continue the discussion with thousands of other educators.
Subscribe and share this episode on Twitter and Facebook!
Thanks for listening!
18 min

About Teaching with CLASS®

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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.

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Teaching with CLASS®

Teaching with CLASS® episodes

About Teaching with CLASS®