Every Child's Champion
For Early Childhood Teachers and the Instructional Leaders who support them. This podcast gives you a thoughtful, informative look at the most important issues and topics in the ECE field. Hosted by a 30+ year veteran with wide ranging experience in Head Start, Child Care, and public schools, Every Child's Champion brings teachers and those who care about them needed supports, encouragement, inspiration, and FUN. Each week you will be challenged to take something specific back into your workplace and put it into practice. A great place to boost your reflective practice and absorb some new info and ENERGY for the most difficult work on the planet!
Episodes
31 episodes
How to Deepen Children’s Learning and Prevent Challenging Behaviors by Facilitating PLAY
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 ...
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18:01
Creating Joyful Classrooms: Enhancing Child Relationships and Educator Well-being
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 ...
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Episode 30
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28:32
On Addressing Teacher Shortages and Behavioral Challenges in Early Childhood Education
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. I...
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Episode 29
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36:48
Preventing and Responding to Challenging Behaviors: The Pyramid Model, with Deidre Harris
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 ne...
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Episode 28
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48:02
Keys to Building Strong Relationships with Parents of the Most At-Risk Children
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 need...
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Episode 27
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42:19
These kids are STILL driving me crazy!
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:- &...
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Episode 26
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42:10
Parent Engagement through the Power of Touch: The Beauty and Benefits of Infant Massage
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...
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Episode 25
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54:29
Mindfulness for Champions: Take Care of You!
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 th...
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Episode 24
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17:51
Anxiety, Depression, and the Polyvagal Theory: My Story
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...
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48:44
A Play Therapist’s Perspective on the Impacts of Trauma on Children’s Behavior
“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...
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Episode 22
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50:13
Children and Trauma: A Look at Resilience in Early Childhood Development, with Allen Rosales
The incidence of childhood trauma is higher than most people think: many, many of our children have experienced what experts refer to as “developmental trauma,” meaning the cumulative effects of chronically dangerous and stressful environments ...
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Season 3
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Episode 21
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47:42
Push Past It! An interview with Dr. Angela Searcy
Research has shown that teachers who provide high levels of emotional support for their students (create a positive climate, are highly sensitive, and support children’s autonomy and individuality) AND who provide high levels of classroom organ...
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Season 3
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Episode 20
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50:39
Equity and Implicit Bias, Part 1
Everywhere we look, on every news channel, all our social media feeds, all around us, we see race-related actions and expressions, both hate-charged and promoting of unity and healing. Racial attitudes have become blatant and polarized, more so...
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Season 3
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Episode 19
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28:21
018_Returning to School During Covid19: Getting off to a Great Start!
So your program is re-opening after a long period of quarantine. So much to do to get ready- so much stress! In this episode of the Every Child's Champion podcast, Sara gives you several key areas of focus and stresses the most important things...
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Season 1
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Episode 18
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31:05
017_Helping Children Learn to Self Regulate
In this episode, Sara will explain the executive function skills of self regulation. Self Regulation capacities involve calming the physical body, understanding and expressing emotions, and having some problem-solving skills. Although developin...
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Season 1
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Episode 16
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44:12
How to Actually Enjoy Your Job During Stressful Times
This week we are reviving part of our first broadcast on "How to enjoy your job". A year ago, we would have thought things couldn't get any more stressful when it came to the work we do and juggling it all with families, education, etc.....None...
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Season 1
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Episode 15
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52:01
Think Up! Becoming a More Intentional Teacher
Drawn from the e-book “Think UP! Developing High Level Instructional Supports – A Guidebook for Coaches and Instructional Leaders,” (which is currently in development!) this episode looks at teacher intentionality. The ultimate goal is fo...
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Season 1
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Episode 15
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59:27
Create the Wonder! Science in the Early Childhood Classroom
Lions, and tigers, and bears – Oh My! Water, and sand, and air – what flies!? Flowers, and weather, and bugs – these too! Planets, and textures, and weights – computers, machines, and tunnels and ramps! Hot and cold, smooth or sticky. Ski...
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Season 1
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Episode 14
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57:21
How to Slay the ECERS-3 Math Items! Part 2
Math is a subject alot of teachers either shy away from or don't really know how or what to teach. Yet, research has shown that early Math skills are predictive of later math AND reading achievement; there is a strong tie between children's exp...
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Season 1
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Episode 13
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36:16
How to SLAY the ECERS-3 Math Items! Part 1
Math is a subject alot of teachers either shy away from or don't really know how or what to teach. Yet, research has shown that early Math skills are predictive of later math AND reading achievement; there is a strong tie between children's exp...
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Season 1
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Episode 12
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1:03:24
"I don't want to get sick!" What New Procedures Will We Need To Adopt?
This podcast episode reviews the many health, safety, and sanitation recommendations recently issued by the Centers for Disease Control. These are the current recommendations; ultimately it will be the job of child care centers, Early Head Star...
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Season 1
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Episode 11
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1:01:21
Not Feeling Appreciated?? We Need to Change That!!
It’s Teacher Appreciation Week - and never before have parents had such a window in to their children’s teachers nor have they been so tied in to the actual learning process. Suddenly, parents have to manage their children’s days, make sure the...
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Season 1
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Episode 10
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46:41
How Trauma and Toxic Stress Impact Preschoolers and What You Can Do To Help Them Heal
The COVID19 Pandemic is wreaking havoc on our individual and collective mental health in this country and around the world. As scary, stressful and anxiety producing as the quarantine has been on all of us, we can anticipate that there are some...
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Season 1
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Episode 9
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52:12
Prevent 90% or More Challenging Behaviors with These KEY Strategies!!
Lots of teachers these days are asking "What the heck is going on with all of these insane behaviors kids are bringing in? Teachers are dealing with high levels of aggression, fighting, arguing, swearing and name calling -- on a DAILY BASIS! Wh...
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Season 1
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Episode 8
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46:42
How to Make Teaching a Ton More Fun! Engaging with Kids in Concept Development
Are you looking for a way to enjoy teaching more? Do you find kids disengaging from group time, acting bored, messing around when they should be listening? This podcast will challenge you to engage kids in "higher-order-thinking processes" as a...
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Season 1
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Episode 7
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52:23