TWTBIM_0329 Reading And Responding To Energy Teaching With The Body In Mind podcast

22:03

Tom's back and he's ready for some fun. At least he's ready to talk about fun. All this talk of fun brings back Mike's memories of fixing the dryer. Ross argues that a lack of funshuts down pathways to learning. Teachers don't need to be clowns, but it is important to check that fun is present in the work.…

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TWTBIM_0334 Holding Back Can be Kind 22:33

13 days ago22:33

22:33

Ross wants to talk about the gray areas where we might hold back to build children's capacity for care. When we step back, children can learn how to give the kindness to themselves and each other. Mike shares an experience of toy dumping chaos and a child's power to repair. Joey tells a story of a child who built her sense of agency bit by bit. Mike tries to remember Bandura's elements of agency and everyone likes the metaphor of trees growing stronger in the wind.…

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TWTBIM_0333 Bandaids and Crackers, Part 2 17:33

20 days ago17:33

17:33

Turns out there was more say about acts of caring. From changing wet shirts to loaning out favorite shoes, we have many opportunities to give children care. We may not be able to meet 100% of children’s needs, but we need to be reliable. Mike points out the important thing: finding your favorite napkin may seem like a small thing, but it’s not trivial. Just ask Mike and Ross how they feel about their favorite cereal spoons.…

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TWTBIM_0332 Bandaids and Crackers 21:30

27 days ago21:30

21:30

Children’s comments from teacher appreciation week make Joey reflect on what really matters to the children in our care. Our bandaids and crackers let children know that they are safe and we will help if they get hurt or sick. Mike recalls children's questions of "why don't we learn anything at this school?" Care is something we don't talk about a lot, but it is the essential foundation for learning.…

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TWTBIM_0331 Match More, Talk Less 20:48

5 weeks ago20:48

20:48

Mike encourages us to pay attention, match children's physical actions and use fewer words. He has found this approach to be especially supportive of children who tend to be very quiet and those who are loud and boisterous. It might require us to slow down a little, which can feel hard in the midst of a busy day. Ross reminds us that it's OK because children are not volcano birds.…

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TWTBIM__(Encore) Backwards Bike 19:12

7 weeks ago19:12

19:12

While we're out on our bicycles celebrating spring, we hope you enjoy this conversation. We'll be back with fresh episodes next week. Mike shares a video of the "backwards bike," (watch here) an excellent example of embodied knowledge. You can explain it, but you can't do it until you can feel it. How many experiences do young children have like this each day? They may "know" something, but can't do it yet. How often do educators experience the frustration of trying to implement new skills and yet fall back into old habits in the moment? (Originally aired January 2023)…

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TWTBIM_0330 Beauty 24:50

8 weeks ago24:50

24:50

Tom's been wrestling with the idea of beauty in the classroom. Does it mean markers aligned in rainbow order? Cardboard boxes and duct tape in the sensory table? Is beauty stagnant or dynamic?

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TWTBIM_0329 Reading and Responding to Energy 22:37

9 weeks ago22:37

22:37

How do we read children’s energy? How do we respond in ways that don't interrupt the flow of child led play? Tom recalls joining in to rough and tumble play to help children regulate. Mike's first instinct is also to join in and help "course correct" if needed. Ross acknowledges the influence of the adult's energy level and the context of prior experiences. Mike brings up Anji Play as an example of an approach that looks very hands off, but actually has a lot of adult intentionality.…

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TWTBIM_0328 We Don't Play Like That Anymore 20:25

10 weeks ago20:25

20:25

Ross starts to unpack his ideas about ways that play has changed--for children and for teachers. What is the inlfuence of technology? What is the impact of our own play history? There is a subtle worry that children are missing out on experiences in the world and in their own imaginations.

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TWTBIM_0327 Something Magical About Pretend 22:19

11 weeks ago22:19

22:19

Mike shares a glimpse of his new book as he leads a discussion about pretend play. There's something magical about the way children embody their ideas to express themselves and communicate with others. We don't always give children enough credit for the complexity they bring to pretending, from coordinating their movements and vocalizations to express "catness" or sharing knowledge of cultural traditions as they set the table for seder. Check out Mike's new book! Power in Pretend: Supporting Young Children’s Power, Identity and Agency Through Play…

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TWTBIM_0327 Anti-Phobic Power of Play (Encore Epsiode) 21:52

12 weeks ago21:52

21:52

It's spring break season. While we're away, we hope you enjoy this encore episode that pairs nicely with last week's conversation about safetyism . Tom invites discussion of the anti-phobic powers of children's risky play. Spoiler alert: adults--and their fears--often get in the way, but there is hope that we can rise above our own phobias and create the conditions for mastery. (Tom was inspired by the article, " Children's Risky Play from an Evolutionary Perspective: The Anti-Phobic Effects of Thrilling Experiences. ")…

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TWTBIM_0326 Normal and Necessary 23:04

13 weeks ago23:04

23:04

Joey is wrestling with the concept of safetyism and its influence on early childhood practices, including her own. What's on the other end of the continuum? To place it at the opposite end from risky play doesn't feel right because much of what gets shut down in the name of safetyism is just play. Tom notes that safetyism can erode trust and lead to a culture that uses surveillance to monitor caregiving. Mike suggests that the antidote is to let children play and adults talk among themselves about their worries. Ross wonders if the antidote is based in realism and the understanding that children's play is normal and necessary.…

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TWTBIM_0325 Unintended Culture 22:44

14 weeks ago22:44

22:44

In a follow up to our discussion about unintended challenges, Mike shares research about how children create their own peer culture through unintended use of physical objects. When children observe and follow unwritten physical rules, such as hanging brooms from a basketball hoop, they can be successful at joining into social play. (Thank you to Aaron Neimark for sharing the article and topic inspiration.)…

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TWTBIM_0324 Attunement Revisited 21:04

15 weeks ago21:04

21:04

Tom presents descriptions of attunement for discussion. We find surprising parallels between being a teacher in an early childhood classroom and being an indigenous hunter. Both require paying close attention to the environment and sensory experiences. Mike and Ross talk tuning forks and guitar strings. Like tuning instruments, attunement to children is not a fixed state that can be reached, but something that evolves and changes. For newer listeners, you can hear how it all began: TWTBIM_0114 Attunement TWTBIM_0171 Judgement Blocks Attunement…

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TWTBIM_0323 Do As I Say 21:57

16 weeks ago21:57