Not Just Cute, the Podcast: Intentional Whole Child Development for Parents and Teachers of Young Children

Early last month, NPR published an article with the title, “A top researcher says it's time to rethink our entire approach to preschool”.  Maybe you saw it, or like me, maybe you had several people send it to you because they knew you’d find it fascinating.

The article featured developmental psychologist and researcher Dr. Dale Farran and her reflections on the most recent round of startling outcomes from the Tennessee Voluntary PreK cohort, which she and her colleagues at Vanderbilt University have been studying for more than a decade. The article struck a nerve, particularly its last line which said, “We might actually get better results, … from simply letting little children play.”

In this episode, I’ll be diving into some of the context around this article and the study it references.  We’ll talk about what we can learn from these results and why these lessons apply far beyond the scope of the popular article.

Show Notes: https://notjustcute.com/podcast/episode50

Find Show Notes at notjustcute.com/podcast/episode49

This episode comes from a livestream I did with Leaders Lounge summit organizer, Beth Cannon. 

We talked about her experience helping early education teams get clear about their purpose and about their process.  We take on a topic that makes many educators uncomfortable – business – and talk about how certain business concepts, help us build better teams, have clearer communication with parents, and overall, simply improve the way we serve children and families. 

Beth also gives the inside scoop on her upcoming summit, the Leaders Lounge.  This unique online summit includes resources focused on both classroom teachers and program directors.  Inside the summit, you’ll find value-packed presentation from an array of speakers on topics that will lead to true transformation for yourself and your team.  You’ll learn about theory and practice, but also practical tips on how to implement systems that allow you automate, delegate, or eliminate some of the more redundant tasks and free up more time to the things that create a lasting impact.  The Leaders Lounge offers inspiration, application, and connection for professionals who want to make a lasting difference.  The summit takes place online Friday January 14^th – Monday January 17^th , 2022.

(Link to register in show notes.)

If you’ve spent much time listening to children’s music, you’ve likely heard of Laurie Berkner.  And if you haven’t, you’ll be thanking me for the introduction later.  Laurie Berkner has a gift not only for creating engaging music that even adults actually like, but for truly seeing, hearing, and respecting children in the process.  For her, each performance is really about connection first. 

If you’re looking for new music in your classroom, you’ll definitely find that here, but you’ll also learn some surprising insights about how we show up for and connect with children in meaningful ways.  Let’s jump in!

Find Show Notes at

https://notjustcute.com/podcast/episode48

I'm talking with Vanessa Levin of PreK Pages and Teaching Trailblazers about how we can better support each other as educators!

Meghan Fitzgerald has combined her many professional and personal experiences with her passion for learning, play, and nature, to create Tinkergarten, a program that supports caregivers in providing children with powerful outdoor play experiences.  In this episode, she shares her insights on how and why playing in nature benefits every child’s development and supports healthier, happier growth.

Show Notes at: 

https://notjustcute.com/podcast/episode46

I had a great conversation recently with my friend, Rae Pica, about how and why we should get parents on board with play-based, developmentally appropriate education.

Show Notes:

www.https://notjustcute.com/podast/episode45

You may be familiar with Sally Haughey’s amazing work through Fairy Dust Teaching, a site committed to respecting the whole child, community, play, and education as a living, breathing art form.

She began the site in 2010, as a place to collect and share her own thoughts as an early childhood educator.  In the eleven years since then, it has grown into a global community and has been the springboard for two books and multiple conferences and summits, all focused on the beauty and wonder and magic of early learning. 

Sally is a brilliant balance of down to earth accessibility and enchanting inspiration.  I know you’re going to love her as we talk about the importance of wonder, play, and building up great humans!

Show Note: https://notjustcute.com/podcast/episode44

Matis Miller is the author of the new book, The Uncontrollable Child.  He’s a licensed clinical social worker and therapist and the founder, director, and supervisor of The Center for Cognitive Behavioral Therapy of New Jersey.  Certified in both cognitive and dialectical behavior therapies, Matis brings a unique perspective on the balance point between extremes – something that is often missing in conversations about challenging childhood behaviors. 

If you’ve been wanting to show up to behavior challenges with more confidence and clarity, you are in the right place. 

Find show notes at www.https://notjustcute.com/podcast/episode43

Dr. Borba's newest book, THRIVERS: The Surprising Reason Why Some Kids Struggle While Others Shine, combines scientific studies, input from dozens of researchers/experts focusing on resilience, and interviews with more than 100 young people from all walks of life.  Through all of that research, Dr. Borba found something surprising: the difference between those who struggle and those who succeed comes down not to grades or test scores, but to seven character traits that set Thrivers apart (and set them up for happiness and greater accomplishment later in life).  

Find show notes at https://notjustcute.com/podcast/episode42

One year ago, Allison McDonald was teaching preschool in the state of Washington and writing her popular blog, No Time for Flash Cards.  Like many other teachers, her class was suddenly canceled when the pandemic hit and the world shut down.  After the initial shock, her school began talking about how they could safely move forward and continue serving children and families.  While working with her team to answer those questions, Allison was fielding similar questions from teachers in her online world as well. 

Over the past year, she’s been innovating to serve her own students while also supporting teachers around the globe during this unique and challenging period.  Through it all, she’s not only discovered tips and concepts to help teachers through a pandemic, but she’s also identified key questions that we can all use to guide us now AND as we move forward. 

Show Notes: https://notjustcute.com/podcast/episode41

Show Notes: https://notjustcute.com/podcast/episode40

After the U.S.- based National Association for the Education of Young Children – or NAEYC – launched its national accreditation system for early childhood learning programs in the early 1980s, they made an interesting observation.  While their accreditation criteria frequently referenced the term “developmentally appropriate practice”, when they met with different people across a variety of programs, they found little agreement about what that term actually meant.  In response, the association released a position statement in the mid-80s to help create a more cohesive understanding and application of the term across the field of early education.

In the same spirit of responsive care that they endorse, NAEYC revises and updates their position statement about every 10 years to respond to the current state of research and social discourse, and to clarify misunderstandings.

The Fourth Edition of NAEYC’s Position Statement was released at the end of 2020.  If you’ve been curious about what kind of changes can be found in this latest edition, I’ll be jumping into some of the main concepts and key changes in this episode.

Several years ago, Pat Rumbaugh was nicknamed “The Play Lady.”  And the nickname stuck.  After spending 25 years getting young people to play through her work as a PE teacher and tennis coach, she co-founded Let’s Play America and took on the task of encouraging people of ALL ages across the nation to prioritize play. 

We’ll be talking about why play matters and how we can do a better job of setting aside time to play every day.  In her TEDx Talk, Saving Play- One Playful Step at a Time, Pat not only shared her important message, but she delivered part of it while hula-hooping.  Pat is clearly playfully passionate, and she has an important message to share today.

Find Show Notes At:

https://www.notjustcute.com/podcast/episode39

I'm so excited for you to meet Heather Jackson, director of the Reggio-inspired Sunflower School.

In this episode she shares her thoughts on verbs as thematic units, slowing down to capture the true intentions of the children we work with, and the beauty and importance in the magical thinking of childhood.

Whether you aspire to teach specifically from the Reggio philosophy or not, you will find so much inspiration in this episode.

If you’ve been wondering how you could do an even better job of bringing a child-centered approach to your curriculum or if you’re looking to bring more of the magic of childhood into your teaching practices, you are in for a treat.

Show Notes:

https://notjustcute.com/podcast/episode38

Rae Pica is a force to be reckoned with.  With her unapologetic straight-talk, she has been advocating for children and for whole child education for decades, filling shelves of books with her words and inspiring educators around the world. 

Her latest book, What if We taught the Way Children Learn, fits the pattern, calling into question the many instances where our common practices seem to be at odds with what should be common sense about how young children learn and grow.  In fact, Dr. Eric Jensen says: “Rae Pica’s powerful, thought-provoking book provides rare and uncommon. Our kids would be MUCH better off if we practiced the way this book suggests we do, and so would the educators around them.”

If you’ve ever questioned the status quo in early education or wondered how you could better educate the whole child – particularly during this time of unique regulations – you’re going to want to listen to what Rae Pica has to share.

Find Show Notes at: https://notjustcute.com/podcast/episode37

Today I’m talking with Dr. Nefertiti Poyner of the Devereaux Center for Resilient Children and I’m going to to tell you right now, she is an absolute delight.  Educators and the children they love and teach are being stretched in every direction,  Dr. Poyner shares some of the principles that create the “ordinary magic” that helps us all to bounce back.  She shares a fantastic script for building resilience and relationships in the midst of all the frustration that children are feeling as they navigate new restrictions in the classroom and helps us all to remember how to “live today well.”

Find show notes at https://www.notjustcute.com/podcast/episode36

It’s back to school time, and normally that means getting back to the structure of something familiar….but this year is totally different.  And it’s different for each of you. 

I’ve been thinking about how to kick off this new school year, with a pep talk of sorts, and somehow address all of the challenges and all of these differences in a way that applies to each of you in your unique circumstances.

Show Note: https://www.notjustcute.com/podcast/episode35

Today I’m talking with Vanessa Levin, experienced early childhood educator and creator of the wildly popular site Pre-K Pages, which is chock full of activities and resources for early childhood teachers.  She’s an accomplished trainer and advocate who’s passionate about helping educators teach well AND save time.  I asked her to talk with me today about the importance of play in early childhood education with some extra attention to how playful learning can go hand in hand with meeting objectives and promoting literacy.

Show Notes at: notjustcute.com/podcast/episode34

As states and districts begin this trickling process of making final announcements about the school year, many closing -at least physically – for the remainder of the school year, I’ve seen heartbreak reflected over and over in educators around the country.  These feelings of loss.  Over the progress we were making.  Over the plans we’d set out.  Over the routine we loved – a hundred little precious things that happened every day.  Over the work we love, and most of all, over these children we love.  There’s a collective mourning over the school year we thought we’d have.  

Jill Riley talks with me about how to acknowledge and process our grief and why we need to do that in order to get "unstuck" and move forward.

Find show notes at: https://notjustcute.com/podcast/episode33

In this episode, we’ll cover a quick review of what serve and return interactions are as well as what the newest research tells us about why they’re so important.

Find Show Notes at:

https://notjustcute.com/podcast/episode32

Author of Zoey & Sassafras and creator of the publishing house, Innovation Press, Asia Citro is truly a woman on a mission to help young children think creatively and see themselves as scientists.  You’ll want to catch what Asia has to say about helping children see themselves as scientists and how we can all learn to see that science is truly everywhere.  I think she’ll give you a lot to think about as she challenges us to see failure as a necessity and to overcome our adult tendency to over-control the science experiences and instead invite more ownership from our youngest scientists.

Show Notes: https://notjustcute.com/podcast/episode31