In this week’s episode we discuss the profession of being a preschool teacher – all the wonderful things about it, as well as the challenges that come with it. Our guest, Ashley Preston, is the 2016 New Hampshire Teacher of the Year and is an active preschool teacher at Parker Varney Elementary School in Manchester, New Hampshire.
A quote directly from her 2016 Teacher of the Year application sums up her views best, “Preschool students are often underestimated and I feel fortunate that I can be their voice, help them gain the recognition they deserve and prove their learning is valuable no matter what it looks like from the outside.”
To learn more about how we can speak out about the all-important role of preschool teachers, stay tuned for this week’s episode of The Preschool Podcast!
In this week’s episode we dive into emergent curriculum and inquiry-based practices with early childhood education specialist and author Susan Stacey. Susan tells us what emergent curriculum means, how an early childhood educator can best go about learning it for application in the classroom and also how administrators can enable an environment that supports a dynamic curriculum that is responsive, intentional and full of possibilities.
To learn more about emergent curriculum and how you can start on the journey of applying it in your daycare, preschool or childcare programs, stay tuned for this week’s episode of The Preschool Podcast!
In this week’s episode we host Deborah McNelis, an early brain development specialist and founder of Brain Insights, to talk about the science behind why preschool is so important. We delve into some detail about brain development from birth to age five and discuss how this deeper understanding benefits preschool teachers and other early childhood educators when collaborating with children in the classroom.
To learn more about brain development in preschoolers and how we can spread the word about this super important topic, stay tuned for this week’s episode of The Preschool Podcast!
In this week’s episode we have a conversation with a panel of Early Childhood Educators with experience inside the classroom, as well as outside the classroom as Community Advisors with HiMama. We discuss the importance of taking the initiative to stay involved in the early childhood education community and taking ownership of improvements and innovations in your preschool or child care programs, no matter what your role.
Steven Bonnay has a Bachelor of Arts from Brock University as well as an Early Childhood Education Diploma from Seneca College where he later worked as a Registered Early Childhood Educator. Kali Kan has a Bachelor of Arts in Early Childhood Education and Teaching from George Brown College where she later worked as a Registered Early Childhood Educator, in addition to working as a Research Intern at the National Association for the Education of Young Children. And Katelyn Vickers holds a Bachelor of Arts in Early Childhood Studies from Ryerson University, as well as a diploma in Early Childhood Education from George Brown College; she has worked as a Registered Early Childhood Educator at a number of child care and early learning programs, including the YWCA.
To learn more about how you can flex your leadership muscle as a Preschool Teacher or Early Childhood Educator, tune into this episode of The Preschool Podcast!
In this week’s episode we step out of the classroom setting to ponder over some bigger picture questions about child care accessibility and affordability. We explore the question of whether affordable, quality child care can be provided for all families, regardless of circumstances, and how that can come to be through effective policies, frameworks, systems and investment.
Our guest, Don Giesbrecht, is the CEO of the Canadian Child Care Federation and was formerly President of the Manitoba Child Care Federation. He’s also the father of two very active children and actively volunteers as a coach for his children’s various sports teams.
In this week’s episode we delve into the balanced learning approach, implemented in Primrose School franchises across the U.S. As the name of the approach states, the emphasis of the curriculum is on balance, including the balance of play-based learning led by children’s natural curiosity, with guiding questions from educators to enable children to take their development to the next level.
Our guest, Dr. Gloria Julius, is the Vice President of Education & Professional Development at Primrose Schools, a forward-thinking, franchise-based early learning organization with over 325 locations across the U.S. She also has over 30 years of experience as a teacher and leader in the Maryland public school system. If you’re interested in educational philosophies and approaches to curriculum then you’ll wanna stay tuned for this week’s episode of The Preschool Podcast!
In this week’s episode we discuss the value of partnerships between educators and families. Many families are seeking a more active role in their children’s care and education and are challenging the notion of “teacher-as- expert”. We discuss why child care and early learning programs should embrace family involvement which will ultimately benefit not only families, but educators and children as well. We also discuss the hot topic of outdoor play and how it is different than indoor play, delving into how it allows for high energy, exuberant play that improves both the physical and mental health of our young children.
Our guest, Lynn Wilson, is the author of several books in early childhood education, including ‘Partnerships: Families and Communities in Early Childhood’ and ‘Outdoor Playscapes: Breaking New Ground’. She is a mother of four children, an early childhood educator, and a former faculty member at George Brown College.
In this week’s episode we chat with Kris Murray, Founder and President of Child Care Marketing Solutions, about how you need to make time for passion-filled activities that energize you as an Owner or Director of a preschool or child care organization.
In this week's episode, we explore what educators mean by a Reggio Emilia approach to early learning and how early childhood educators can use pedagogical documentation to enhance their own knowledge and development while improving learning outcomes for children. We speak with Diane Kashin, Professor of Early Childhood Education at Ryerson University in Toronto, Chair of the York Region Nature Collaborative.
Today I speak with Julie Bartkus, the Founder of Child Care Business Success. Julie is all about VISION – having a vision and executing on it to create Positive, Productive and Profitable child care businesses. She’s been in the industry for over 17 years and has some really sensible strategies for improving the quality of child care programs with her approaches for child care business success.
Today I speak with Debbi Sluys, the Director of Growing Together Family Resource Centre in Blenheim, Ontario. Deb has many years of experience in early childhood education and I thought she would be a great person to host on the podcast because in her years of experience she has the perspective from being a teacher on the ground to being the Director of a child care program with multiple locations. We talk about what has changed in early childhood education since she first started in the field and what has made Growing Together such a successful organization, in particular the progressive culture that encourages discussion, learning, leadership and a sense of community.