The Preschool Podcast
Ron Spreeuwenberg
The Preschool Podcast, brought to you by HiMama, is a platform for learning from leading professionals in early childhood education. If you work in a daycare, childcare or preschool setting, The Preschool Podcast will provide you with both practical advice for managing your organization, center or classroom, as well as thought provoking content and insights about the field of early childhood education.
Each week, we chat with leaders in early childhood education, from teachers and educators in the classroom with innovative curriculum approaches, to directors who are excelling at empowering their team, and leaders outside of the child care environment that are passionate about making a positive impact on outcomes for young children.
Our goal with The Preschool Podcast is to provide knowledge and inspiration to the future leaders of early childhood education by speaking with experienced and insightful leaders in the world of preschool and early learning today. At HiMama, it is our belief that leadership within early childhood education is crucial to the future of the childcare sector and, of course, the future of our most important asset in this world, our youngest children.
Each week, we chat with leaders in early childhood education, from teachers and educators in the classroom with innovative curriculum approaches, to directors who are excelling at empowering their team, and leaders outside of the child care environment that are passionate about making a positive impact on outcomes for young children.
Our goal with The Preschool Podcast is to provide knowledge and inspiration to the future leaders of early childhood education by speaking with experienced and insightful leaders in the world of preschool and early learning today. At HiMama, it is our belief that leadership within early childhood education is crucial to the future of the childcare sector and, of course, the future of our most important asset in this world, our youngest children.
Episodes
Mentioned books
Nov 12, 2019 • 21min
Phone Skills To Increase Enrollment
Phone skills are often an overlooked aspect of running a child care program. In this episode, we have a conversation with Jaren Hall, CEO of Intellikid Systems on why training your preschool staff to have good phone skills is so important in making a good first impression on prospective families. Resources: Intellikid Systems
Nov 5, 2019 • 19min
Running a Home-Based Military Family Preschool Program
In this episode, Tessie Ragan from Perfect Start Learning joins us to shed some light on the unique advantages and challenges of providing child care to military families in a home. Without many of the resources available to larger centers and restrictions specific to military providers, Tessie has many lessons of resourcefulness and perseverance that all child care providers can be inspired by. To learn more about Tessie's program, visit https://www.perfectstartlearning.com.
Oct 29, 2019 • 18min
Advancing Professional Growth with the CDA Credential
In the 45 years since Council for Professional Recognition was founded, A LOT has changed in the field of early childhood education. The Council's CEO, Dr. Valora Washington, joins us in this episode to discuss these advancements and ongoing efforts to support early childhood educators in their professional development, including the Child Development Associate Credential. To learn more about the CDA Credential and how it can help your career, visit https://www.cdacouncil.org/
Oct 22, 2019 • 23min
Avoiding Behavior Challenges Before They Begin
Are kids really 'misbehaving' or are we simply setting unrealistic expectations for them? In this episode, Rae Pica returns to the podcast to discuss her new book, "Acting Out!: Avoid Behavior Challenges with Active Learning Games and Activities," and provide actionable techniques for you to use to harness children's natural behavior into activities that will make everyone happy. Resources: https://www.raepica.com www.RedleafPress.org
Oct 15, 2019 • 27min
Employee Onboarding, Retention & Development
Onboarding a new employee isn't just a quick tour of your center and calling it a day — it starts from their first interview and takes anywhere from 6 months to a year to get them fully assimilated into their new environment. In this episode, Carla Rogg, President of ProSolutions Training, explains how to properly onboard a new teacher so they are happy — and stay that way! Resources: ProSolutions Training
Oct 8, 2019 • 22min
Supporting Play-Based Learning For Young Children
Episode 169 - Play is how children learn and develop in their early childhood years. In this episode, we interview Dr. Elanna Yalow, Chief Academic Officer at KinderCare, on how teachers can support children as they learn through play. She highlights how play and academics are not separate from each other. Instead, it is the instinctive way that young children learn how to problem solve and develop skills. We discuss some strategies that educators can use to incorporate play into their practice. Resources: KinderCare Children Do Better The Longer They’re With Us What Will They Find Next? Sensory play for babies builds their brains Want to light up your baby’s brains? Talk, coo and smile too Expert infant teachers share what to look for in a daycare KinderCare celebrates 50th Portland anniversary
Oct 1, 2019 • 19min
Business Savvy For Independent Child Care Centers
Owning and operating a child care business is highly entrepreneurial. In this episode, Tony D’Agostino, CEO and Founder of Inspire Care 360, shares the importance of setting a strong operations foundation in order to build a sustainable business. We talk about the key elements that child care business owners need to pay attention to and why making the investment in developing business savvy on your team is worth it. Resources: Inspire Care 360 Website Why Inspire Care 360 (Video) Get The Support You Need To Build Your Child Care Center (Video)
Sep 24, 2019 • 22min
Family Engagement In Early Childhood Settings
As much as early education is all about working with kids, it is also about supporting young parents in their journey of raising their child. In this episode, we interview Mary Muhs, the Department Chair of Early Education at Rasmussen College, on how to build a strong family culture at your program. She shares how family relationships can influence the quality of your work with the kids in the classroom and strategies on communicating with parents that center on relationship-building. Resources: Connect with Mary at mary.muhs@rasmussen.edu Family Engagement In Early Childhood Settings
Sep 17, 2019 • 20min
It’s No Small Matter To Make Your Voice Heard
Early education has been getting more public attention as parents become more informed about the importance of quality early education for their children’s development. In this episode, we chat with Laura Fallsgraff, Co-Producer and Campaign Director of No Small Matter, about the impact of their documentary about the urgency and possibility of making quality early education a reality. She shares tips on how local advocates for child care can use the resource and involving communities in the conversation. Resources: No Small Matter
Sep 10, 2019 • 27min
Adult Play To Sustain Your Team
Bringing some playfulness into the daily routine of our early educators can be a great way for early learning leaders to build a team that will grow with your business. In this episode, we interview Glory Ressler, Director of Education, Training & Data at Mothercraft about the importance of having fun at work and maintaining a sense of playfulness. She shares actionable tips on what child care Directors and Owners can do to prioritize some fun at work and build meaningful connections between staff. Resources: Connect with Glory at glory.ressler@mothercraft.org
