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PODCAST

Teaching With The Body In Mind

Teaching With The Body In Mind

Each week, Mike, Tom, Ross, and Joey reflect on the connection between moving and thinking. The discussions remind us that teachers should be supporting children"s bodies as well as their minds.

education education for kids

All Episodes

17:13

TWTBIM_0237 Babies Are Stupid

Teaching With The Body In Mind ·

2023/03/21

If we evaluated all children based on what they can't do yet, we'd have to agree that babies are stupid. Mike questions this mindset, which is often embedded in our education systems. Does it do more harm than good in terms of "preparing" young children for school success?

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22:07

TWTBIM_0236 Values into Practice

Teaching With The Body In Mind ·

2023/03/14

Tom asks us each to consider what we value and what it looks like in the classroom. To get us started, he offers valuing each child for who they are as an individual and as part of the group. Examining our underlying values guides our decision making as caregivers. But what happens if multiple values we hold are in conflict? What if our values don't align with the values of the wider community?

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20:59

TWTBIM_0235 Hanging Out

Teaching With The Body In Mind ·

2023/03/07

Tom asks the group to define hanging out--a social act of "being with" with no agenda, a relaxed feeling, open, and freeform. He wonders, is it worthwhile in the classroom? (Resounding YES) Ross points out that you don't have to set your plans aside to allow for moments to hang out, you can make space for both. Tom's wish is that we can slow down and appreciate moments of hanging out in our daily practice.

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20:56

TWTBIM_0234 Snow Mountain Success

Teaching With The Body In Mind ·

2023/02/28

After a recent field trip and the serendipitous discovery of a snow mountain, Ross is rethinking what makes an experience a "success." Staying open to possibilities and saying yes can make it possible for everyone to enjoy the journey.

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14:22

TWTBIM_0233 Big Play Indoors (Part 2)

Teaching With The Body In Mind ·

2023/02/21

A follow up to last week's episode full of practical ideas for materials that support children's big play in the classroom.

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22:40

TWTBIM_0232 Valuing Big Play--Indoors

Teaching With The Body In Mind ·

2023/02/14

When children need to move, are our indoor environments ready to support them? Is it OK to make children wait until gym time or make them leave their classroom when their bodies feel like getting big? We have a responsibility to make sure our classroom environments meet the needs of ALL children. One way to do this is to include a large motor play area in the classroom itself, welcoming all kinds of play.

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22:06

TWTBIM_0231 Four Basic Needs

Teaching With The Body In Mind ·

2023/02/07

According to designer Anita Olds, children have four basic needs within their envrionment: movement, comfort, competence, and control. Joey presents these needs to the group for discussion as they align so closely with the principles of teaching with the body in mind. Tom points out that when we allow children to co-create their environments, they will naturally change their spaces to meet these needs. Ross emphaisizes the need for less compartmentalization of professions and more voices at the

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19:37

TWTBIM_0230 It Might Get Loud

Teaching With The Body In Mind ·

2023/01/31

Early childhood classrooms get loud. How do we determine if this is a problem? What if it's only a problem for the adult? How do we create welcoming spaces for children of differing volumes?

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19:12

TWBIM_0229 No flashcards for riding a bike

Teaching With The Body In Mind ·

2023/01/24

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?

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21:03

TWTBIM_0228 What Are They Thinking?

Teaching With The Body In Mind ·

2023/01/17

Tom prompts the group with some photos that show children thinking with their bodies, such as placing their feet under a box to signify Wizard of Oz themes (below). When we see children engaged in such deep physical "thinking," we should resist the urge to interrupt and ask what they are thinking. With practice, we can step back and see their thinking through their actions.

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18:20

TWTBIM_0227 Snow Much Fun

Teaching With The Body In Mind ·

2023/01/10

It's an annual winter tradition to post our "Snow!" episode. Tom wants to talk about beautiful, wonderful snow. Children love snow and the myriad opportunities it brings. Adults need to keep their snow-related hassles to themselves and let children have the joy. The discussion includes some practical tips for sledding with young children. (Originally recorded in 2019)

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23:13

TWTBIM_0226 No Domain is an Island

Teaching With The Body In Mind ·

2023/01/03

Ross invites us to grapple with the interconnectedness of developmental domains. If we focus too closely at individual areas of development, what might be missed? Mike shares the metaphor of children as "white light."

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21:55

TWTBIM_0225 Do we value physical creativity?

Teaching With The Body In Mind ·

2022/12/27

Tom wonders if we value children's body creativity as much as we do drawing or painting. Does playing Animal Action foster physical creativity? Ross is stuck on the need for children to practice and develop skill fluency in order to support phsycial creativity. The conversation ranges from the inventive play of World Cup soccer athletes to cutting paper hearts at Valentine's day--it's all connected.

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20:02

TWTBIM_0224 The Body is a Thinking Tool

Teaching With The Body In Mind ·

2022/12/20

Joey's observations of children decorating a play house with chalk lead to an examination of the idea that the body is a thinking tool. When children need to solve the problem of extending their reach, does the idea for a solution come from their mind or their body? Are we paying enough attention to these ordinary, yet remarkable, moments of competence and agency? Are our methods of assessment limited by being too tied to language?

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25:25

TWTBIM_0223 Mike Hates Gym Time

Teaching With The Body In Mind ·

2022/12/13

Gyms full of young children are loud, echoey, and overwhelming. Mike is going on record to say he doesn't like gym time. Tom wonders if it makes a difference how the space is set up? What about the schedule? Does it help if the children help choose the materials? Mike would still rather integrate physical play into the classroom setting. Joey wonders what's available in the gym, but not in the classroom--things like open space. Mike would still rather look for other open spaces. Ross makes a pitch

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TWTBIM_0222 Unadventurous Playgrounds

Teaching With The Body In Mind ·

2022/12/06

In contrast to recent conversations about adventure playgrounds, Ross wonders if traditional, static playgrounds are truly safer for children. Without open-ended materials, children's bodies become the thing that can change--for better or worse. In spaces with one "right way" to do things, social conflict can increase. Tom confesses to being a local playground aficionado who has seen some creative and fun traditional playgrounds.

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20:44

TWTBIM_0222 Unadventurous Playgrounds

Teaching With The Body In Mind ·

2022/12/06

In contrast to recent conversations about adventure playgrounds, Ross wonders if traditional, static playgrounds are truly safer for children. Without open-ended materials, children's bodies become the thing that can change--for better or worse. In spaces with one "right way" to do things, social conflict can increase. Tom confesses to being a local playground aficionado who has seen some creative and fun traditional playgrounds.

en

22:03

TWTBIM_0221 Adventure Playgrounds, Part 2

Teaching With The Body In Mind ·

2022/11/29

There's more to say about the principles of adventure playgrounds and how they contrast to some of our accepted norms for children's play spaces. Is there really a dichotomy between safe and unsafe spaces for children? Could an environment that requires more thoughtful use of materials be safer than a static play space? Do we expect spaces that are "professionally" designed and constructed to be 100% risk free? What about the positive impact of risk taking on mental health? How is the adult's role

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19:15

TWTBIM_0220 Adventure Playgrounds, Part 1

Teaching With The Body In Mind ·

2022/11/22

Tom admires the "mindful audacity" of adventure playgrounds--radical spaces full of loose parts and possibilities. Joey brings up the tension between how adults believe children's play materials should be organized versus the more organic way that children use materials in play. Ross advocates for predictability. How do our expectations about organization shape the play possibilities in our environments?

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22:29

TWTBIM_0219 Weather Report

Teaching With The Body In Mind ·

2022/11/15

It's true that Minnesotans can't stop talking about the weather. Mike wants to know how it could be possible that a weather chart could teach better than just going outside with children. Ross pitches a new line of sensory experience flashcards--coming to stores soon!

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