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.

TWTBIM_0367 Bouncing is What Tiggers do Best 03/24/2026

TWTBIM_0367 Bouncing is What Tiggers do Best Inspired by the 100th annivesary of Winnie the Pooh, Mike is thinking about the Tiggers of the world (and our classrooms). Can we enjoy our Tiggers or have we turned into judgemental Rabbits? How can we anticipate their presence and their needs? /episode/index/show/twtbim/id/40573100

TWTBIM_0366 Notice and Reflect 03/17/2026

TWTBIM_0366 Notice and Reflect How do you notice and reflect on the things children do? Mike recently created a list to prompt reflection on "seven daily things, plus one." Tom recalls listening to a child at play and discovering that they had a knowledge of open pit mining. Ross looks back on photos to reflect on children's interests and abilities. Joey sings the class "anthem" to help children notice and reflect on their own accomplishments. When it's all working, we can create a virtuous cycle where children are engaged in ways that align with our values. /episode/index/show/twtbim/id/40486405

TWTBIM_0365 They Had a Good Day 03/10/2026

TWTBIM_0365 They Had a Good Day Tom thinks simply telling families, "they had a good day," dispatches nothing. He challenges us to have a story to tell or a beautiful image of the child to share. Mike has observed how choosing photos to share with families offers teachers a chance to pause and reflect. Joey finds that broadly painting things as a "good day" washes over the challenges and hard work that are part of every school day. Ross points out that sometimes there have been lengthy conversations that have happened in the background and we shouldn't judge the "good day" check in out of context. /episode/index/show/twtbim/id/40356010

TWTBIM_0364 It's All Fun and Games Until Dysregulation 03/03/2026

TWTBIM_0364 It's All Fun and Games Until Dysregulation Ross takes us on a deep dive into the art of teaching. How do we respond when children's big play tips into dysregulation that takes over the group? Tom talks about taking responsibility when we decide to stop play. Joey reminds us that helping children stay regulated requires us to also be regulated, which can be hard to do in a chaotic environment. Mike thinks of a bell curve depicting regulation. Ideally, we can help children re-regulate before they slide over the top of the curve. /episode/index/show/twtbim/id/40269480

TWTBIM Here Comes the Bad Guy 02/24/2026

TWTBIM Here Comes the Bad Guy How does it feel when the bad guy shows up in play? The children are often eager to have the villain enter. Are we ready to welcome them? /episode/index/show/twtbim/id/40185275

TWTBIM_0362 But That One Time... 02/10/2026

TWTBIM_0362 But That One Time... Our brains are wired to remember "that one time" that the bad thing happened. How can we use our negativity bias to power reflection instead of restriction? What about when "that one kid" did that thing? Does that mean we never offer it again? To anyone? /episode/index/show/twtbim/id/40033730

TWTBIM_0361 Focus and the Phsyical Environment 02/03/2026

TWTBIM_0361 Focus and the Phsyical Environment Mike reflects on how the physical arrangement of a space can support children's ability to focus and build inhibitory control. Cold puddles on the floor are a terrible distraction when children are trying to get cozy with a book. Classroom design that helps children find focus also helps children be themselves. Mike and Ross riff on how providing focus does not mean that children's experiences are limited to any one developmental domain. /episode/index/show/twtbim/id/39950995

TWTBIM_0360 This Could Get Messy 01/27/2026

TWTBIM_0360 This Could Get Messy Last week's discussion about beauty in conflict has Ross thinking about the mess that can also accompany conflict and the value within it. Tom has observed that children are engaged in continuous non-verbal negotiation, which can get messy. Mike makes a musical connection between mess and creativity. Joey wonders if we can learn to prepare ourselves for the mess and always have the right “cleaning supplies” handy. /episode/index/show/twtbim/id/39867115

TWTBIM_0359 Conflict Can Be Beautiful 01/20/2026

TWTBIM_0359 Conflict Can Be Beautiful Squabbles over dinosuars, golden kitties or deeper issues are necessary and beautiful. When we rush in to solve children's conflicts, we make it all about us. Resolving conflict is an open-ended activity that can lead to creativity. Early childhood settings are a great place for learning to solve conflicts because they are usually low stakes. /episode/index/show/twtbim/id/39792610

ENCORE EPISODE: When Help Isn't Helpful 01/13/2026

ENCORE EPISODE: When Help Isn't Helpful We'll be back for real next week! Until then, one more from the archives: Ross is losing sleep after being too helpful. Did he take away a learning opportunity by attaching the wheels to a child's car? We offer help with the best of intentions, but perhaps our help sometimes undermines development. What kind of help do they need? (originally released June 2023) /episode/index/show/twtbim/id/39709175

ENCORE EPISODE Hanging Out 01/06/2026

ENCORE EPISODE Hanging Out Ease into the new year, with a relaxing conversation about hanging out. 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. /episode/index/show/twtbim/id/39603885

TWTBIM_0358 Joining In 12/30/2025

TWTBIM_0358 Joining In As Joey was reminded while crawling through cattails, joining in to children’s physical play can give us insight, understanding, and joy. Mike recently learned the tricky balance spots in a playground obstacle course. And we all remember how much fun the kids had when Tom “fell” off the balance beam. Ross cautions—yes, but it shouldn’t become about us. When do we join into children’s play and how do we phase out? /episode/index/show/twtbim/id/39495180

TWTBIM_0357 Relationships Foster Physical Learning 12/23/2025

TWTBIM_0357 Relationships Foster Physical Learning After watching a toddler scoot to wave goodbye to a classmate, Mike reflects on how social relationships provide motivation for physical learning. Prosocial connection is a powerful internal motivator. When we lose sight of that, our judgements and interference can become an impediment to learning. /episode/index/show/twtbim/id/39494670

TWTBIM_0356 No Really, Let Them Move Inside 12/16/2025

TWTBIM_0356 No Really, Let Them Move Inside Ross does a check in with the ongoing conversation about creating the conditions to support physical play--indoors and ALWAYS. How do we get comfortable with this, plan for it, make the time, and make the space? We know that physical play is needed for healthy development so let's include it in our plans. Where might you find the cat mat and mouse house in your classroom? /episode/index/show/twtbim/id/39419595

ENCORE EPISODE Sit Still! 12/02/2025

ENCORE EPISODE Sit Still! We reached way back in the vault to September 2018: Are stillness and silence required to meet the goals of Circle Time? Mike leads a discussion about times that children are asked to sit still. Does the expectation that children "sit still" create a distraction from our true learning goals? /episode/index/show/twtbim/id/39229920

TWTBIM ENCORE EPISODE Give Grandma A Kiss 11/25/2025

TWTBIM ENCORE EPISODE Give Grandma A Kiss While we're on a short break for the holiday, enjoy an episode from the early days about consent. There's more to talk about related to consent. During our day to day routines, how can we model respect for children's bodies and teach them about setting boundaries that make them feel comfortable? /episode/index/show/twtbim/id/39159800

TWBIM_0355 Let's Rumble 11/18/2025

TWBIM_0355 Let's Rumble Inspired by the new picture book, , Mike leads the group back to their roots with a conversation about roughhousing with children. What does it look like and why is it so important? /episode/index/show/twtbim/id/39050195

TWBIM_0354 Body Boundaries 11/11/2025

TWBIM_0354 Body Boundaries The group has a big conversation about the complex topic of children's body autonomy in the school setting. There are so many different contexts in which physical contact takes place. It's hard (impossible?) to find just one "rule" to govern them all. (Here's a link to the book Mike references: /episode/index/show/twtbim/id/38967065

TWTBIM_0353 I Like Your Sweatshirt 11/04/2025

TWTBIM_0353 I Like Your Sweatshirt One of Tom's pet peeves is when grownups greet children with compliments centered on their appearance. Mike sees it as similar to relfexively saying "good job." Ross points out that attempts to build self-esteem could actually wind up undermining self-worth. Joey wonders about the child who plans their outfits and initiates the interactions about clothing. The conversation leads Tom to an insight about the importance of helping children reflect on their strengths and accomplishments. /episode/index/show/twtbim/id/38878045

TWTBIM_0352 Teaching Helplessness 10/28/2025

TWTBIM_0352 Teaching Helplessness Ross worries about children who can't find their autonomy because adults are always helping them do things (like zippers, of course). Tom shares a recent experience of his grandson learning to shuffle while he patiently waited. Mike proposes a model of "learned coorperation" instead of learned helplessness. Joey can't find the term she is looking for, but it's the thing that Ross is talking about. /episode/index/show/twtbim/id/38801595

TWTBIM_0351 Unintentional Races 10/22/2025

TWTBIM_0351 Unintentional Races Joey turns to Tom and Mike to help sort out some logistical challenges related to running. Children love to run, but in some conditions it can lead to hyper-competitive racing, pushing, and crashing. Together they brainstorm ideas to help make room for everyone and allow the children to continue to find joy in running. /episode/index/show/twtbim/id/38712130

TWTBIM_0350 Mike Makes Paper Airplanes 10/13/2025

TWTBIM_0350 Mike Makes Paper Airplanes A recent experience at a children's museum has Mike thinking about the conditions for play. What invites us into a flow state? How is it different for adults than for children? Can we find flow in both work and play? Mike talks about how he gets the ideas flowing when he has writer's block. Tom remembers how fun it was to play with boxes and table when he built sensory apparatus. /episode/index/show/twtbim/id/38552770

TWTBIM_0349 Tom Gets Help With His Fence 10/07/2025

TWTBIM_0349 Tom Gets Help With His Fence Tom's grandson came over to help fix his fence last weekend. This got Tom thinking about children doing real work. How can experiences with real work be successful for the child AND the adult? What about when the job has to be done right? Mike remembers working with pie crust scraps as his mom made the real pies. Joey looks for jobs that are helpful even when they're not done perfectly. Intent and approximation are what we need. /episode/index/show/twtbim/id/38489125

TWTBIM_0348 We'll Get There 09/30/2025

TWTBIM_0348 We'll Get There Ross reflects on the value of slowing down as we build relationships at the beginning of the school year. Joey knows the FOMO feeling that can happen as teachers want to try out all their good ideas. Tom suggests that we "live the routine" with flexibility as we figure out what everyone needs. If we charge through everything, we might miss the beautiful moment where a child offers an injured bee a flower blossom. /episode/index/show/twtbim/id/38401285

TWTBIM_0347 It All Goes Better With Action 09/23/2025

TWTBIM_0347 It All Goes Better With Action Joey's gathering ideas for building relationships with children in a way that doesn't rely exclusively on language. The list gets started: sharing their perspective, connecting children with other children, taking the "temperature" during greetings, playing near them, narrating not interrogating, and making faces. Tom points out how barriers can actually invite interraction and Joey brainstorms a box door that she wants to prototype. /episode/index/show/twtbim/id/38318475

TWTBIM_0346 Dance to the Beat of the Drum 09/16/2025

TWTBIM_0346 Dance to the Beat of the Drum All the talk of danicng in the last episode has Mike thinking about drumming. He suggests the metaphor of teacher as drummer, setting the foundation for the group. (We can't resist a good metaphor!) When things are flowing nicely, the drummer can even drop out and the group keeps playing along. /episode/index/show/twtbim/id/38212895

TWTBIM_0345 Correspondence 09/09/2025

TWTBIM_0345 Correspondence Refreshed from a summer break, the group is ready to dive into deep thinking with Tom. He's brought some light reading to decipher. What does it mean to correspond with children versus interact? Ross's school dance analogy is just the thing to help everyone understand. /episode/index/show/twtbim/id/38117370

ENCORE EPISODE: Creating the Conditions 08/27/2025

ENCORE EPISODE: Creating the Conditions Tom's parking cars at the State Fair, Joey and Ross are busy setting up classrooms, and Mike is prepping for another possible podcast (more later). Enjoy this encore eposide in the meantime! What happens if you create the conditions where children know they can try things vs. run a classroom where children are allowed to do things? It's a subtle difference that can lead to a stance of curiosity and appreciation. It can be as simple as the set up for how children access paint or having towels easily available for messy play. (Originally aired September 2022) /episode/index/show/twtbim/id/37955235

TWTBIM_0344 Effort and Attention 08/19/2025

TWTBIM_0344 Effort and Attention A recent experience with new glasses has Joey thinking about executive function and how effort drains attention. Adults often forget the effort involved in tasks that seem like they should be automatic such as walking down a hallway in a line, sitting in a group for storytime, washing hands or unzipping a backpack. If we watch for signs of effort, perhaps we can lighten the load for children instead of burdening them with sequences of difficult tasks. It might make everyone's day more pleasant. /episode/index/show/twtbim/id/37743015

TWTBIM_00343 Exploring Boundaries 08/12/2025

TWTBIM_00343 Exploring Boundaries Tom has some questions about boundaries and rules. For children, the edges of boundaries are the interesting part. Boundaries are more "stretchy" and can be more dynamic than rules. /episode/index/show/twtbim/id/37742875

Teaching With The Body In Mind

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