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Dear Friend,

Thank you for signing up for my weekly newsletter!

The super popular Takeaway Thursday — a short bullet-point email where I share what is on my desk that week.

Oh, and keep an eye out for surprise emails with extra goodies that I curate just for you. Think of it as a little burst of wonder in your inbox!

Thank you for reading!

Yours in Wonder,

Sally

@Wunderled™

Breaking away from the normal reaction is challeng

Breaking away from the normal reaction is challenging because it’s what we know. It’s what we have been taught. We even have “evidence” of it working!

What if I told you, these 3 Essential Ingredients can open up learning and self-regulation in a way you didn’t know was possible?

I have created an E-book that takes you through these 3 ingredients, PLUS bonus videos that accompany them. If you’re interested, will you comment Connection24 and I’ll send you my FREE guide! ❤️

#childled #childledlearning #playbasedlearning #learningthroughplay #earlychildhoodeducation #earlychildhoodeducator #earlychildhood #classroommanagement #childguidance

If we can shift our focus and look for the cause o

If we can shift our focus and look for the cause of the behavior, you will be surprised for what it can do for your learning environment.

Here’s a small breakdown each of these proposed solutions.

Set (or Re-Set) Expectations
Resetting our expectations around universal truth is what will allow you to move forward, and stop blaming yourself.

It allows you to start looking for small wins. (And if you can change your focus, you can transform your teaching practice!)
Take on searching for small wins and write them down at the end of the day.

Self-Regulate
Many years ago, a mentor told be about the importance of mirror neurons:

“Sally, if you meet with calm and not dread, then his nervous system will receive a “bath” of calm through his mirror neurons.”

Put simply? Children are imprinted by our state - by our emotions, by our presence - as educators.

When you take a deep breath and find your inner calm, you are finding it for the children as well.

Show Up & Respond
Instead of searching for the “one and only” strategy, focus on building your personal toolkit by experimenting. Inside my Wonder League, we consider child guidance strategies fall into 3 different groups.

- Relationship building- how we help children build healthy relationships with each other and resolve conflict.
- Community building- how we resolve recurring classroom breakdowns and disagreements as a community.
- Identity building- how we strengthen our relationship to the child, and nurture the child’s sense of self as a learner, which builds their confidence and sense of safety.

Re-framing into these different categories helps us identify more specifically the root of the behavior.

If you want a deeper dive into this, take a look at my newest E-book all about child guidance. I even have videos that go into one of my favorite conflict resolution strategies - The Peace Table. If you’re interested, will you comment Connection24 and I’ll send you my FREE guide.

#childled #childledlearning #playbasedlearning #learningthroughplay #earlychildhoodeducation #earlychildhoodeducator #earlychildhood #classroommanagement #childguidance

I had a method for approaching child guidance that

I had a method for approaching child guidance that is backed by research and supports the children in your care. This method also helps open up a child to learning, vs. shaming them and keeping them in a state of dysregulation.

These are my 3 ingredients:
Set (or Re-Set) Expectations
Self-Regulate
Show Up & Respond

For this I’m going to give you a small preview of “relationship building.”

Relationship building- how we help children build healthy relationships with each other and resolve conflict.

Take this example: Sara and Emma are fighting over a new teapot in the home living center. Emma breaks down crying, saying Sara is wrong.

This is a classic Relationship-Building example: two friends who typically play well together are in the middle of a conflict.

This is a prime example to take the conflict to the Peace Table.

Quick review, what’s a peace table?
The Peace Table is a place where a child can invite someone to join them when they have upset them. The educator will help teach the children how to use the timer, how to get centered before beginning, how to use the talking turn heart rock, etc. There is a special methodology I use to implement this practice. As time goes on, the children can facilitate peace talks on their own.

If you want to learn how to set up your own peace table and you also want to go deeper on the other 2 ingredients, comment Connection24 and I’ll send you my FREE guide all about child guidance, along with 3 videos all about the peace table.

#childled #childledlearning #playbasedlearning #learningthroughplay #earlychildhoodeducation #earlychildhoodeducator #earlychildhood #classroommanagement #childguidance

We’ve been conditioned to view a good child as a

We’ve been conditioned to view a good child as a compliant child. Children are to be seen and not heard. They only talk when asked. The conventional approach to “managing behavior” drives a wedge between us and the child in front of us. Meanwhile, the research has shown us time and time again that connection is the KEY that unlocks the gate to learning.

Connection and social regulation live in the limbic system, which is our feeling brain. One of the best ways to help a child learn how to self-regulate is by developing their limbic system. If a child doesn’t get into their “feeling brain” they can’t get into their “thinking brain.”

There is a lot to unpack here, so if you want to go deeper into my methodology for child guidance and how to foster connection, comment Connection24 and I’ll send you my free child guidance guide!

#childled #childledlearning #playbasedlearning #learningthroughplay #earlychildhoodeducation #earlychildhoodeducator #earlychildhood #classroommanagement #childguidance

The relationship between social connection and lea

The relationship between social connection and learning works like this:

- Children need play for social connection.
- Social connection stimulates motivation.
- Motivation drives interest.
- Interest builds executive functioning of the brain.
- Executive functioning sets the child up for success in academic learning.

Play is the way. 🙌

Heart this video if you trust play. ❤️

#childled #childledlearning #playbasedlearning #learningthroughplay #earlychildhoodeducation #earlychildhoodeducator #earlychildhood

The limbic system (our “primal” brain) will as

The limbic system (our “primal” brain) will assess what’s happening and search for connection in order to feel safe and secure. When connection is established, it can relax and allow the brain to function fully.

Play supports children’s developing brains and is truly the academic way.

Share this with someone who knows the value of play.

#childled #childledlearning #playbasedlearning #learningthroughplay #earlychildhoodeducation #earlychildhoodeducator #earlychildhood