Nobody tells the teacher what to do in that split second. When teachers ask me how to manage big feelings in a preschool classroom, what they usually describe is the children. The behaviors. The meltdowns. The child who will not come to the carpet. Almost never what it costs us to absorb it. I understand why. We are trained to look outward. So we have language for a child's hard moment and almost none for the thing happening in our own body at the same time. The shoulders. The voice we did not choose. The guilt at nap time that follows us all the way to the car. Here is what I have come to believe: You are not losing your patience. You are absorbing a room full of big feelings all day with nowhere to put your own. That is not a character flaw. That is a body doing what bodies do. Think of the last time a child swept the blocks off the shelf, or tore down your bulletin board. Your shoulders were probably up before you decided anything. That reaction was faster than thought. It was already underway before you had a chance to choose it. Which is exactly why "be more patient" has never once worked, for you or for anyone. You cannot decide your way out of something that already happened. There are a hundred resources out there for calming the children. There are almost none for the teacher standing in the middle of it. Jennifer said it better than I could: "I've been seeking this in so many places but it's always about regulating the kids. Everything says, the teacher will feel this way too. But they never tell the teacher what to do for yourself in that split second." So I made something that does. The Regulated Room is 90 minutes of audio, broken into five themes, built for the teacher and not the child. 90 minutes. That is one summer afternoon. Do it in a single sitting, or take one theme at a time over five mornings. Whatever way works for you. More than 117 teachers have already gone through it. I asked them for their honest feedback at the end, and I would rather they tell you than me.

I have to stop and celebrate the teachers who just leveled up to Level 2 in our community. Twenty of you! 🥳 That kind of engagement this early tells me you are showing up, jumping into conversations, and helping make this space what it is. Thank you! 🙏🏽 👏 Celebrating our newest Level 2 teachers: @Lynn Nelson @Johnnie Westergreen @Jessica Gonzalez-Baez @Emi S @Natasha Darrow @Sammantha Gilbert @Abby Zook @Terri Rollwitz @Souk Phaiboun @Katherine Fulmer @Kathy Schubert @Patty Johnson @Tasia Dobson @Veronica Winternheimer @Tracy McDermott @Laura Williams, MBA, Ed.S @Ronnette Johnson @Amber Mathis @Julia Macias @Susan Y And here is the fun part... reaching Level 2 unlocks the Teach Names video walkthrough, my 10 playful ideas for helping children recognize and write their names. No worksheets, no drilling, just hands-on ways to build that early literacy foundation through play. 💖 If you're a Level 2 teacher and haven't watched it yet, go take a peek. 👀 And if you already have, I would love to hear from you: 👉🏽 Which of the 10 name ideas got you the most excited? 👉🏽 Or which one are you planning to try first with your students? Drop it in the comments so we can all borrow each other's favorites. 😄 Keep leveling up, teacher friends. I love watching this community grow. 🌱

Hey teachers! 🙌🏽 Quick poll for you We have such a diverse group of amazing educators here, and some of you are just starting your journey in preschool or pre-K (woohoo!), and some are a few years in and we have some veteran teachers as well.🍎 In the comments drop your best advice or words of encouragement for new teachers about to start on their teaching journey. 🚌 Here's to our best year yet! ✨

Hey everyone! 🫶🏼 The school year can keep us so busy that we don't make time for ourselves. What's one thing you want to do for you this summer? Can be big or small, from take more naps (🙋🏻‍♀️), finish a book, take a vacay. Whatever it is, let us know how you plan to unwind this summer!

My new Magna-Tiles Growing Bundle is live! 🎉 You've been asking me for more magnetic tile resources forever, so I finally made them. Here's how they work: students look at a challenge card, build the image with their own tiles, then match the real-photo vocabulary card. Build it, name it, own it. 3 levels plus "Can You Draw It?" pages, so it stretches into fine motor, vocab, AND a STEM center. It's a growing bundle with 18 topics total. 6 are ready now (Pets, Trees, Plants, Community Helpers, Dinosaurs, Back to school), and 12 more are coming, including Back to School, Numbers & Letters in July. Here's the deal: it's $18 right now for all 18, a dollar a set, and the price goes up every time I add one. Grab it now, get everything future free. 👇 [→Get the Growing Bundle Here] Can't wait to see your students building and drawing their vocabulary words!