Podcast
Teaching With The Body In Mind
Hosted by Teaching With The Body In Mind · EN
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.
10episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
TWTBIM_0381 Gendered Classroom Spaces
2w ago00:21:38Tap to summarizeTom's thinking about who uses what space in the classroom whether it is gendered. Mike explains gender schema theory. Ross is reminded of the gender-coded ailes at stores like Target. Is this code replicated in classrooms? Joey reflects on her bias against toy dinosaurs and the role of gender in her dislike. Tom sees access to movement as the key to making spaces welcome for children on all genders.
Transcribe →TWTTBIM_0380 Hug
3w ago00:20:47Tap to summarizeTom's been watching the World Cup and thinking about the many different ways people hug. Naturally this leads to a conversation about what children learn about hugging. Is hugging professional? How is it diffrerent for men in the classroom? What if you don't want a hug? What is the role of family culture?
Transcribe →TWTBIM_0379 Joint Ventures and Friendship
4w ago00:22:34Tap to summarizeRoss has been taking notes and wants a follow up conversation on the ways that physical play creates an entry point for social relationships. Tom points out how joint ventures in the physical world create openings for friendship—bumping cars, filling big buckets with sand. Joey is reminded of recent statue game where physical play was a path to quickly forming relationships. Mike wonders if physical games are more like choreography than a written script. In the end, do we just need more time for play?
Transcribe →TWTBIM_0378 Allow Social Mistakes
Jul 700:21:53Tap to summarizeMike emphasizes the importance of allowing for mistakes while children are learning social skills. There will be bumping and complaining, but also essential development. Tom recalls two children who happily squished close together to fill a tube at the sensory table. A blanket rule about squishing would have shut down that learning. Helping children tune in to one another is the goal.
Transcribe →TWTBIM_0377 The Body is a Social Tool
Jun 3000:20:06Tap to summarizeJoey is thinking about the role of the body in social learning and building social skills. Ross reminds us of the importance of making mistakes while we learn. Sometimes you have to spill the water on Mike to learn how much he doesn't like it. Tom is running late, so it's up to Mike to coin the phrase, "the body is a social tool." Tom finally arrives and gives his approval.
Transcribe →ENCORE EPISODE Sharing Isn't Always Caring
Jun 2300:21:20Tap to summarizeRoss circles back to a conversation about what sharing really means. Tom reminds us that when teachers strictly impose time limits or make decisions about when children must "share," they take away the chance for the children to define what is possible. When children are included in decision-making, we see more sharing and acts of kindness than we may have thought possible.
Transcribe →TWTBIM_0376 The Rules Way
Jun 1600:23:09Tap to summarizeTom reflects on a friendly game of cards with his grandson that became locked into a fight. When and why is it important to follow the rules when playing games with children? When do you play the "friends way" and when do you play the "rules way"?
Transcribe →TWTBIM_0375 Nonlinear
Jun 900:22:28Tap to summarizeMike leads a discussion about the nonlinear nature of learning. As Ross explains, children's learning looks like a "Family Circle" cartoon, not a straight line.
Transcribe →TWTBIM_0374 Happy with Approximations
Jun 200:22:18Tap to summarizeIn a continuation of last week's conversation about how children learn, Ross is thinking about how unprompted feedback can squash intrinsic motivation and discovery. The conversation flows from there. The group talks about the stages of the learning cycle, how play based teaching can sometimes gloss over these stages, the importance of attunement, and the impact of the timing of feedback.
Transcribe →TWTBIM_0373 When Does the Learning Happen?
May 2600:21:12Tap to summarizeJoey is triggered by a guest to her school wondering when the "learning" would happen. What could she say to this visitor if she could go back in time? Ross might turn the question around to help make the point that adults also need interest, excitement, and motivation to learn. Mike is reminded of a Lillian Katz quote which points out we are often wasting time for most of our students when we think we are helping them learn. Tom points out that children are always learning. In the end, Joey gets the answer she needs. Now she just needs a time machine.
Transcribe →