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Welcome to the wonderful world of kindergarten.... kept simple! I’m Mariah, the creator of A Playful Purpose: Learning for Littles Inc. Kindergarten specialist turned curriculum writer. Mom, wannabe baker and lover of early 2000s Disney Channel (hello, Lizzie McGuire and HSM). Enthusiast of ponytails, pancakes and helping Canadian kindergarten teachers stress less by simplifying their planning and re-igniting their love of play-based learning. Here to help you take back your weekends and love teaching on week days. If you are a kindergarten educator spending too much time planning and feeling a little (or a lot) burnt out and you're ready to feel excited about teaching again, and you're looking for French and English play-based resources, simple but engaging activities and ideas, support and real connection and systems and routines that really work....then you're in the right place! Kindergarten Kept Simple is all about helping YOU re-ignite your love for early learning by removing the stress of searching for resources and planning for play-based learning. By implementing simple systems, reliable routines and not re-inventing the wheel, you can leave work at the bell and leave your prep to prep time. Sound too good to be true? I thought so too. But after years feeling burnt out and on the brink of stress leave, I finally realized that teaching didn't have to be like this. Now that you're here, I'll show you the way.Each episode will be an easy listen that will hopefully inspire you and brighten your day. From interviews with people who amaze me to learning about early years education, this podcast is perfect for anyone with littles in their life. And with that it’s time to dive right in! Let’s get this party started. Welcome to Kindergarten Kept Simple.
38 Episodes
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1Do you ever feel like a meeting should have just been an email? You're not alone! On this episode of Kindergarten Kept Simple, we're joined by Katie Crichton, a team lead and kindergarten teacher in Guelph, Ontario. Whether you're a team lead or not, Katie's tips will help you communicate more effectively with your direct teaching team and become a leader in your school community. Katie shares her top tips on how to run an effective team meeting, from having a plan and knowing your audience t...
Effective communication with parents and guardians can be a daunting task, but it doesn't have to be! Jasmine from First Grade Frenchies joins us on this episode of Kindergarten Kept Simple to debunk some of the myths and misconceptions about effective communication with parents and guardians. Jasmine is an Ontario educator who takes pride in establishing strong and respectful relationships with the guardians of her students.Jasmine's Three Myths About Effective Guardian Communication:Myth 1:...
As educators, we know how important it is to create dynamic and engaging learning opportunities for our students. And when it comes to outdoor learning, using a wonder wagon can be a game-changer! In this episode of Kindergarten Kept Simple, we talk with Kat from Je Me Demande about her experience using a wonder wagon in her outdoor learning program and why it's so important to keep things simple.Kat, one of the first educators to truly embrace outdoor learning and the use of a wonder wagon, ...
As educators, we all want to create an inclusive and welcoming classroom environment for our students. But what does it mean to truly embrace inclusion and cultural responsiveness? In this episode of Kindergarten Kept Simple, we talk with Zara, a kindergarten teacher in York region, about her experience growing up Muslim in the Canadian school system and how this has shaped her approach to teaching.Zara remembers feeling like she never quite fit in or felt comfortable sharing her own experien...
Teaching dance and movement can be intimidating for many educators, but it doesn't have to be! In fact, incorporating rhythm, dance, and movement into your daily routine can be fun, engaging, and extremely beneficial for your students. In this episode of Kindergarten Kept Simple, we talk with Nicole, an Ottawa kindergarten teacher and founder of Harmony Dance Company, about her top tips for bringing movement and dance into your classroom.Nicole's philosophy is all about creating a safe and in...
The classroom environment is one of the most important, but often overlooked, factors that can drastically change the way your classroom runs. But this doesn’t mean that we need to be spending 100s of dollars on baskets and mood lighting and picture perfect centres to establish a more effective classroom environment. It’s all about figuring out what works for your students, your routine and YOU as an educator. Today we are joined by Amanda from Creative Kindergarten who is sharing her to...
Looking to integrate more play and creativity into your classroom? If so, you might want to check out story workshop using loose parts! It's a fantastic way to encourage your students to explore their imagination and express their ideas in fun and meaningful ways, regardless of their age or skill level.To help you get started, we invited Marissa, a passionate French Immersion teacher and loose parts expert, to share her story workshop cart and tips for building a successful loose parts progra...
I think we can all pretty much agree it's easy to get outside with our kindergarten students when it's 18 degrees, blue skies and sunny. Everyone loves a beautiful day spent outside! But the truth is the value of outdoor learning remains the same year-round… regardless of the temperature or the colour of the skies.And while bundling up in wet snow pants and covering your face with a scarf so tightly that your best friend wouldn't even recognize you isn't something I especially look forward to...
I know it's not the most… fun… topic, but I have to say something because it's that time. Communication of Learning time. And as much as I would like to pretend this time of year doesn't exist, it does. So I am coming to you with report card writing tips for stress-free kindergarten COLs. Not an Ontario educator? COL stands for Communication of Learning and it's essentially up to 4 pages of written commentary per student in your class divided into the four frames of the Ontario FDK program.Th...
How do you feel about planning for math for your kindergarten class? I'll level with you: math phobia is REAL and a lot of adults have insecurities when it comes to teaching math to our littles. But it doesn't have to be this way! Let's shift our mindset so we can create little learners who love math and are ready to take on all the challenges that come hand in hand with more advanced math concepts over the years by using quick and easy math talks with kinders.New to math talks? It can sound ...
Want to learn the one thing that single handedly changed the way I taught kindergarten? This was a game changing shift for me that stopped my whirlwind weekends of planning and prepping immediately. It's all about using weekly workshops to consistently support students. WHY: Cyclical planning helps our littles know what to expect and creates strong routines, boundaries and expectations. It also makes our planning SO much easier and is a great way to directly monitor week after week progress (...
When it comes to teaching kindergarten the days are BUSY and it's easy to get swept up spending every second of your weekend planning and prepping for the week ahead. I'm letting you in on a little secret that with time and practice will decrease your workload AND increase student engagement - a total win win. The secret is that your greatest planning partner is right under your nose and keen to jump in!All you have to do decrease your workload and increase student engagement is embrace...
Alright level with me here. Does your prep fly by in the blink of an eye and before you know it you have gotten zero checked off your to-do list but somehow been busy the entire time? In today's episode we are talking about 3 tips for a more effective prep and it is going to change the game for your productivity and effectiveness at school. The reality is, we all have very limited time both during the work day and beyond. Learning how to best manage this means we can leave as much work as pos...
Today I want to help you bring a little more calm into the classroom. To do that I will tell you exactly how to introduce mindfulness in kindergarten.In addition to being an Ontario Certified and Nova Scotia Certified teacher and a Kindergarten Specialist, did you know I am also a certified children's yoga teacher? I am! I took a certification program with a friend of mine back in 2019 to learn more about how to teach breathing, mindfulness and postures to our littles because I was finding so...
Let's talk about a super underused strategy in kindergarten that majorly decreases your workload and burnout. Repetition. And I'm not talking about repeating instructions and expectations (although… let's be honest that is inevitable and super helpful too in kinder land), I'm talking about repeating activities throughout the year and repeating lesson plans by recyling and re-using your planning in kindergarten.Since the dawn of time, or at least the dawn of social media teache...
Often the biggest hurdles in outdoor learning are other adults. From the members of your teaching team, to the families to your admin, there's a lot of people with a lot of opinions on outdoor time- particularly in less than perfect weather conditions. Sometimes it is as easy as listing the benefits to outdoor learning:> Learning outside helps us develop a respect and appreciation of the environment and the natural world> Playing outside in all types of weather builds resilie...
I'm talking about a sensitive subject today, so buckle up and take a breath. I'm bringing up a majorly divisive topic in the early years world: worksheets in kindergarten (and why it's actually okay to use them). And I'm going to just come out and say it. I use them.GASP SHUDDER SHUT THE DOORS DRAW THE BLINDS. The thing is, I would never lie to you, or quite frankly, waste your time by only sharing information about teaching practices and strategies that work in ideal cla...
As I sit here on the cusp of my first year of motherhood, I realize that all the annoying clichés about raising children are surprisingly accurate. As a new parent, I’ve been learning that there is nothing quite like the love and bond created between a mother and her child. There’s nothing like seeing your child thrive and grow, watching them change right before your eyes. It’s hard to remember life without them, to go back to what you were doing that doesn’t include them.So (almos...
Overwhelming. Exciting. Yet truly Cringy. Your first year as a teacher is a disproportionate mix of different emotions… mine was too. Investing time on things that didn’t matter, feeling burned out, and controlling everything in the classroom, from the bulletin boards to the posters, I pressured myself to perfect everything that needn’t be.If you’re a first-time teacher, it will help you know how typically messy the time was for me. Even in my latest year of teaching I felt kind of new again!...
Real Talk. How long does it take for you to plan your kindergarten lessons?How do you make sure your planning is textbook perfect so that your littles are always actively learning something as they engage in play?Fun fact… I don’t.My systems and routines – contrary to popular ways – are simple and have always been so, meaning I don’t micromanage my classes or stop the play to direct my children to an “important lesson” whenever they’re trying things out.What I do instead is to allow my little...
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