-bam! Body, Mind And Child - Preparing Your Child's Body And Mind For Life!

Why do young children who don't bite at home come to preschool or day care and suddenly mimic carnivores? Our guest explain why young children bite, how to talk to parents about the problem and how to minimize the occurrences. Susan Campbell was a Principal Investigator on the NICHD Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development and author of Behavior Problems in Preschool Children: Clinical and Developmental Issues. Gretchen Kinnell is the author of No Biting:Policy and Practice for Toddler Programs. Deborah J. Stewart, M.Ed.,over 20 years experience in the field of early childhood education as a teacher, director, curriculum writer.

The definition of child abuse varies from state to state, as do the laws regarding abuse. The problem of understanding and meeting your mandated requirements as an educator is further complicated by the fact that policies regarding child abuse tend to change as well. Here are the basics you need to know. Jody Martin has worked over 20 years in the early childhood field, she taught preschool and directed a Children's World Learning Center. James M. Hmurovich is the President & CEO of Prevent Child Abuse America and was the Indiana State Welfare Director. Dr. David Bloomfield is Professor of Education Leadership, Law, and Policy at Brooklyn College and the City University of NY Graduate Center.

Classroom setup and structure are critical elements in teaching and controlling behavior and student interactions. What do you need to know? What are the best practices? How might rearranging your classroom help you? Dr. Rebecca Gail Isbell has been working in early childhood education for over 25 years. She is co-author Early Learning Environments That Work. Deborah J. Stewart, M.Ed. is the Executive Educational Director over three childcare campuses.

You know the student we're talking about. Yes, the one who regularly makes you want to consider a new career. Dealing with difficult students has always been a part of teaching, but with all the new demands, many teachers are feeling more challenged in this area than ever before. Our guests offer proven strategies that can make a difference immediately. Sheryl K. Pruitt, M.Ed., ET/P, is the Clinical Director of Parkaire Consultants, a clinic she founded to serve neurologically impaired individuals. She is the Co-author of Challenging Kids, Challenged Teachers. Ross W. Greene, Ph.D. is the author of The Explosive Child and Lost at School and he is Associate Clinical Professor, at Harvard Medical School. He is also founding director of the non-profit, Lives in the Balance, through which he provides free, web-based resources on Collaborative Problem Solving.

We hear it all the time: teachers feel disrespected by principals; principals feel disrespected by superintendents; superintendents feel dissed by local school boards; school boards feel discounted by the feds; early child- hood educators feel dismissed by the rest of the education community; and parents feel marginalized by all levels of professional educators. - Why do so many educators feel disrespected? What can be done about it? We start with principals and teachers. Gail Connelly is Executive Director of the National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP). Kathleen Hoffman is Teacher & Spokesperson for the American Federation of Teachers (AFT). Stephen Sawchuk is an assistant editor for Education Week. He is the senior writer of Joining Forces, a recent special report on the topic of labor-management collaboration.

The development of fine motor skills are often a casualty of the rush to get young children up to academic speed. In this segment our guests explain why fine motor skills are a critical building block for higher learning and should never be overlooked. Dr. Christy Isbell is a pediatric occupa- tional therapist and Professor of Occupational Therapy. She has authored five books including, Mighty Fine Motor Fun. Allison Sampish is a kindergarten teacher and author of the Education Week article "Getting Hands On with Fine-Motor Skills." Deborah J. Stewart, M.Ed. has 20+ years in the early childhood education field and the Executive Educational Director over three childcare campuses.

Why is professionalism such a controversial subject among educators? Why is there a raging debate about whether some sectors of the education community qualify as professionals? What does professionalism really mean in the education field and, in practical terms, what does all of this mean to you on the front lines? Dr. Stephanie Feeney is Professor Emerita of Education at the University of Hawaii and author of "Professionalism in Early Childhood Education: Doing Our Best for Young Children." Dr. Sue Martin is Co-author of "Perceptions of Professionalism Among Individuals in the Child Care Field." Sarah Garland is a staff writer at the Hechinger Report, a nonprofit news organization that focuses on education journalism.

There are reports that ADHD in children is on the rise. But are we seeing a growing epidemic of ADHD or simply an increase in labeling children with the affliction? Our guests give us some insight into what is transpiring and offer specific tips for teaching children thought to have ADHD. Thomas Armstrong, Ph.D. is author of The Myth of the A.D.D. Child. Richard Lougy oversaw mental health services for Head Start and Early Head Start programs before retiring in 2007. He now runs a private practice specializing in ADHD and related disorders and has co-authored three books on ADHD. Deborah J. Stewart, M.Ed. has over 20 years experience in the field of early childhood education and is the Executive Educational Director over three childcare campuses.

Of course parents, teachers, and school directors all want children to have safe environments in which to play. But is sterilizing playground dirt going too far? Our guests disagree. Tune in and decide for yourself where to draw the line. Robin Moore is a professor of landscape architecture and director of the Natural Learning Initiative, College of Design, NC State University. His books include Childhood's Domain and Natural Learning. Thelma Harms is Director of Curriculum Development at the Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute. Deborah J. Stewart, M.Ed. has over 20 years experience in the field of early childhood education and is the Executive Educational Director over three childcare campuses.

Hard to believe that with everything educators are dealing with today that chocolate milk has become controversial. Tune in to find out why some schools are banning this flavored delight and decide whether your school Connie M. Weaver, Ph.D., Distinguished Professor and Department Head Purdue University, Nutrition Science. Kathryn E. Henderson, Ph.D. Director of School and Community Initiatives Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity, Yale University. Susan Offutt is the Executive Director at the McCormick Center for Early Childhood Leadership.

Fighting bullying requires a collective, collaborative effort among teachers, parents and school administrators. This segment explores the barriers to effective school/home collaboration against bullying, along with strategies to overcome them. Walter B. Roberts, Jr., Ed.D. is a professor of counselor education at Minnesota State University, Mankato, whose research and advocacy are in the areas of bullying prevention, school safety, and mental health. Author, Working with Parents of Bullies & Victims Dr. Edward Dragan is the author of The Bully Action Guide: How to Help Your Child and Get Your School to Listen.

Parent-teacher conferences are notorious for being dreaded, poorly attended and adversarial when they do occur. Our guests unpack the dynamics behind parent-teacher conferences and share tips on how to make them positive, effective, collaborative opportunities that help students. Betsy Landers is the National PTA® President. Heidi Rosenberg is a senior research analyst at Harvard Family Research Project, where she focuses on promoting family engagement in education. Susan M. Heim is an author, editor and blogger, specializing in parenting issues. She is a longtime editor for the bestselling Chicken Soup for the Soul series.

Our guests disagree on whether teacher collaboration is new, but they all agree that teacher collaboration is becoming more important, is being done in new ways and is more important now than ever. Learn more... Ellen Meyers is author of "The Power of Teacher Networks". Carrie Leana is the George H. Love Professor of Organizations and Management at the University of Pittsburgh, where she holds appointments in the Graduate School of Business, the School of Medicine and the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs. Reporter Sarah D. Sparks spent the last five years writing about federal and state education regulations. She writes a blog called "Inside School Research" for Education Week.

According to our guests, immersing your students in nature offers many benefits to both students and teachers. Find out why you should take your students outside as often as possible. This segment also offers specific outdoor lessons you can use with your class today. Laura Champe Mitchell is the Administrative and Enrollment Coordinator Discovery Woods Learning Community. Sharon Danks is an environmental planner and principal of Bay Tree Design, inc. in Berkeley, California. A frontrunner in the green schoolyards movement, Sharon's professional work has focused on schoolyard ecology and ecological design since 1999. She is the author of Asphalt to Ecosystems: Design Ideas for Schoolyard Transformation.

Many argue that teaching penmanship is a thing of the past, but at what age should children be taught to use a computer keyboard? Some are starting as early as kindergarten, but is it developmentally appropriate? We turn to a panel of experts for guidance on when to start teaching children to hunt and peck and use proper finger placement. Cris Rowan is a pediatric occupational therapist and author of "Virtual Child - The terrifying truth about what technology is doing to children." Jacqui Murray is a Technology Teacher for K-8. She wrote a tech curriculum for kindergarten-fifth grade now used in hundreds of schools all over the country. Lisa Guernsey, Director of New America's Early Education Initiative, focuses on how to create and scale up the best learning environments for children in their early years, from toddlerhood through third grade.

Learning from mistakes is one of those notions that is easier said than done. In fact, the way teachers and parents react when children make mistakes says volumes to young children and can impact them for the rest of their lives. Our guests share insights on encouraging a willingness to make mistakes and to learn from them. Hint: It starts with you. Dr. Fernette Eide, Neurologist, and co-author of The Dyslexic Advantage and Mislabeled Child. Alina Tugend has been a journalist for more than 25 years and has written about education, environmental issues, and consumer culture for numerous publications including The New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, Education Week, She is author of Better by Mistake: The Unexpected Benefits of Being Wrong. Fran Simon is Chief Engagement Officer of Engagement Strategies, LLC. She has been an Early Childhood educator since 1981.

These days many parents want their children to have "advanced" academic skills. Too often these expectations are developmentally inappropriate. In this segment our guests provide guidance to teachers on how to manage inappropriate expectations from parents. Jody Martin has 25 years experience in the early childhood and is Vice President of Education and Training Creme de la Creme. Emma S. McDonald, a veteran teacher, is the author of several books on education including Survival Kit for New Teachers and Classrooms that Spark. Deborah J. Stewart, M.Ed. has over 20 years experience in the field of early childhood education and is the Executive Educational Director over three child care campuses.

Many believe that we are seeing a critical absence among students of the ability to think critically. Some blame it on the emphasis on standardized testing; others see it as a weakness in critical-thinking skills even among adults. Our guests offer tips on how to work critical thinking into our teaching as early as possible. Frank Keil is Charles C. & Dorathea S. Dilley Professor of Psychology at Yale University. Dr. Linda Elder is an educational psychologist and a prominent authority on critical thinking. She is President of the Foundation for Critical Thinking and Executive Director of the Center for Critical Thinking. Maureen Kelleher covered Chicago's public schools for over a decade. Now a contributing writer to Education Week.

Experts and advocates recommend at least 1 to 2 hours a day of physical activity for children. But how do you fit it into your daily program, when there�s so much else for you to do? And what kind of physical activity should it be? Tune in; our experts have the answers.as well as several activities you can use right away. Nikki Steven, fitness expert, speaker, model and founder of Method Motivation Wellness and Personal Training Studio is Las Vegas. She is also the Founder of the Children’s Fitness Foundation. Diane H. Craft, PhD, Professor, teaches adapted physical education courses in the Physical Education Department at State University of New York at Cortland and co-author with Craig Smith Active Play: Fun Physical Activities for Young Children. Deborah J. Stewart, M.Ed. has over 20 years experience in the field of early childhood education as a teacher, director, and consultant for staff training and professional development.

Many people wonder why teachers - especially early childhood teachers - would be stressed. But, often, even the teachers wonder why they are feeling stressed, when education is a field they entered out of love. There are good reasons for those feelings and solutions to getting past them. Tune in to learn more. Dr. Jennifer Baumgartner is an assistant professor in the Division of Family, Child and Consumer Sciences at Louisiana State University and Co-author of Dimensions article, "Finding More Joy in Teaching Children. Jeff Johnson is a Family Child Care Provider. He is the Author of "Keeping Your Smile and Finding Your Smile Again". Deborah J. Stewart, M.Ed. has over 20 years experience in the field and is the Executive Educational Director over three childcare campuses.