661 Before You Correct the Behavior, Get Them Moving! | Preston Blackburn

Send us Fan Mail (https://www.buzzsprout.com/2209142/fa...) What if the answer to some of your biggest classroom behavior challenges isn't another rule, reward chart, or consequence? What if children simply need more opportunities to MOVE? The child who can't sit still, the one constantly crashing into things, or the child struggling through every transition may be telling us something important. And as educators, we need to start paying attention. In this episode of The Child Care Director's Chair Podcast, Erica Saccoccio sits down with Preston Blackburn, founder of Pop, Hop & Rock and Pivot to Play, to challenge the way we approach behavior, movement, and learning in early childhood classrooms. Preston shares how purposeful physical activity supports children's self-regulation, attention, body awareness, and readiness to learn. We're talking about real classroom challenges and simple solutions educators can start using tomorrow, without expensive equipment or completely changing their schedules. In this episode, we explore: • Why children who struggle to sit still may need more movement, not more consequences. • How movement supports brain development, behavior, and classroom learning. • Simple activities like bear crawls, frog jumps, and animal walks that help children reset. • How to make movement part of transitions, circle time, and everyday routines. • When children may benefit from additional occupational therapy support. • What directors can do to help teachers create environments that support children's individual needs. Here's the question every educator should be asking: Are we expecting children to control their bodies before we've given them enough opportunities to use them? This conversation will have you looking at classroom behavior, daily schedules, and the power of play a little differently. Learn more about Preston Blackburn and her work at Pivot to Play: https://pivottoplay.com (https://pivottoplay.com/) If you're a childcare director, preschool teacher, or early childhood professional, this is an episode you'll want to share with your entire teaching team. Don't just listen. Share this episode with a fellow educator! Let's get more classrooms moving and give children the opportunities they need to thrive. Visit www.childcaredirectorschair.com (http://www.childcaredirectorschair.com/) for more conversations about early childhood education, leadership, and practical solutions for our field. Support the show (https://www.buzzsprout.com/2209142/su...) The Child Care Director's Chair Podcast is proudly powered by WatchMeGrow, our premier podcast sponsor and a trusted partner in early childhood education. WatchMeGrow helps child care programs strengthen family engagement through secure live-streaming, classroom video access, and communication tools that build transparency, trust, and peace of mind for families. Their innovative technology empowers programs to enhance safety, strengthen relationships, and showcase the incredible learning happening in their classrooms every day. To learn more about how WatchMeGrow can support your program, visit www.watchmegrow.com (http://www.watchmegrow.com/) . Thank you to WatchMeGrow for supporting our mission to inspire, equip, and empower child care leaders around the world.