Adult Aesthetics: The Hidden Problem | May Zalat | The Early Years Podcast #10

Every educator has walked into a classroom they've built with their own hands and never once asked who it was actually built for. The bulletin boards. The labeled bins. The furniture arrangement. We assume it's for the children, but is it? In Episode 10, Dana sits down with May Zalat, Group Director of Inclusion at Kids First Group, for a conversation about "adult aesthetics", the pattern where classrooms end up shaped around the adults evaluating them rather than the children living in them. May shares the personal journey that pulled her into inclusion work, why belonging isn't a program you apply but a decision you make every morning, and how the same open-ended material can meet two completely different children exactly where they are. In this episode: — What "adult aesthetics" means and why it shows up without us noticing — The moment that shaped May's entire career in inclusion — Why the environment is the first message a child receives, before any adult says a word — What children are really looking for when they walk into a room and why it's different from what parents notice — The "Giant Competent" activity: what it feels like to be talked to from above — Why open-ended materials let every child enter learning at their own level — The difference between a consequence and a punishment, and why it matters — Why receiving feedback from a three-year-old is harder than it sounds — Belonging as a daily decision, not a checklist CHAPTERS 00:00 Introduction: who is your classroom really built for? 03:27 Meet May Zalat, Group Director of Inclusion 03:45 The moment that shaped May's journey into inclusion 10:06 The environment as the first message a child receives 12:39 What children notice that parents don't 13:31 What belonging actually looks like in a classroom 16:23 The Giant Competent: eye level and power 37:39 Designing environments that work for every child 38:39 One material, two children, two different journeys 42:56 Learning to receive feedback from children 48:45 Closing thought: belonging as a daily decision About the guest: May Zalat is Group Director of Inclusion at Kids First Group. Her path into inclusion began as a mother raising a son with Down syndrome, which led her to train as a positive discipline parent coach and complete a master's degree in special educational needs, speech delay, and disorder. She now works across environmental design, educator coaching, and inclusive practice. About The Early Years Podcast The Early Years Podcast is brought to you by The Early Years Academy by Parent App, your village for the early years. We believe the adults in the early years ecosystem, educators, leaders, families, deserve the same care, investment, and belonging they pour into the children they serve every day. Hosted by Dana Al Qinneh, Head of Pedagogy at Parent App. If this episode lands with you, share it with a colleague, a director, or a parent in your circle who needs to hear it. 🔔 Subscribe and turn on notifications so you never miss a new episode. #EarlyYearsEducation #InclusiveEducation #EarlyChildhoodDevelopment #ClassroomDesign #TeacherSupport #ParentApp #EarlyYearsPodcast #ChildDevelopment #InclusiveEducators #KidsFirstGroup