Stumbling Through Work

Circle Time w/ GiGi Wynn

• Jerek Hough • Season 3 • Episode 21

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With veteran coach and trainer Gigi Wynn, we explore ECE in different positions with what real support looks like when safety, behavior, and policy collide.

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SPEAKER_00:

Welcome to Stumbling Through Work Where Educators Figure Shit Out. The podcast for educators and anyone who ever walked into their program and said, Nope, not today. I'm your host, Jared Huff, here to unpack the wild stories, broken systems, and to call out the chaos. Let's get into it. Hey team, welcome to another episode of Stumbling Through Work where educators figure shit out. Today we're having educator circle time with our special guest, Gigi Wynn. So Gigi Wynne is dedicated to excellence in early childhood education with over 15 years of experience in fostering children's learning and supporting teachers' growth. As a professional educator, she calls on her rich background to provide meaningful, outcome-based trainings. Gigi has served the early childhood community in a variety of roles, from teaching and training in the classroom to acting as assistant director and director of early childhood centers to be a certified QRIS coach for center-based programs. In her current role, she supports pre-K programs by conducting observations, training sessions, and learning labs to model evidence-based teaching strategies. Gigi holds a bachelor's degree in early childhood administration and a master's degree in special education. She is pursuing a PhD in organizational development and leadership with an emphasis on training and e-learning. Her passion for early childhood community inspires her to connect and to collaborate to support quality on all levels in the ECE community. And with that, I want to welcome Gigi to Stumbling Through Work.

SPEAKER_01:

That's awesome. I'm like, whose bio was that?

SPEAKER_00:

So we're about to do something, and it is that, you know, that awkward staff development training that everybody does. And so I'm going to ask you a series of bingo questions that you would do in one of those trainings and just answer with a yes or no.

SPEAKER_01:

Okay.

SPEAKER_00:

So are you a person that's always late?

SPEAKER_01:

No.

SPEAKER_00:

Do you like reading?

SPEAKER_01:

Yes.

SPEAKER_00:

Are you a morning person?

SPEAKER_01:

Yes.

SPEAKER_00:

Are you a jokester?

SPEAKER_01:

Can be, yes.

SPEAKER_00:

Are you left-handed?

SPEAKER_01:

No.

SPEAKER_00:

Are you wearing something red?

SPEAKER_01:

Yes.

SPEAKER_00:

Do you play a teams a team sport?

SPEAKER_01:

No.

SPEAKER_00:

Do you wear glasses?

SPEAKER_01:

Yes.

SPEAKER_00:

But not today.

SPEAKER_01:

But not today.

SPEAKER_00:

Can you play an instrument?

SPEAKER_01:

I used to. I don't know if I still can. It was the clarinet.

SPEAKER_00:

Oh, I play clarinet too. See, I learned something new. Do you like to go to the gym?

SPEAKER_01:

Yes.

SPEAKER_00:

Have you seen the movie Bad Teacher?

SPEAKER_01:

No.

SPEAKER_00:

Oh, you're missing it, girl. It's the worst, best movie ever. Every educator should watch it.

SPEAKER_01:

Okay.

SPEAKER_00:

Um, do you have more than one tattoo?

SPEAKER_01:

I have no tattoos.

SPEAKER_00:

Oh. Can you sing well?

SPEAKER_01:

No. My husband would be like, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no.

SPEAKER_00:

Have you lived abroad?

SPEAKER_01:

No.

SPEAKER_00:

Do you drink at least three cups of coffee a day?

SPEAKER_01:

No.

SPEAKER_00:

Do you have a side hustle?

SPEAKER_01:

Mini.

SPEAKER_00:

Do you have a pet?

SPEAKER_01:

No, not anymore. November.

SPEAKER_00:

Do you speak more than one language?

SPEAKER_01:

Um, ebonics. No.

SPEAKER_00:

And that is a language. We're gonna take that as one, so yes. Do you like Mondays?

SPEAKER_01:

Yes.

SPEAKER_00:

Have you watched Abbott Elementary?

SPEAKER_01:

Yes.

SPEAKER_00:

Okay. I was gonna I was gonna uh talk about you if you haven't.

SPEAKER_01:

That's thank you to my daughter. She keeps me up on everything.

SPEAKER_00:

Um do you do volunteer work?

SPEAKER_01:

Yes.

SPEAKER_00:

Do you get eight or more hours of rest a night?

SPEAKER_01:

No.

SPEAKER_00:

Do you like your coworkers?

SPEAKER_01:

Yes, I do. I love them.

SPEAKER_00:

And have you moved in the last year?

SPEAKER_01:

No.

SPEAKER_00:

Okay. So we just like to start off with that. Get a little bit, you know, let the listeners know who you are and a little bit of your personality. And as you know, here on Stumbling Through Work, we love asking for a friend. And so we're gonna read one and I want your reaction to it.

SPEAKER_01:

They're funny too. I don't know if I can answer this, Derek.

SPEAKER_00:

Oh, you can't. It's right up, it's it's right up your specialty.

SPEAKER_01:

Okay, let's see.

SPEAKER_00:

It's titled, I'm tired of de-escalating behaviors. I missed the days where the worst behavior was a kid having a tantrum because they couldn't get a chair. Now I have to dodge chairs and protect children from getting hit in the head with heavy objects. I currently have a student that tosses chairs and will spit and bite. Sometimes the trigger is being told they can't do something, like climb on tables. Other times there is no clear reason for the trigger. The behavior therapist comes in a few times a month, and their only response is that we need to just tell them no and be firm. The thing is telling this child no is it often sorry, the thing is telling this child no is often a trigger, and they do not listen to anything when they are tossing chairs and flipping chairs. Then there are other times when the behavior therapist says we need to be more lenient, but they never offer any real solutions. A chair narrowly missed a child the other day. I am talking, if the child was just a few inches closer, they would have been knocked out by the chair. What was the trigger? They saw a kid from another class walk by the door and wanted a hat they were wearing. Because they could not get it, he got mad. I am really concerned someone is going to really get hurt. Last year I dealt with a kid smearing feces and then another kid eloping. And I also want to mention for the listeners, eloping is like not, you know, not running off and getting married like a three-year-old getting married in special education. That means that they're leaving the area unsupervised. They're running. So I just want to be clear about that for the listeners. I am just tired of having to always de-escalate behaviors, especially with little to no support. What makes it worse is that the center I work for has no um expulsionary policy. I am just tired of spending my time always putting out fires and not focusing on actual learning.

SPEAKER_01:

Wow, that's a mouthful.

SPEAKER_00:

That was a lot.

SPEAKER_01:

That there's so many different um perspectives of what's taking place. So where do you want to start?

SPEAKER_00:

Well, um, I'm gonna say, um, I mean, I get you, I'm I get you're tired of these escalating behaviors. I I totally understand. I say put their ass out. I don't have to.

SPEAKER_01:

I was sitting there going, Jared's gonna ask me something, and I'm like, I do not agree with you.

SPEAKER_00:

But let me tell you why. Let me tell you why I say that. Even though they said they don't have an expo um an expulsion policy, the reason why I say that is because I'm looking at it from a um business insurance situation where you have to protect the many and may have to get one. And then this one child is endangering other children. That's why I'm like possibly, but they have no policy. And I guess I need a little more context in what's going on. Now, I'm about creating a behavior plan. I don't believe in just putting them out first.

SPEAKER_01:

Are you sure, Jared? Because you just said, get rid of them.

SPEAKER_00:

But at the end of the but my thing is, at the end of the day, it it just sounds like they just wreaking havoc. So I mean, I'm I I never believe in truly just putting a child out. I believe in doing all that we can. And it sounds a little bit like the possibly I need more details. But if this child is just wilding out and I'm just thinking about the endangerment of other children, if you're physically hurting them and throwing chairs and we can't figure out what your trigger is, I don't want to be in a situation where five and six children are getting hurt by flying chairs to protect one. And then thinking about resources. I mean, all that things come to my mind. So you tell me.

SPEAKER_01:

I I do agree with you. So I I completely understand the frustration because I was once a teacher and I remember dealing with this type of behavior. But in the role and position that I after being like, you know, a teacher and you know, a curriculum specialist and an assistant, and you know, you're in all these roles. And so in this current role as a trainer and coach in a field that I truly, truly love, like I'm in love with early childhood teachers. I think that what they do nobody else can do. Like very true, you know, it's it's I I believe that they are very special and they get to be with little ones the first five years, and if you count first, second, and third grade, you know, this is where children are like this is where their minds are just yeah, like sponges.

SPEAKER_00:

Exactly.

SPEAKER_01:

Okay, so from different perspectives, so I'm gonna say let's take Gigi being new in the field.

SPEAKER_00:

Are you new?

SPEAKER_01:

No, I'm saying, like, let's go back.

SPEAKER_00:

Oh, you're going back 15 years.

SPEAKER_01:

I'm thinking about this scenario, this situation that this person is talking about, and so that Gigi is like, I feel you. I I I feel you like, okay, why is this child in here? Like, what's going on? I remember being the teacher yelling out of the door, going, it's either me or him today. Who's going home? Who's doing it? Okay, but what I realized when we fast forward to this position and why I got my master's in special education is that no one really takes the time. I mean, now there's some programs, and even in the world that I'm in, like social emotional development is my jam. I love it because all behavior has meaning behind it.

SPEAKER_02:

Yes.

SPEAKER_01:

And so when you're thinking about these children, they've only been on earth for two years, three years, four years, like they haven't been on earth that long, right? And so here we are as adults, and they're showing this behavior, and we don't know if it's trauma, we don't, we have no idea. But what I'm trying to say is that it starts at the top. So if your management and admin team don't have the training or the resources, then your teachers are not going to have the resources or the patients. Or the support, or the support. It all depends on what is the culture of the building. So when I was a center director, I remember these behaviors that that we're talking about. I re I so remember so many parents that I tried to help. And I worked for um a name brand that had, you know, the lawyers and you know, would tell you what to say and and what to do, how to support. You know what I mean? Corporate, corporate, yes. Okay, and so that's different from a mom and pop or somebody that just owns a couple centers, you know, they're gonna navigate through three through these situations a little bit differently. I feel like all teachers should be trained on how to deal with behaviors. And here's the thing though, as management, some of your teachers just aren't gonna be good at it. It's just not their jam, they're not gonna be good at it, and you have to put people where they belong. That's in a perfect world, though. Yeah, okay, but we're talking about an industry where teachers are burnt out, directors are burnt out, and they're tired. Yeah, they're exhausted.

SPEAKER_00:

I know I'm tired.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, they're tired. So at this point, everybody's losing. Yeah, parents are losing out, kids are losing out. So, yeah, he's throwing chairs, but why is he throwing chairs?

SPEAKER_00:

And I'm really curious about the behavior specialist. Oh, let me let me go back and read the behavior therapist that's coming in. I have a lot of questions.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, so like how long? Yeah, like how long are they staying in there? Um, do they take the child out? Do they notes? Do they leave strategies to practice? Do they practice with the teachers? Do they model like are they modeling? You know what I mean? Are they meeting with the teacher and the parent? Is everybody coming together to see what's best for the child? And so I do agree with behavior plans and making sure that we're taking things in small bites to push things along, but on a on a bigger scale, we know that expulsion is the preschool pipeline to prison.

SPEAKER_02:

Touche. Touche.

SPEAKER_01:

We know this, and so it takes a village to be able to help these children.

SPEAKER_00:

Yep. No, I I I I agree. I think, like for me, the only way I truly ever get rid of a child is when the parents aren't on board. That means we've gone as far as we can go. Um, yeah, I I try literally everything that I can do, every resource, every call I can make. Even there are some times where we've had to just say this isn't, we don't have the resources. I will still try to find the resources for them, letting them know, like, hey, but this is the next step that we can do. And so I have to like balance those twos from a business insurance policy. Like, okay.

SPEAKER_01:

I completely understand. Like, this is not a good fit. We we don't have the resources, like you're not doing XYZ. That's why it's such it's so hard because yeah, like it's a good, like I want to help, but there's so many other things that I want to know in order to guide this educator on exactly what to do. Because so many different perspectives, like you were saying, it's it's gonna be our perspective based off of what we just heard and what you read. It's gonna be her perspective, um, the child's perspective, admin's perspective, the parents' perspective. So we would just I would need like more information, so I wouldn't know how to support her.

SPEAKER_00:

Yep. So I tell you, see, we we we love asking for a friend, it's always fun, always creates good conversation. And on that note, guys, we'll be right back. Okay, quick break. If you're a teacher or a director who's currently stumbling through work, and I mean that literally, figuratively or spiritually, you need to check out our new merch. We've got shirts that say exactly what you want to say in staff meetings, what you want to say to parents, mugs for caffeine that hold your entire personality together, and gear so you can walk into the building already announcing, Nope, I don't have time for this today without even opening your mouth. These are perfect for the classroom, the office, or the car where you sit for 12 minutes pretending you're going to quit. Again, grab your shirts, your mugs, and your survival merch at abbreviatedlearning.com because if you're gonna stumble through work anyway, you might as well look good doing it. And we're back. So, one of the things about circle time that I want to do is show our listeners different opportunities, positions, and the paradigms in ECE. And so, with that, we're gonna ask you a couple questions and get your feedback and your just see your perspective on things. And so I like to start off with the question: Who are you in this circus? What made you become an educator and what makes you stay even after seeing the true reality?

SPEAKER_01:

Oh, not circus. I don't know if I don't want to use that word, but it is crazy. It is a crazy, it is crazy. Okay. Um, I came into the field by way of divorce. Um I my first career was in retail. Retail is not kind of if you have a family. Like retail takes it takes all of you. You know what I mean? Like you, you gotta be in it. And as a single parent, it just wasn't working. And so that's how I came to um being an EC teacher. And then once I became a teacher, you know, my management team was like, you have management experience. Um you could do, you could move up, you could do this and this. And so that's how I began my journey and moving up. Um, I stay because I'm in love with the field. Like, I don't know, I can't even see myself doing anything else but supporting. I mean, you know, like EC gets a bum rap.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah, you know what I mean?

SPEAKER_01:

Like we we have the babies before they go to elementary school. Like we mold and we mold and shape them before they get to elementary school. We're not babysitting. You know what I mean? And so I just I want to be able to love on teachers, I want to be able to guide um and support, I want to help administrations, I want to help schools. Like, I'm like in it. I'm like, how can I support you? Like, what can I do?

SPEAKER_00:

What do you think is the hardest part of your job that people outside of ECE don't understand?

SPEAKER_01:

That this is real education. I feel like they think teachers are just sitting around and kids are just playing. I don't think they take it seriously out of all these years.

SPEAKER_00:

Why do you think that sticks in our field in a way where it doesn't stick with the others?

SPEAKER_01:

I don't know. I feel like it goes way back. I think it's deeper. I think it's deeper in the roots.

SPEAKER_00:

Oh come on, roots.

SPEAKER_01:

You know what I mean? I I do, I think it goes deeper, and that's a whole nother conversation. About nannies and babysitting and just you know how early childhood just came about. I feel like it goes back to women's rights. I mean, like we could just go opens up another can of worms or whatever you want to say, but yeah, I just think it's how it started.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah. What do you feel drains you the fastest, physically, mentally, or emotionally?

SPEAKER_01:

Ooh, that's good. I'm gonna say probably mentally, emotionally, because I feel all the feels. You know what I mean? I've a big heart. I like I feel all the feels, but it's like I keep going and keep going. So physically it's like last. If if if I'm in it and we need to do it and we need to get it done, it doesn't matter like physically how I feel, like let's get it done, let's do it.

SPEAKER_00:

Now what is your funniest? I'm not paid enough for this shit moment.

SPEAKER_01:

Ooh, I don't have those moments anymore.

SPEAKER_00:

Anymore.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, these don't um what what I'm saying is it's like I'm I'm truly I've truly found my groove in my career, but when I was a teacher, it was a lot of I'm not doing this. When I was, you know, a curriculum specialist, it was like I'm not doing this. When I was a director, it was I'm really not doing this, and they're not doing it, and we're not asking our kids or our families to do it. Um, this is this is BS. Let's let's think a little bit more practical on how we can support teachers and families. And so right now I'm just I'm at a place where nobody clips my wings and I'm able to soar, and lots of collaboration happens, and we're constantly thinking about what we can do to make early childhood better? Like, how can we contribute our skills? And so that's why I feel the way that I feel right now because I don't have anybody coming for me.

SPEAKER_00:

Now, that's actually a perfect answer because my next question is what can't you do for children simply because the system isn't funded?

SPEAKER_01:

Well, do you know who's in administration right now? I'm like, Oh shit. There's so many cuts that are happening right now. Um, we can't hold as many trainings as we would like, we can't coach as much as we like, we can't, there's so there's so many things that is like minimum compared to what we were doing before.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01:

Does that answer that question?

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, that did. That that spoke a lot. And then how would your job change if childcare was treated like real infrastructure?

SPEAKER_01:

Ooh. It would just be even more sky's the limit. You know what I mean? Like we would do more of what we already do. It would just be more of what we already that's the crazy that's the crazy part, is like I wish I could say, like, I don't have access to this, or we can't do that. That's just not my world. I know it just seems weird, but I just go to my boss and they're like, yeah, let's talk about it. And then we all collaborate. And then you like, let's come up with a plan. And then we come up with a plan, and then we're like, let's execute it. Okay, we're doing it next month.

SPEAKER_00:

I think everyone listening probably wants your job at the moment.

SPEAKER_01:

I'm just like, it's yeah, I'm I'm if if we're not doing something, it's because of funding, or it's just not time, or there are uh other obstacles, but it doesn't mean that we can't do it later, or it could be another idea.

SPEAKER_00:

So that wraps up part one, and we're actually ready to move to another topic after this break. You know that moment in your day, the one when you stop, stare into the fluorescent lights, and think, There has to be a better way than whatever nonsense way we're doing right now. The best practice series is that better way. Because these books, they're short, they're friendly, they're written in plain English, and not that education jargon sprinkled with fairy dust language. Hand them to your team and say, Please, just do it like this so I don't lose my last good nerve. We've got guides on tours, policies, communication, safety, programming, and all the daily madness nobody warned you about. And the best part, your team will get it, families will feel the difference, and you get to breathe like a normal human again. Grab your copies at abbreviatedlearning.com or just risk another week of someone asking, wait, what's that procedure again? Okay, and we are back. So, what I'm gonna do with you, Gigi, is review ways to recognize and reward staff. So I'm gonna read something to you, and I want to know how you feel about this. I want to know how you would feel on the receiving end of this. And this is called balloon surprise.

SPEAKER_01:

Okay, let's go for it.

SPEAKER_00:

Cover the teacher's desk with balloons. Either tape the balloons to the surface of the desk or fill the balloons with helium and tape their strings down. Attach notes to some of the balloons recognizing the employee's efforts.

SPEAKER_01:

I think it's cool if you don't have a fear of balloons.

SPEAKER_00:

Let me tell you, if I walked in my classroom, if somebody taped all this shit to my desk, I am mad as hell.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, I'm like, you gotta know your person because you I mean, like, I could walk in and I walk into my cubicle. It's my birthday, and I see balloons or whatever. I'm excited.

SPEAKER_00:

I'm like, not on a random Tuesday. Uh-uh, where is the money?

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, oh yeah.

SPEAKER_00:

Where is the getting them damn balloons?

SPEAKER_01:

Where's the bonus?

SPEAKER_00:

Unless these balloons are gonna fly me up like up and take me away.

SPEAKER_01:

Exactly. Yeah, I can see that.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, I'm like, get this shit off my desk. I'll walk in so bad. I'm like, now I gotta clean all this shit up. I'll be so mad.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, that's what I'm saying. You gotta know your staff because that ain't gonna work for everybody.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, um, I don't believe in that one. So um, but hey, anyone listening, if that's what you want to do, hey, feel free to do it. Uh love you for it, but we have decided over here on this episode of Stumbling Through work that we don't want to do that. No blooms, no latex blooms, no no nylon, whatever it may be, not them silver ones you get from the Dollar Tree. We don't want that. You can have it. We don't want that.

SPEAKER_01:

I can not with you. Oh gosh.

SPEAKER_00:

So let's finish our couple more questions I have for you, and I'm gonna let you go. And these questions get a little deeper. And um, yeah. So, in what ways has the ECE system as a whole failed you?

SPEAKER_01:

I I feel that it does not take care of early childhood educators enough. Like they don't they don't put them at the the forefront, like they don't make enough money. You know, they don't they don't they don't give them what they need to be successful, to be professional educators, and they're expected to do so much. And so I think that the system, like most systems, have this very high expectation, but the steps to get here, it's like it's missing a a lot in between, but they're still expected to be here to provide that quality, but they're not supported. And these are the systems that are put in place, and I feel like a lot of the systems is about it's about the money, it's about chasing the bag.

SPEAKER_00:

Now, what because that rolled into a perfect next question what unrealistic demands does the system place on educators with zero support?

SPEAKER_01:

So in a perfect world, I think that directors, it should be like a director, you know, assistant director, and there should be a curriculum specialist. And then there should be people that just have certain roles that they're responsible for. Like you should have somebody that only takes care of federal food, you should have someone that just take care of it's not urban league anymore. What is it?

SPEAKER_00:

Just subsidy. That's what I call it. Subsidy, right?

SPEAKER_01:

But I mean, and not that they and it's like they have that role and they also support something else, but they solely have that role and they're not being pulled in different directions. You have staff that are being trained properly with professional development, you're meeting their needs. We're do we have a flexible schedule? Are we talking to our staff? I'm just saying, like, we're really being intentional about meeting the needs of our people because when you meet the needs of your educator, they take care of the program, they take care of the kids, and everything runs smoothly. But when you have shortages, children that are having behaviors that staff are not trained to deal with, or admin is not trained to deal with, and they're burnout, nothing's gonna work. So, in a perfect world, having a pos you know, having a position for enough teachers, low ratios. You know what I mean? Low ratios are are important because kiddos get looked after properly, things are done properly with low ratios, and that's hard to have low ratios if you're short staff. Yeah, you know what I mean?

SPEAKER_00:

Was there or is there a moment where you realize that the system wasn't built for educators or children?

SPEAKER_01:

No, I don't think that's ever crossed my mind. Only because I mean, is any system ever set up the way that it's supposed to be?

SPEAKER_00:

Or for who it's supposed to be.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, is is I mean, is it really? You know what I mean? So it's on paper, everything looks great.

SPEAKER_00:

Right.

SPEAKER_01:

Until it has to be implemented when you're and during the implementation process, that's when you start to find, oh, that doesn't work because systems don't work for every situation, right? You have to pivot, you have to tweak, you have to say, okay, that doesn't work at the and I know you know this well. Okay, that worked at this center, but it don't work at this center. It works for these families, but it doesn't work for that family. Yeah, you know what I mean? And so it can't just be this is what it is across the board because everybody's not gonna be able to meet that. And I think that's probably where a lot of systems are broken, is that we don't look at no, uh you're exactly right.

SPEAKER_00:

You you're exactly right.

SPEAKER_01:

Um and teachers are good. I don't want to like to just make sure that everybody is good, and I'm and I'm just talking about like overall. I mean, I do get there are some people that you're just not gonna be able to please. I get it, you know what I mean? I remember being a director and people quitting, you know, over crazy stuff, and was happy to just like show me that they wanted to quit, you know, just walk in the office and try to do the mic drop and be like, I quit. And I'm like, okay, you know what I mean? Like, you know what I mean? It's like you don't want anybody working for you that don't want to be there. That's the last thing you want, you know what I mean? So I get this is not for everybody, and sometimes you don't know that until you're in it.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, and I I've had that conversation with people a lot.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, I always say this to um educators is this a career for you or is this just a job? Yeah, because there's a difference, it's a big difference.

SPEAKER_00:

What could the powers that be, whoever that may be for you, you know, politicians, people like that? What could they do today that would help fix things instantly?

SPEAKER_01:

Make early childhood free from infants to five and pay teachers what they're worth and provide professional development for them and resources for parents. I think the next thing that I want to do, because I hear it all the time in other countries, they just do things so differently.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah, they do you know what I mean?

SPEAKER_01:

And I wish that I could just name them right now, but I can't. We don't you know what I mean? I do know that we're starting to hear more and more about universal child care and not just universal pre-K.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01:

We're starting to hear this buzz, but we also know that it's the election time in some of these places, too. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00:

You know, in my last episode, if you all haven't listened, um I start off with about how America loves their kids. And I use that um contradictory because we don't love our kids, we do the opposite of loving our kids. Every decision and choice, it is the opposite of loving our kids. Where other countries they do do things for their children with the love of their children in mind. So what policies make zero sense in ECE? Oh zero sense.

SPEAKER_01:

I um I wish I had this brain. I wish I could channel into um Chelsea. If you are listening to this podcast, I wish I could just channel into your brain because you're so good at this. Um, I'm not good at this, so you would have to name the policies for me for me to be able to, yeah, because I just literally because I get so mad, I just I take everything as it comes. I'm like, what are we working with? What just passed? What did this do? You know what?

SPEAKER_00:

I think, like you just said, one of the biggest things of not having universal childcare.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00:

If you want to do something, you just do it, just do it.

SPEAKER_01:

So I'm like, yeah, that's important because I am a new Nana. Me and my husband were, you know, new grandparents, and we try to help the kids out as much as we can, but now they're they are now problem-solving, trying to figure out, you know, how are we gonna work and put her in childcare and do all the things, you know what I mean? And I remember when they were little, I had to be a stay-at-home mom for a little bit, and you know, God bless women that love to do that. That is not my jam. I was low-key miserable, but not because I didn't love my kids. I was just like, Yeah, man, this is crazy. I have a really, really good dear friend. Um, I'm gonna give a shout out to Kanita. I remember she loved being a stay-at-home mom, and I would be like, Why?

SPEAKER_02:

What do you do?

SPEAKER_01:

I was like, show me how, show me what to do, and she did. She showed me a lot of great strategies and things, and I did all the things with the kids, but I I think that all children should be able to have access to education, and parents shouldn't have to suffer or make a choice. Am I gonna, you know, what kind of groceries am I gonna buy? Or I'm gonna feed the kids, but I'm not really gonna eat because you have some parents that are feeding their kids and then they're eating cereal.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01:

Do you know what I mean? It's like real sacrifices that are being made just so their kids can go to school. It's it's that's the part that really, really upsets me is that you have to make these very hard choices on how you live, like your way of life, because you gotta pay for child care and go to work, and and then more than half your tech is going to child care. Yeah, you know, and they keep moving the poverty line, right?

SPEAKER_00:

So we are wrapping up. So this is your call to action. If you could stand in front of lawmakers for 60 seconds, what would you say?

SPEAKER_01:

Make childcare free.

SPEAKER_00:

You say you don't even need 60 seconds. You're like, I'm gonna say this shit and drop off. That's what it is.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, make it free. Just make it free and pay educators what they are worth.

SPEAKER_00:

Now, what is your call to action for the ECE field?

SPEAKER_01:

I think that we need to be more gentle um with our teachers and with our admin. And I I I think we need to understand that this is this shit is hard.

SPEAKER_00:

It really is.

SPEAKER_01:

You know, this this is hard, and yes, we can do hard things, but they work hard every day. I don't I cannot tell you that I don't walk into a school and see that they work hard, and it doesn't even have to be a perfect school because when I come into a school and I see that policies and procedures are not being met, I don't say, Oh, well, this teacher just doesn't know what she's doing. I say, gosh, I wonder how I can support them to help them to make sure that they're being supported, to make sure that they're implementing policies and procedures properly. I want to know more, like tell me more. I don't want to assume that this is what it is. Now, I do remember where, you know, I would just be like, oh my gosh, how come this person isn't doing this? And how come you didn't do this and whatever? But being in this field for so long, you understand that, you know what, sometimes what you walk into is not what it is. Sometimes you have to ask questions and find out how to support because you don't know what's going on in someone's life or their world or anything, and that's from admin to to everybody. You don't you don't know what's happening to make these assumptions. Um, yeah, so just be gentle. Be gentle, be curious, and ask more questions before you assume that everything is a hot mess.

SPEAKER_00:

And what changes do you want our listeners to push for after hearing this episode?

SPEAKER_01:

Be a better human.

SPEAKER_00:

Hey, that said it all right there.

SPEAKER_01:

Just just figure out how to be better. And if you're in the field, be in the field, you know. Like be the best educator that you can be because that's what you want. You know what I mean? Don't be in the field.

SPEAKER_00:

I just want to thank you, Gigi, for having circle time with us here at Stumbling Through Work. Anything else you want to leave for our listeners?

SPEAKER_01:

Um, just for you, I just want to tell you that I love your podcast. Um you say crazy stuff, you do. And some stuff, you know, I agree with and some stuff I don't, but I love the fact that you have a place where people can just be themselves and and you're just gonna say it because there's a there's a lot of filters, like some people just can't just say X, Y, and Z, right? So I I love your podcast, and thank you. Um I know that it's gonna continue to do well. And yeah, I love you. I just think that you're amazing, and um yeah, thank you for having me.

SPEAKER_00:

No, I want to thank you, and um on that note, we'll see y'all later. Bye. All right, that's another episode of Stumbling Through Work where educators figure shit out. If today made you laugh, think, or just say, wow, that's my life, go ahead and subscribe and leave a review. Or share this with another educator who's one licensing violation away from quitting. I'm Jarek Huff. See you next time, probably stumbling, but still showing up.

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Jerek Hough

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