Episode 1: The Magic of Preschool
You’re listening to Episode 1 of Preschool Made Easy and we’re diving into who I am, why I’m so passionate about helping you, what to expect from this show and what this IS and is NOT about. My mission is to help your preschoolers thrive and empower you to get your kiddos ready for Kindergarten, so let’s get started!
Episode Highlights:
Who I am, why I’m so passionate about helping you
What to expect from this show
What this IS and is NOT about
Check out all of my favorites for preschool and beyond:
https://www.amazon.com/shop/chantymacias
Resources Mentioned:
FREE Kindergarten Readiness Checklist
https://view.flodesk.com/pages/6070813a1717a7a075fd2e35
Connect with your podcast host:
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Hey, hey everyone! It’s official! Welcome to Episode 1 of Preschool Made Easy. OMG I can’t believe this is even happening!! Launching a podcast has been on my heart for about a year now and to see it go from a baby idea to actually being a part of your commute or errand running routine is a literal dream come true! I am SO pumped to bring you all the amazing (and easy) ways to make this whole preschool thing work for you!
Who I am, why I’m so passionate about helping you: Let’s talk a little bit about who I am, why I’m so passionate about helping you, what to expect from this show and what this IS and is NOT about.
My name is Chantal Macias. I’m a girl mama, wife, daughter and aunt to 12 nieces and nephews. You think that’s a lot? I’m the baby of 5, so yeah, it’s a lot of us lol. I’m also a former teacher and now I get to create curriculum and help other educators in the classroom. To quote one of my favorite Assistant Principals, I truly am living my best life.
When I was 13 years old, I began volunteering in neighborhood schools to help third graders in summer school. During the school year, I would volunteer and help the preschool and Kinder classes. Upon graduating high school and starting college, I worked as a paraprofessional in those same preschool and Kinder classes. My favorite part was building relationships with my kids and watching them grow in ways I couldn’t even imagine. Being in the early childhood education program in high school really opened my eyes to all the big feelings 3 and 4-year-olds have but it also prepared me to help them and teach them all the academics while making sure I was aware of their developmental stages.
I graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Early Childhood and started teaching Kinder right away. I began working on my Master’s degree at the same time. 2 years later, I graduated with a Masters Degree in Curriculum Instruction and Technology. I’ve always loved the idea of making my own activities, getting creative with technology and making learning FUN for my kiddos.
Fast forward a bit, I had taught Kinder for a few years and 2nd grade for 1 year. I fell in love instantly with child development and things like how to set up a preschool class that flows well with all the centers and expectations for each one, creating new activities and thematic units they enjoyed, and using music, art and technology with them.
I also lived some of the struggles that come along with teaching preschoolers and Kindergarten. Overwhelm and stress, the never-ending comparison game, feeling the burn-out, guilt or like you haven’t done enough, behavior management and the infamous Spider-Man jumps from a bookshelf, parental legal issues, you name it. We all have dealt with challenges and let’s be real, in this show, we’re going to talk about some unpopular opinions and you better believe I’ll be giving you some tough love along the way but I promise you, they are ALL meant with so much love!
What to expect from this show: In future episodes, I’ll be helping you in your preschool journey with topics like simple routines and supplies, reading and math routines, life skills (ooh, that’s a big one), communication and social skills. We’ll also talk about building independence with your kiddos, rules and responsibilities, outdoor time and so much more. My ultimate goal is to help you make your preschool experience a success and get your kiddos ready for Kindergarten. Don’t know where to start? Are you looking for an easy checklist that will tell you exactly what skills your kiddo needs to start Kindergarten successfully? I got you. You can grab a free copy of my Kindergarten Readiness Checklist in the show notes. Let’s take you from wondering what skills they need in Kinder to confident in helping them be successful and ready to crush their first day of K!
What this IS and is NOT about: You might be wondering, what exactly IS this show and what is it NOT about? Ultimately, this show is about YOU. Celebrating your wins, your successes. Listening to your stories. Helping you find solutions to your challenges and pain points. I want you to feel supported and valued when you listen to this show.
I’ll be giving you specific tips and tricks, discussing some unpopular opinions and sharing parent perspectives. At the end of each month, one episode will be a segment we call “Parent Corner.” This is when I will be talking about that month’s topic and how preschool parents can help, or what parents can expect. Oh, did I forget to mention our expert speakers? That’s right. Every month, I will also have a guest speaker give us expert advice and share their helpful resources with you.
I hope you’re pumped for all the exciting things happening here and if you have any special requests or just want to say hey, hit me up on Instagram @chanty.macias and let me know what you’d love to hear! Alright, that’s all for now. See ya next week where we’ll go more in depth into what you can expect this preschool year and how your kiddos can get ready for K!