In this week’s episode host Tashieanna O’Connor sat down with Ishmael Jackson, a former Teacher’s Assistant from the Bronx in New York who now works in a correctional facility for juvenile offenders in Michigan.

Ishmael’s experience in under resourced special needs classes in the Bronx contrast quite a lot with his experiences since getting to Michigan where even schools have more resources, and young offenders can get their education while in prison.

He also has fascinating perspectives on how children fall into the correctional system, and how to keep them out so tune in for this fascinating and enlightening conversation.

Reach out:

If you would like to share your experiences or join Tasheianna for an episode send a mail to:

childcarechallengespodcast@gmail.com

On this week’s episode of “Childcare Challenges: Dilemmas in Daycare” your host Tashieanna was joined by 3 dynamic guests.

Tina Butz, Denise Cressman and Ethel Bergen are long time carers from Pennsylvania who have seen massive changes in the field.

Starting out in the 90s and going through funding cuts, economic downturns, covid and increased administrative burdens and the consequences of these on the children in their care they have valuable perspectives on insights on how the child care business needs to be changed and treated to get new people and keep quality carers who leave due to the bad conditions.

So listen in, and see their perspective.

Reach out:

If you would like to share your experiences or join Tasheianna for an episode send a mail to:

childcarechallengespodcast@gmail.com

On this week’s episode of “Childcare Challenges: Dilemmas in Daycare” your host Tashieanna sat down on a call with Alan Troy, a former education worker who left the field in 2020.

Alan was a school aid worker who started out in the lunch room and moved on to other roles, many not strictly part of his job, and Alan’s perspective of the education field, and what drove him out are very valuable.

His experiences being overworked due to lack of budget and training for new staff, what it takes to keep kids fed and working as an assistant during Covid lockdowns give him a unique insight and perspective.

So tune in an get a different view of education and how to keep good people.

Reach out:

If you would like to share your experiences or join Tasheianna for an episode send a mail to:

childcarechallengespodcast@gmail.com

In this episode of Childcare Challenges: Dilemmas in daycare your host Tashieanna O’Connor got on a call with Jennifer Heywood, a recently retired teacher with 30 years of experience in New York’s educational system.

In this fascinating and free ranging conversation they discuss pay-parity for teachers, what it was like during lockdowns and how the burdens of paperwork and admin prevent teachers from spending time focusing on the children in their classes.

They also talk about difficulties parents have helping their kids with their homework because how the work is done has changed and how parents and teachers need to form a united front to drive change

So tune in and discover the importance of unity.

Reach out:

If you would like to share your experiences or join Tasheianna for an episode send a mail to:

childcarechallengespodcast@gmail.com

In this episode your host Tashieanna O’Connor is talking to Mr X, a teacher’s assistant from the Bronx in New York City.

Mr X has been in the field for a decade and his passion and commitment is inspiring, so listen in and learn what he believes are critical challenges for childcare and education and how they can be overcome.

He has a strong focus on parental engagement and believes that spending just a few minutes a day talking to your children and learning about their day and their schoolwork will have massive benefits. And that parents and teachers should cooperate for both education and fundraising.

Mr X also wants to see education having a stronger focus on real life skills and knowledge, rather than being focussed on test results.

So get inspired, and get involved.

Reach out:

If you would like to share your experiences or join Tasheianna for an episode send a mail to:

childcarechallengespodcast@gmail.com

This episode your host Tashieanna O’Connor sat down with Romario Falconer, who has recently started as a teacher at a childcare center in New York.

Romario has fascinating perspectives on the industry and the conversation covers a ton of topics, including his methods for engaging with families to include them in their child’s curriculum, including fun family events and the challenges involved in getting them involved.

He also goes into the difficulties teaching kids whose first language isn’t English, the lack of pay and funding and the importance of early education for success later in education and life.

Reach out:

If you would like to share your experiences or join Tasheianna for an episode send a mail to:

childcarechallengespodcast@gmail.com

In this episode your host Tashieanna O’Connor sat down for a conversation with Tone Dorsey, an inspiring young social worker specializing in getting foster kids into, and through, a college education.

He shares about challenges from lack of funding for the various programs and difficulties getting students with difficult backgrounds and issues like food insecurity to focus on their educations, despite distractions and challenges in their lives.

He also talks about the importance of looking for opportunities for networking and learning in the community and in the field that students and children want to work in to help them prepare for their lives studying and working.

Learn about his and so much more I this fascinating conversation.

Links:

https://fosteringcollegesuccessinitiative.org/

Reach out:

If you would like to share your experiences or join Tasheianna for an episode send a mail to:

childcarechallengespodcast@gmail.com

In this episode Tasheianna O’Conner sat down for a fascinating chat with Eva Bermúdez Zimmerman of Childcare for Connecticut’s Future.

In the frank, sometimes sad, but also positive discussion they covered the importance of early education and childcare on children, families and even the economy, as money spent on early education has huge financial benefit later in life as children grow into adults more prepared for life.

Eva also talked about some of the fantastic organisation helping families nationally and in Connecticut and strategies at community and policy level to improve the lives of children, parents and the workers who look after the kids.

While things can seem dark, there are plans in place for a brighter future for all.

So tune in and get inspired.

Links:

https://www.unitedway.org/#

https://ctvoices.org/

http://earlychildhoodalliance.com/

https://www.childcareforct.org/

https://www.accesshealthct.com/

Find Eva here:

X: https://x.com/evaberzim

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/evaberzim/

Reach out:

If you would like to share your experiences or join Tasheianna for an episode send a mail to:

childcarechallengespodcast@gmail.com