the-inspired-llama

Boredom Isn't Bad

Fri, 29 May 2026 15:19:01 GMT

A fresh perspective on a common struggle

Some of us are a week into summer break already. How’s it going being at home with your kiddos all day, every day? As a mom, who is also a teacher, I remember when my girls were young that the first week of summer was heaven! We slept in a little. There was still novelty in the lack of a rushed schedule every day. The pantry was still fully stocked with snacks. The coloring books, sidewalk chalk, and bubbles were still novel and fun. Then during the second week, it would happen. The moment that brings dread and panic to every parent. It’s the moment when the kids say these terrible words… “I’m bored!” They say it and we hear it as though it is a problem, a hardship even. Also, we seem to all have come to the collective agreement that children’s boredom is the adult’s problem to solve.

Well, I have good news for you! New research has been published that confirms that some boredom is actually good for kids, and it’s not bad for adults either.

· A 2025 study led by researchers from Stanford University found that boredom can support creativity and imagination.

· The Journal of Experimental Child Psychology published a study in 2024 that states that unstructured time helps children build self-regulation.

· Mind-wandering is good for learning and problem-solving, according to an article published in Harvard Business Review.

· That same article states that constant stimulation can reduce opportunities for independent thinking.

Boredom is the silence in which creativity, problem-solving, and critical-thinking seem to wake up. So, the next time you hear the “I’m bored” complaint, don’t sweat. Remind your kiddos that they are smart and capable and you are confident they have the skills they need to find something fun to do. Then, sit back and watch the magic happen!

What Children Need to Learn

Sun, 19 Apr 2026 05:00:00 GMT

Beyond the Lesson Plan: What Maslow's Hierarchy Tells Us About Teaching Young Children

What Children Need to Learn

One of the first things I remember learning in my college classes for elementary education majors was Maslow’s theory of the Hierarchy of Needs. Abraham Maslow was an American psychologist who is actually credited with developing the humanistic model of psychology, which is centered around individuals’ potential and personal growth. Maslow studied highly successful people and found that human achievement is limited to extent that their needs are met. He broke these needs into a hierarchy that can be used to understand an individual’s growth.

Maslow’s theory is that individuals must have their needs met from the bottom up of the pyramid to succeed at the next level. For example, one must have their basic needs for food, water, and shelter met before they can focus on meeting their need to find employment or focus on their health. After 30 years in education, this is one of the most valuable and important things I learned in school. And I feel like it is something rarely addressed directly in our training. I mean, we dance around it and if you look carefully at every training you have ever attended about children’s behavior, you can see this theory running through it.

What Teachers Need to Know

Children can’t learn when their most basic needs for food, water, and sleep are unmet.

Our brains are wired for survival. A child who is hungry, tired, or ill will only be able to put their focus on getting those needs met before they can learn. This can look like inattention, fidgeting, or defiance. As teachers, we have to remember that the child is not choosing to misbehave, their ‘survival brain’ is in charge, not their rational brain. Teachers can help by providing predictable daily schedules and routines for snacks and mealtimes. Young children should also have access to spaces for quiet and rest and options for movement and sitting comfortably.

Safety is more than physical.

Children feel unsafe when they don’t know what to expect from others or what others expect from them. They really do need kind, gentle reminders of the classroom expectations. Unpredictable situations and adult can be scary for kids. Make sure there is consistency between the expectations from all the adults in the classroom. A child’s brain interprets all types of danger; physical, emotional, and physiological, in the same ways.

Young children learn best in relationships in which there is a sense of belonging and connection.

Children need to feel accepted, known, and valued and have a sense of security in their attachments. Most teachers understand this and work hard to create inclusive, loving, accepting classroom environments. Building a sense of community and a spirit of collaboration and cooperation through daily activities helps children feel like a valued member of their class.

Esteem grows through competence.

Children need opportunities to try hard things. Don’t be afraid to provide activities that may seem a little out of the children’s competence level. It is so important that children learn how to persist and try again. At the same time, the teacher needs to be prepared to provide encouragement and support to learners when they are struggling. Young children also need to be trusted with opportunities to serve and practice responsibility. This is why classroom jobs are such a valuable practice. All of us need to feel capable and respected.

Play is how children meet their highest level.

Through play, children learn basic knowledge, but more importantly, process new learning using higher-level thinking skills. Children learn critical skills such as problem-solving, communication, and collaboration through play. Play allows children to build meaning of the world around them. The most effective learning environments for young children provide long, uninterrupted blocks of time for free play and a wide variety open-ended materials. Teachers should allow children to be creative with materials and follow children’s interests and ideas.

Each child who walks into your class each day has a unique set of needs. Our job as teachers is to get to know each of these little people well so that we can translate their behavior to determine their needs. It certainly isn’t easy, but it is important work. This is how we make a difference in the lives of children.

Choose Joy

Sat, 18 Apr 2026 18:30:00 GMT

How to Find the Magic in Your Work When Going Back Feels Hard

I am coming to the end of a 19 day break from school and I have to admit I have a small sense of dread about it. I have really enjoyed sleeping a little later, wearing comfy clothes, taking long walks in the sunshine with my dog, and reading lots of good books. Even with all of the work of hosting and shopping and cooking and cleaning, it has been a wonderfully restful time. So, of course I feel a bit of dread when I start to think about going back to work. There are a lot of things that I am not looking forward to; like hard pants, uncomfortable shoes, waking up at 5:30 am, packing lunch, and hitting a zero energy level at 3:00 every day. But I also know that I LOVE my job. Even in hard pants, I experience so much joy each day that I am at school. So, I sat down and made a list in my new 2026 journal of all joy I have at work. Joy that is found in toddler giggles, connecting with my friends, terrible dad-jokes from my boss, loving hugs, and the enthusiasm with which 4 year-olds greet their friends each morning!

If you are fortunate enough to work with young children, I promise you that there is joy in your work. It's true that sometimes we overlook it or let gloom overshadow it. As you start back to your classroom after this long break, I encourage you to Choose Joy! If you look for it, I promise it is there.

Avoid the 'Meh'

Fri, 17 Apr 2026 18:13:08 GMT

From 'Meh' to Marvel: Reigniting THE Passion for Teaching

Don’t you love getting a new car? It’s so fun to figure out the bells and whistles. It smells so good and it’s so clean! And then, after a couple of years, there are French fries between the seats and a weird rattle under the dash and you just don’t get the same thrill when you get in it each morning. It’s just ‘meh.’ Have you ever felt just ‘meh’ about your job? You know, like it’s not bad, but it’s not thrilling either? If you have been doing the same job or teaching the same subject or grade for a while, I think this is normal.

I remember when I was 21 years old and a first year teacher, just writing on the chalkboard, you heard me – a chalkboard, was so stinking exciting! Even 20 years later when I became the director of a preschool, I got a thrill using my keys to open up the building in the mornings. But then, as life goes, if you keep at the same thing long enough, what once was exciting becomes routine, mundane, and boring. The scary thing about ‘boring’ though, is how quickly it can slide into misery.

Early in my career I realized I had a knack for getting bored quickly. I loved seeking out new challenges. I often changed grades, or schools, or districts. I was the first to sign up for a new grant-funded special project. I never minded the extra time or effort it would take to learn and adapt to the new thing. Expanding my experience and skill set was it’s own reward. It was like getting a new car every couple of years!

Then I found the job, the school, the people that I never wanted to leave. It was way outside the zone of anything I had done before and challenging in completely different ways. Teaching 3 year olds was full of new joys and challenges every day. I did, however, eventually get pretty confident and sometimes I could almost feel the ‘meh’ feeling creeping in. Thankfully, I had a director who knew the antidote – learning. In our program teachers were encouraged to learn and try new things and be creative. We had autonomy to take risks. I tried a lot of things over the years that were big failures, but I also had wonderful moments of success!

As a director, I can judge the ‘meh’ level of my teachers by how often they say things to me like, “Would it be crazy if I tried teaching the kids about electrical currents?” or “What do you think about cool glue guns?” or “I had this crazy idea for a unit on grocery stores.” These teachers don’t feel ‘meh.’ And it shows. Their classrooms feel fun and exciting, like driving a new car. These teachers are excited, enjoying their work, and creating amazing learning experiences for children. It really makes ‘work’ such a fun place to be!

So, as we move towards the end of the school year and you start feeling like your spark is not so bright, spend a few extra minutes preparing something you have never done before. Try something new. You will either get some joy and excitement or a failure that will make a funny story later (ask me about dryer lint guinea pigs some day ��).