Lovely Preschool Teachers Podcast

Every summer, preschool teachers make ambitious classroom prep lists:
Cut everything out.
Laminate everything.
Organize every bin.
Create every center.

But once school begins, many of those tasks suddenly feel far less important than they seemed in June.
Instead of preparing endless activities, you'll learn why preparing classroom systems is what truly sets the tone for a successful school year.
A classroom that runs smoothly can teach far more than a classroom that's constantly managing chaos.
Topics Discussed:
Why systems matter more than activities during the first weeks of school
The five classroom routines that create independence all year long
How fewer centers and fewer materials often lead to better learning
What independence really looks like in a preschool classroom
Why the first month should focus on routines, relationships, and confidence before academics

Related Resources:
Classroom Management Bundle

Related Blogposts/Episodes:
The First Day of Preschool: What to Prep (and What to Forget)
Why Planning for Classroom Management before Day 1 Makes Sense
How to Teach Classroom Procedures

Connect with Ashley
Follow on Instagram @lovelycommotion
Join the Lovely Preschool Teachers Facebook Group

More About the Lovely Preschool Teachers Podcast
Are you a busy preschool teacher who loves gaining new ideas, perspectives, and inspiration for your classroom? The Lovely Preschool Teachers Podcast is here to help you up your confidence in educating early learners in a quick, actionable way!
As an early educator who is still in the classroom, Ashley Rives will share the ins and outs of how she runs her classroom in a play-based, child-centered way. Each week, expect a new episode focused on actionable strategies to level up your abilities and confidence as a preschool teacher.
Ashley Rives is an early educator with over 17 years of experience and a strong passion to help teachers implement child-centered learning in preschool classrooms all over the world. You can follow her on Instagram @lovelycommotion or learn more at the Lovely Commotion Preschool Resources website: www.lovelycommotion.com

The teachers running the smoothest classrooms aren't usually the ones with the cutest classrooms. They're the ones who spent the first few weeks intentionally teaching children how the classroom works.
In this episode, we dive into five common mistakes teachers make at the beginning of the year that often lead to behavior challenges, difficult transitions, dependence on adults, and classroom chaos later on.
Plus, what to focus on instead to build a classroom that runs smoothly all year long.
Topics Discussed:
Why teaching routines matters more than teaching academics during the first weeks of school
The difference between telling children what to do and actually teaching a skill
Why opening every center and material right away can create unnecessary chaos
How independence develops through intentional instruction and practice
Why many behavior challenges are actually teaching opportunities

Related Resources:
Procedure Card Visuals
Visual Schedule Cards
Rules & Expectations
Transition Time Toolkit

Related Blogposts/Episodes:
The First Day of Preschool: What to Prep (and What to Forget)
Why Planning for Classroom Management before Day 1 Makes Sense
How to Teach Classroom Procedures

Connect with Ashley
Follow on Instagram @lovelycommotion
Join the Lovely Preschool Teachers Facebook Group

More About the Lovely Preschool Teachers Podcast
Are you a busy preschool teacher who loves gaining new ideas, perspectives, and inspiration for your classroom? The Lovely Preschool Teachers Podcast is here to help you up your confidence in educating early learners in a quick, actionable way!
As an early educator who is still in the classroom, Ashley Rives will share the ins and outs of how she runs her classroom in a play-based, child-centered way. Each week, expect a new episode focused on actionable strategies to level up your abilities and confidence as a preschool teacher.
Ashley Rives is an early educator with over 17 years of experience and a strong passion to help teachers implement child-centered learning in preschool classrooms all over the world. You can follow her on Instagram @lovelycommotion or learn more at the Lovely Commotion Preschool Resources website: www.lovelycommotion.com
Leave a Reply

You spent the time laminating the cards.
You hung the visual schedule perfectly on the wall.
But then?
The kids barely looked at it.
In this episode, let's talk about the five biggest mistakes teachers make with visual schedules and explain how to turn your schedule from a classroom decoration into one of the most powerful tools in your day.
The truth is, visual schedules do not work automatically. They have to be taught, referenced, updated, and used consistently if we want children to feel safe and confident using them.
Topics Discussed:
Why visual schedules are important
Why hanging a visual schedule is not enough
How to teach children to use the schedule
Why updating the schedule matters
Ways to reduce transition anxiety

Related Resources:
Visual Schedule Cards

Related Blogposts/Episodes:
Why You Should Be Using a Visual Schedule

Connect with Ashley
Follow on Instagram @lovelycommotion
Join the Lovely Preschool Teachers Facebook Group

More About the Lovely Preschool Teachers Podcast
Are you a busy preschool teacher who loves gaining new ideas, perspectives, and inspiration for your classroom? The Lovely Preschool Teachers Podcast is here to help you up your confidence in educating early learners in a quick, actionable way!
As an early educator who is still in the classroom, Ashley Rives will share the ins and outs of how she runs her classroom in a play-based, child-centered way. Each week, expect a new episode focused on actionable strategies to level up your abilities and confidence as a preschool teacher.
Ashley Rives is an early educator with over 17 years of experience and a strong passion to help teachers implement child-centered learning in preschool classrooms all over the world. You can follow her on Instagram @lovelycommotion or learn more at the Lovely Commotion Preschool Resources website: www.lovelycommotion.com

The summer slide is real. But turning summer into “homework season” is not the answer.
In this episode, we’re talking about a better way to support preschool learning at home through simple, play-based activities families will actually use. If you’ve ever sent home workbook packets only to wonder if they ever left the backpack, this conversation is for you...
Because preschoolers learn best through play, connection, conversation, and hands-on experiences, not pages of busywork.
Topics Discussed:
Why traditional take-home packets don't work for preschoolers
What young children actually need to keep skills fresh over break
How play-based family activities build math, literacy, and fine motor skills
Done for you take-home activities

Related Resources:
Family Learning Kits

Connect with Ashley
Follow on Instagram @lovelycommotion
Join the Lovely Preschool Teachers Facebook Group

More About the Lovely Preschool Teachers Podcast
Are you a busy preschool teacher who loves gaining new ideas, perspectives, and inspiration for your classroom? The Lovely Preschool Teachers Podcast is here to help you up your confidence in educating early learners in a quick, actionable way!
As an early educator who is still in the classroom, Ashley Rives will share the ins and outs of how she runs her classroom in a play-based, child-centered way. Each week, expect a new episode focused on actionable strategies to level up your abilities and confidence as a preschool teacher.
Ashley Rives is an early educator with over 17 years of experience and a strong passion to help teachers implement child-centered learning in preschool classrooms all over the world. You can follow her on Instagram @lovelycommotion or learn more at the Lovely Commotion Preschool Resources website: www.lovelycommotion.com

If assessment season makes you want to shut your laptop and disappear for a while… you’re not alone. In this episode, let me break down why traditional assessment methods feel so exhausting! But more importantly, let me give you a better way to do it.
You’ll learn a simpler, more effective approach that saves time, reduces stress for your students, and gives you data you can actually use to guide your teaching.
Topics Discussed:
Why assessing everything at the beginning of the year doesn’t work
What to assess at the beginning, middle, and end of the year
The “Storybook Method” for structuring assessment periods
Why re-assessment is the missing piece most teachers skip
How to use assessment data to actually guide instruction

Related Resources:
Assessment and Portfolio Resources

Connect with Ashley
Follow on Instagram @lovelycommotion
Join the Lovely Preschool Teachers Facebook Group

More About the Lovely Preschool Teachers Podcast
Are you a busy preschool teacher who loves gaining new ideas, perspectives, and inspiration for your classroom? The Lovely Preschool Teachers Podcast is here to help you up your confidence in educating early learners in a quick, actionable way!
As an early educator who is still in the classroom, Ashley Rives will share the ins and outs of how she runs her classroom in a play-based, child-centered way. Each week, expect a new episode focused on actionable strategies to level up your abilities and confidence as a preschool teacher.
Ashley Rives is an early educator with over 17 years of experience and a strong passion to help teachers implement child-centered learning in preschool classrooms all over the world. You can follow her on Instagram @lovelycommotion or learn more at the Lovely Commotion Preschool Resources website: www.lovelycommotion.com