Welcome to Kindergarten Cafe!

I’m Zeba, and I’m here to help you find the *kindergarten magic* in your classroom. I create resources and share strategies to make your teaching easier, more engaging, and focused on those magical moments of growth with your students. Whether you teach kindergarten, preschool, or first grade, you’ll find ideas and activities to bring that *kindergarten magic* to life. Feel free to reach out—let’s make teaching kindergarten magical again!

recent

Engaging End-of-Year Activities for Kindergarteners ~ Ep. 133

Supporting Students who Struggle With Mistakes

Building Self-Confidence In Kindergarteners ~ Ep. 131

What Every Dramatic Play Center Really Needs ~ Ep. 130

What Principals Really Want You to Know About Hiring, Interviews, and Getting the Job ~ Ep. 129

Classroom Management

Tips for a Successful Kindergarten Field Trip ~ Ep. 127

Kindergarten Field Trip Tips Every Teacher Should Know Field trips can be one of the most exciting parts of the school year for kindergarten students. They get to leave the classroom, explore a new place, and experience learning in a completely different way. For many kids, it...

How to Stop Tattling and Build Problem-Solvers ~ Ep. 121

Classroom Management

How to Handle Tattling in Kindergarten: Teach Problem Solving and Reduce Interruptions Tattling can quickly take over a kindergarten classroom. Every few minutes, a student is reporting what someone else did, and it can feel exhausting to decide which situations truly need your attention. The good news...

Top Strategies for Teaching Personal Space in Kindergarten ~ Ep. 118

Classroom Management

Teaching Personal Space in Kindergarten: How to Set Boundaries with Love and Clarity If you're struggling with teaching personal space in kindergarten, you're not alone. Whether students are constantly hugging, touching, or piling on each other during rug time, it's a common challenge that can disrupt learning....

Minimizing Disruptions During Kindergarten Small Groups ~ Ep. 117

Classroom Management

How to Maintain Classroom Management During Small Groups in Kindergarten Managing classroom behavior while teaching small groups is one of the biggest challenges in a kindergarten classroom. You want to focus on the students in front of you, but the rest of the class also needs to...

Honest Talk on Handling Teacher Burnout and Difficult Students ~ Ep. 110

Classroom Management

Apple Spotify Amazon Music You can only do so much because your job is to help the classroom of students. You have to help the whole classroom. And this was something I learned the hard way as well.~ Zeba from Episode 110 of The Kindergarten Cafe Podcast Episode Summary Some years...

The Power of Kindergarten Routines ~ Ep. 101

Classroom Community

Apple Spotify Amazon Music Routine is really important routine will help the classroom be independent and run itself and will reduce anxiety so kids can focus on learning.~ Zeba from Episode 101 of the Kindergarten Cafe Podcast Episode Summary At this point in the year, it’s tempting to shake things up,...

Setting Up A Calm Down Corner For Your Classroom ~ Ep. 100

Classroom Management

Apple Spotify Amazon Music Every single classroom needs a calm down corner. Every single one. You don't need much at all. It doesn't have to be fancy, it doesn't have to be filled with stuff.~ Zeba from Episode 100 of The Kindergarten Cafe Podcast Episode Summary This episode marks 100(!) episodes...

Teaching Self-Regulation Skills Through Everyday Routines ~ Ep. 80

Classroom Management

Apple Spotify Amazon Music So through your morning meeting, through transitions, especially transitions to the rug, and with your calm down corner, you can really use those everyday classroom routines to help teach and practice self regulation. And the kids really need that practice in order to be able...

The Power of Positive Reinforcement in Kindergarten ~ Ep. 73

Classroom Community

Apple Spotify Amazon Music This is just a quick snapshot into the positive reinforcement in the classroom and how it can be used to not only reinforce the behavior you want to see, but how it can be used to bring back the behavior.~ Zeba McGibbon from Episode 73...

Handling Behaviors in Kindergarten with Stacy and Katie ~ Ep. 61

Classroom Community

Apple Spotify Amazon Music Episode Summary In this episode, I speak with Stacy and Katie, the creators of Teacher Tricks Times Two, a resource platform for educators. We discuss the evolving challenges in kindergarten teaching post-pandemic, talking about the increase in extreme behaviors and the necessity of fostering a safe,...