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!

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Classroom Management

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,...

Strategies for Teaching Emotional Regulation and Handling Extreme Outbursts ~ Ep. 55

Classroom Management
Apple Spotify Amazon Music Episode Summary In this episode, I address a question that I know a lot of teachers are struggling with. How to help students that are having big emotions, big reactions. How to help them in the moment. How to help them proactively. What to do about...

How to Have Smooth Transitions in Kindergarten ~ Ep. 51

Classroom Community
Apple Spotify Amazon Music Episode Summary Sometimes transition time can be a tricky time in Kindergarten. In this episode, I discuss effective strategies for managing transitions in the kindergarten classroom, aiming to transform chaos into calm. We cover the importance of clear, engaging directions and attention-getting phrases to ensure students...

Building Strong Classroom Management ~ Ep. 43

Classroom Community
Apple Spotify Amazon Music Episode Summary Get rid of the clip charts and public behavior displays! We need to understand behavior as communication and advocate for a problem-solving approach. In this episode, we explore effective classroom management strategies, and highlight the inefficacy of quick-fix systems. It is important to invest...
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