Ep 48: Building Strong Foundations: Supporting Infant and Toddler Development with Shela Mobarak

Today on the podcast, my guest is Shela Mobarak. Shela is passionate about high-quality early learning for everyone. She has a wide array of experiences, from corporate HR to faith-based weekday leadership, and she is the founder of Be The Seed of Change, a consulting and professional development organization based in Plano, Texas. She is known for her passion for the early childhood profession and collaborates with a variety of teams at all levels. Shela has a Masters degree in Conflict Analysis and Resolution and is working on a PhD in Early Childhood Leadership and Advocacy. She is well-researched in infant/toddler development and believes that high-quality care in the early years is paramount for a healthier, more well-rounded society as a whole! Our topic today is the importance of intentional and developmentally appropriate support for the physical development of infants and toddlers. We know educators play a crucial role in fostering the development of infants and toddlers in their classes, and we hope this episode will help you feel well-equipped to make the most impact in these critical years. We will talk through how you can encourage physical development that encompasses gross motor, fine motor, and health/well-being skills that align with research-based developmental milestones. Together we will share how environments for infants and toddlers should encourage exploration, movement, and sensory experiences and how you can partner with families to support the whole child.  Overall, Infant and Toddler teachers, we want you to know your work MATTERS! After this episode, we hope you learn or are reminded that the ways you interact with young children, the care and nurture you show, and the intentionality you use in planning and creating experiences for these tiny disciples, are the foundation of all other learning.  It's a huge responsibility and also the best privilege!    Additional Resources:  Instagram: @BeSeedChange Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BeSeedChange/ Links we mentioned in the conversation: The link to the Texas Infant-Toddler Specialist Network is Texas ITSN – Texas Infant-Toddler Specialist Network Links to brain-building activities for young children - https://developingchild.harvard.edu/resources/brainbuildingthroughplay/ As always, we would love to connect with you on Instagram and on Facebook