Napcast

Michael S Browne

Napcast is a podcast designed to help you learn on the go, hear another perspective, spark debate, agree incessantly, and honestly, remind you that you’re not alone. We live in a complex world, so allow us to challenge your orientation with words, thoughts, advice, and the perspective of two male early childhood educators of color.

  1. 4월 14일

    Napcast Ep71: Guided by Plants: Softening the Nervous System with California Poppy

    Some may steam it. Some may make it into tea. Some may simply sit with it and marvel. California poppy is known as an herb of relaxation—supporting the nervous system, inviting rest, and helping both children and adults settle into sleep. So we started wondering: what might this plant teach us about how we hold stress… and how we let it go? In this episode of #Napcast, Nick and Mike turn toward California poppy as a guide—not just for understanding plants, but for rethinking how we show up with children while using the 6 R's ( relationship, respect, responsibility, reciprocity, relevance, and representation). Together, we explore the overstimulation of the modern classroom. The anxiety that lives in rushed transitions and rigid routines. The subtle ways urgency shows up in our tone, our timing, our expectations. And what it might mean to move differently—to soften, to slow down, and to create environments that help children settle, not just comply. This conversation is an invitation to notice. To breathe. To come back into the body. Join us as we reflect on supporting children through big feelings, easing the tension we carry as educators, and creating classrooms that soothe instead of overwhelm. Resources Mentioned In This Episode: Baby Botanicals: Peekaboo, Flowers! by author & illustrator Jillian MiaoHave You Ever Seen a Flower? by author & illustrator Shawn HarrisInstagram Account: @xalishmedicines and their post on California Poppy - https://www.instagram.com/p/DL5LDxQRcym/Interested in bringing Nick and Mike to your community? Got an idea for a future episode or something you want to reflect on with us? Email us at napcast206@gmail.com and let’s talk.Follow along on Instagram @napcast206 for more reflections and behind-the-scenes moments.

    58분
  2. 3월 10일

    Napcast Ep70: Guided by Plants: Strawberry, Growth, and a Safe Learning Space

    What do strawberries and toddlers have in common?More than you think.In this episode of #Napcast, Nick and Mike head to the strawberry patch and come back with more than just fruit.Listening to the farmers talk about sun, soil, timing, and patience sparked a bigger question for us: What if children, like strawberries, can’t be rushed into ripeness?Using plant wisdom as a guide, we unpack the exhaustion of the go-go-go classroom pace. The pressure to produce outcomes. The way environments shape development. And what it might mean to focus less on pushing children forward and more on protecting the conditions they grow in.Because this episode isn’t really about strawberries.It’s about:• process over product• cultivation over compliance• and creating classrooms that don’t bruise children in the name of achievementIf you’ve ever felt the pace is too fast…If you’ve ever questioned whether “school readiness” is always healthy…If you’re craving a more humane way to do this work…This one’s for you.🎧 Listen wherever you get your podcasts. Interested in bringing Nick and Mike to your community? Got an idea for a future episode or something you want to reflect on with us? Email us at napcast206@gmail.com and let’s talk. Follow along on Instagram @napcast206 for more reflections and behind-the-scenes moments. As mentioned in our episode, check out these two reflections Mike and Nick made on Strawberries: Mike: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DNgcSMgpSZd/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA== Nick: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DNoIPW8hYR7/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

    40분
  3. 2월 10일

    Napcast Ep69: Guided by Plants: Alder, Belonging, and Holding What’s Possible

    Season 5 opens with a return to the land. In this debut episode of our Guided by Plants series, early childhood educators Nick (he/him) and Mike (he/him) center alder and big leaf maple as living teachers of nourishment, protection, and interdependence in early childhood spaces. Through shared reflection and conversation, we explore how these plants sustain the ecosystems around them and what that can teach us about nourishing children in our programs. We riff on alder’s role in restoring and supporting others, big leaf maple’s capacity to offer shelter and space, and how these lessons can guide our interactions with children, families, and colleagues. This hour-long episode is rooted in observation, story, and practice. Listeners will walk away with ideas for how to thoughtfully introduce alder and big leaf maple into classroom experiences, leadership and management approaches, and relationship-building with families—grounded in care, curiosity, and connection rather than compliance. Join us as we slow down, notice, and invite the plant world to help shape how we show up for children and for one another. Interested in bringing Nick and Mike to your community? Got an idea for a future episode or something you want to reflect on with us? Email us at napcast206@gmail.com and let’s talk.Follow along on Instagram @napcast206 for more reflections and behind-the-scenes moments.

    48분
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소개

Napcast is a podcast designed to help you learn on the go, hear another perspective, spark debate, agree incessantly, and honestly, remind you that you’re not alone. We live in a complex world, so allow us to challenge your orientation with words, thoughts, advice, and the perspective of two male early childhood educators of color.

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