<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><rss xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" version="2.0"><channel><title><![CDATA[The Educators Well]]></title><description><![CDATA[Our mission at The Educators Well is to foster a thriving community of early childhood educators by providing comprehensive support!]]></description><link>https://www.theeducatorswellwithrachel.com/blog</link><generator>RSS for Node</generator><lastBuildDate>Thu, 14 May 2026 03:35:33 GMT</lastBuildDate><atom:link href="https://www.theeducatorswellwithrachel.com/blog-feed.xml" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml"/><item><title><![CDATA[Grapat Mandala Pieces &#38; Mathematical Thinking]]></title><description><![CDATA[ the magic of Grapat pieces. In our home, family day care, and homeschool environment, they’re one of those rare resources that captivate everyone]]></description><link>https://www.theeducatorswellwithrachel.com/post/grapat-mandala-pieces-mathematical-thinking</link><guid isPermaLink="false">68b0f364f8a40ddf7545f8f2</guid><category><![CDATA[Family Day Care]]></category><category><![CDATA[EYLF]]></category><category><![CDATA[Community]]></category><category><![CDATA[Early Childhood Education]]></category><category><![CDATA[grapat]]></category><category><![CDATA[loose parts]]></category><pubDate>Fri, 29 Aug 2025 00:54:10 GMT</pubDate><dc:creator>Rachel Smith</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Nurturing Children Through Nourishment]]></title><description><![CDATA[Food is more than fuel—it’s connection, culture, comfort, and care.  In a Family Day Care (FDC) setting, the way we provide food is not...]]></description><link>https://www.theeducatorswellwithrachel.com/post/nurturing-children-through-nourishment</link><guid isPermaLink="false">68330ae2b00ee36cfa1cd150</guid><pubDate>Sun, 25 May 2025 23:30:09 GMT</pubDate><dc:creator>Rachel Smith</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Write It Down — Your Pedagogy, In Your Words]]></title><description><![CDATA[You’ve explored your values, reflected on your daily practice, revisited theory, and noticed what feels aligned. You’ve done the internal...]]></description><link>https://www.theeducatorswellwithrachel.com/post/write-it-down-your-pedagogy-in-your-words</link><guid isPermaLink="false">682a9116f7793539fe618963</guid><pubDate>Thu, 22 May 2025 22:30:12 GMT</pubDate><dc:creator>Rachel Smith</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[The Amazingness of Essential Oils]]></title><description><![CDATA[Disclaimer:  I am not a certified aromatherapist or medical professional. The information shared in this blog post is based on personal...]]></description><link>https://www.theeducatorswellwithrachel.com/post/the-amazingness-of-essential-oils</link><guid isPermaLink="false">682dbf1530b9137d7cbf4b37</guid><pubDate>Wed, 21 May 2025 23:30:08 GMT</pubDate><dc:creator>Rachel Smith</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Finding Your Pedagogical Path]]></title><description><![CDATA[Building your pedagogy is much more than just a checklist or a set of rules — it’s a deeply personal journey that evolves over time. It...]]></description><link>https://www.theeducatorswellwithrachel.com/post/finding-your-pedagogical-path</link><guid isPermaLink="false">682a8cd323f5b9223c76b02f</guid><pubDate>Tue, 20 May 2025 23:30:17 GMT</pubDate><dc:creator>Rachel Smith</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Finding Your Pedagogy – Part 2:]]></title><description><![CDATA[In Part 1 of this series, we explored how your values and lived experience shape the core of your pedagogy — often in ways that are so...]]></description><link>https://www.theeducatorswellwithrachel.com/post/finding-your-pedagogy-part-2</link><guid isPermaLink="false">682a87a7caec9fd0d943de9e</guid><pubDate>Mon, 19 May 2025 23:30:10 GMT</pubDate><dc:creator>Rachel Smith</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[What is Pedagogy? Why is it Important? How to Find Your Pedagogy]]></title><description><![CDATA[By Rachel Smith – The Educators Well In the world of education, the word pedagogy  is often tossed around — in training sessions, within...]]></description><link>https://www.theeducatorswellwithrachel.com/post/what-is-pedagogy-why-is-it-important-how-to-find-your-pedagogy</link><guid isPermaLink="false">682a71150b7f5042f1df6c64</guid><pubDate>Mon, 19 May 2025 01:11:45 GMT</pubDate><dc:creator>Rachel Smith</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[What Do a Bowerbird, a Sloth, and a Cat in a Truck Have in Common? ]]></title><description><![CDATA[Bowerbird Blues  by Aura Parker, The Speedy Sloth  by Rebecca Young &#38; Heath McKenzie, Family Tree  by Josh Pyke &#38; Ronojoy Ghosh, Whitney...]]></description><link>https://www.theeducatorswellwithrachel.com/post/what-do-a-bowerbird-a-sloth-and-a-cat-in-a-truck-have-in-common</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6826b6225f6c3080838ae573</guid><pubDate>Fri, 16 May 2025 04:05:31 GMT</pubDate><dc:creator>Rachel Smith</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Brain Gym: Movement That Matters – For Educators, Children &#38; Families Alike]]></title><description><![CDATA[By Rachel Smith – The Educators Well Have you ever noticed how children move before they speak? Long before they form words or write...]]></description><link>https://www.theeducatorswellwithrachel.com/post/brain-gym-movement-that-matters-for-educators-children-families-alike</link><guid isPermaLink="false">681c64df78f0ad3a9ad3abee</guid><pubDate>Thu, 08 May 2025 22:30:08 GMT</pubDate><dc:creator>Rachel Smith</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[So You’re Thinking About Starting Family Day Care?]]></title><description><![CDATA[This question pops up regularly in educator communities, and for good reason. Family Day Care (FDC) offers a unique and deeply rewarding...]]></description><link>https://www.theeducatorswellwithrachel.com/post/so-you-re-thinking-about-starting-family-day-care</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6817466ef547f5de526ae108</guid><pubDate>Sun, 04 May 2025 11:09:43 GMT</pubDate><dc:creator>Rachel Smith</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Preschool Worksheets: Helpful Tool or Hindrance to Learning?]]></title><description><![CDATA[This is a question I hear regularly from both educators and families: "Are worksheets okay to use in early childhood settings?" I’m...]]></description><link>https://www.theeducatorswellwithrachel.com/post/preschool-worksheets-helpful-tool-or-hindrance-to-learning</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6815bae5f547f5de526685da</guid><pubDate>Sat, 03 May 2025 06:48:32 GMT</pubDate><dc:creator>Rachel Smith</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Concerns Regarding the Published Article on FDC vs. LDC]]></title><description><![CDATA[**** Please note that the original article has been removed, there was several family daycare educators who commented on the article...]]></description><link>https://www.theeducatorswellwithrachel.com/post/concerns-regarding-the-published-article-on-fdc-vs-ldc</link><guid isPermaLink="false">66ece46f0477d39a8d072ef5</guid><pubDate>Fri, 20 Sep 2024 03:00:54 GMT</pubDate><dc:creator>Rachel Smith</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Understanding Risk: A Crucial Element in Growth and Development]]></title><description><![CDATA[Building on our previous discussion about reputation, wellbeing, and resilience, let's delve deeper into the concept of risk. We all take...]]></description><link>https://www.theeducatorswellwithrachel.com/post/understanding-risk-a-crucial-element-in-growth-and-development</link><guid isPermaLink="false">66821e78984cbaeb54bdcea2</guid><pubDate>Wed, 03 Jul 2024 11:32:37 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/e760a6_b47ad087438940ce8493146ce167e830~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_601,h_401,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Rachel Smith</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[The Power of Resilience, Reputation, and Wellbeing in Early Childhood Education]]></title><description><![CDATA[The last couple of weeks have been incredibly emotional for me. Over the past few months, our family has struggled emotionally,...]]></description><link>https://www.theeducatorswellwithrachel.com/post/the-power-of-resilience-reputation-and-wellbeing-in-early-childhood-education</link><guid isPermaLink="false">667b7489b9f63c2dc633b251</guid><pubDate>Wed, 26 Jun 2024 02:56:42 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/e760a6_5583e9e854024795b72cce9a339ba736~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_920,h_495,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Rachel Smith</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Exploring Medicinal Plants in a Family Day Care Setting]]></title><description><![CDATA[Today I had the pleasure of listening to the first session of the Big Hearted Education Summit with Kat and Kurt from Bushings Nature...]]></description><link>https://www.theeducatorswellwithrachel.com/post/exploring-medicinal-plants-in-a-family-day-care-setting</link><guid isPermaLink="false">665ffdfda025d3d7213ad4d7</guid><pubDate>Wed, 05 Jun 2024 07:55:58 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/e760a6_48fb7f270832443fa44b2688e31101e1~mv2.jpeg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Rachel Smith</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[FOOD ALLERGY WEEK 26 MAY – 1 JUNE 2024]]></title><description><![CDATA[Food Allergy Awareness Week is coming up, and it has really made me reflect on how extremely fortunate I am to have no food allergies and...]]></description><link>https://www.theeducatorswellwithrachel.com/post/food-allergy-week-26-may-1-june-2024</link><guid isPermaLink="false">664d365f6c3782f478bfa3be</guid><pubDate>Wed, 22 May 2024 01:27:32 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/e760a6_acfcba8eff4f47558be4fe27ac184d57~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Rachel Smith</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Children's Voices: Understanding What, How, and Why They Matter]]></title><description><![CDATA[In the dynamic realm of childcare and early education, amidst the flurry of activities and lesson plans, it's all too common to get...]]></description><link>https://www.theeducatorswellwithrachel.com/post/children-s-voices-understanding-what-how-and-why-they-matter</link><guid isPermaLink="false">66396e5c1406c136e55d5959</guid><pubDate>Tue, 07 May 2024 00:49:47 GMT</pubDate><dc:creator>Rachel Smith</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Celebrating Mother's Day in Family Day Care: Honoring the Heart of the Home]]></title><description><![CDATA[Mother's Day is a cherished occasion globally, offering a heartfelt opportunity to honour and appreciate the remarkable women who have...]]></description><link>https://www.theeducatorswellwithrachel.com/post/celebrating-mother-s-day-in-family-day-care-honoring-the-heart-of-the-home</link><guid isPermaLink="false">66383a957b98678884e6bd99</guid><pubDate>Mon, 06 May 2024 02:27:03 GMT</pubDate><dc:creator>Rachel Smith</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Exploring Quality Area 2: Children's Health and Safety]]></title><description><![CDATA[Quality Area 2 (QA2) is a pivotal component of the National Quality Standard, focusing on safeguarding and promoting the health and...]]></description><link>https://www.theeducatorswellwithrachel.com/post/exploring-quality-area-2-children-s-health-and-safety</link><guid isPermaLink="false">65e10df20bf2be8cd07b2001</guid><pubDate>Wed, 10 Apr 2024 15:33:07 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/e760a6_9496d3cdad954640836345d584e2782d~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Rachel Smith</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Loose Parts in a Family Day Care Setting]]></title><description><![CDATA[Loose parts is something I struggle with when it comes to actually allowing them to be loose, loose in my yard, loose in the house... it...]]></description><link>https://www.theeducatorswellwithrachel.com/post/loose-parts-in-a-family-day-care-setting</link><guid isPermaLink="false">658d1e740942ea5043cf9d52</guid><pubDate>Wed, 27 Mar 2024 14:04:21 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/e760a6_0243b9988f7f4e069004cdfccd6f6284~mv2.jpeg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Rachel Smith</dc:creator></item></channel></rss>