Why Children Respond More to Who We Are Than What We Teach with Lindsey Frank, Educating Mindfully

Discover why children respond more to who we are than what we teach in this thoughtful conversation on adult presence, embodiment, and sustainability in education. Join Giselle Shardlow, founder of Kids Yoga Stories, and Lindsey Frank, President of Educating Mindfully and Founder of The Butterfly Within, as they explore how adult presence is the foundation for supporting children’s emotional regulation, connection, and learning. This conversation reframes teacher wellbeing as something deeper and more sustainable: how we show up in each moment, especially when things feel messy, loud, or unpredictable. Some highlights: • Why children respond more to adult presence than lessons or strategies • The difference between self-care and embodied presence in daily teaching • Using nature metaphors like ecosystems, trees, and gardens to understand regulation • Simple, in-the-moment practices for grounding through breath, body, and voice • Why patience, presence, and small shifts lead to meaningful progress over time • A creative reflection activity educators can use with themselves or their students Find Lindsey Frank here: Educating Mindfully: www.EducatingMindfully.org All networks: @EdMindfully The Butterfly Within®: www.TheButterflyWithin.me (Children’s books available here and on Amazon) LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/lindsey-jean-frank/ Instagram: @LindseyFrank88 Facebook: @TheButterflyWithin Timestamp: 00:00 Why presence matters more than curriculum 01:02 Lindsey’s background and journey in education 02:53 Why children respond to who we are, not just what we teach 04:27 Presence as the foundation of the Educating Mindfully framework 06:39 Embodying presence during classroom “storms” 09:49 Practical ways to increase presence in real time 11:43 Breath, grounding, and regulating before responding 13:43 The power of pause and mindful communication 16:16 How sound, tone, and words shape emotional safety 18:57 Affirmations, the HEART framework, and aligned action 21:06 A classroom story of transformation through adult presence 26:13 Patience, progress, and planting seeds for change 28:20 A creative reflection practice using gardens and drawing - - - - - - - - - - - - - - For more resources on kids yoga: To design a customized yoga program at your school, check out the School Yoga Program here: https://www.kidsyogastories.com/schoo... Or join our Kids Yoga Stories newsletter for weekly kids yoga resources: https://www.kidsyogastories.com/sign-... ❤️WELCOME to the Kids Yoga Stories YouTube channel! We’re thrilled that you’re here. We provide a variety of free resources to help you bring yoga and mindfulness to kids. Whether you’re a teacher, parent, school counselor, yoga teacher, or school staff we have something for everyone including free videos, printables, teaching resources (available here and on our site), and a shop with 150+ yoga and mindfulness products for kids! SUBSCRIBE to the channel and join our global movement to help bring yoga and mindfulness to children everywhere!    / kidsyogastories   - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 😌 Free How to Get Started Teaching Yoga to Children Mini-Course Are you looking to bring yoga to children but don’t know where to start? Our community is always asking for tips about teaching yoga to kids. In this series, Giselle shares her philosophy by detailing four steps to teaching to children, which are based on her experience as a certified yoga teacher, former primary school teacher, and mom. This series will focus on a mindset of “being” a kids yoga facilitator. We have to start from a strong foundation of our own yoga practice to make our yoga teachings authentic and meaningful for the children. This four-part video series will get you started and have you confidently teaching yoga to children today. Find it Here: https://shop.kidsyogastories.com/coll... - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 🧘🏽‍♂️🧘‍♀️🧘🏿‍♀️ Kids Yoga Stories, a mom-run and mom-operated business, was founded in 2012 by former classroom teacher and certified yoga instructor Giselle Shardlow. During her travels and time teaching grades kindergarten through fifth grade in Guatemala, Australia, Canada, and the United States, Giselle witnessed the need to address childhood illiteracy, obesity, and stress. She blended her passions of yoga, mindfulness, and education to create books, card decks, and educational resources to provide classroom teachers, school staff, coaches, and parents with the tools to bring yoga and mindfulness to children everywhere. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Connect with us: Facebook:   / kidsyogastories   Instagram:   / kidsyogastories   Website: https://www.kidsyogastories.com/ Shop: https://shop.kidsyogastories.com/ Amazon: www.amazon.com/kidsyogastories The Kids Wellness Podcast: https://www.kidsyogastories.com/TKWP