Becoming Keepers of Children's Dreams with Kisa Marx
Today, I'm joined again by educator, author, speaker, and founder of The Play Lab Foundation, Kisa Marx, for a conversation inspired by her new book, We Are Who We're Waiting For. Together, we explore what it means to become keepers of children's dreams, how the stories adults tell about children shape who they believe themselves to be, and why meaningful change in education begins with seeing the humanity of the child right in front of us.
Highlights:
- Becoming Keepers of Dreams: Kisa shares how being surrounded by people who protected her own dreams shaped the educator she became. We discuss what it means to notice children's dreams, take them seriously, and make choices that preserve rather than diminish them.
- Seeing the Child Before the System: We talk about the pressure educators experience from standards, curriculum, behavior expectations, and systems that can make it difficult to truly see the child in front of us. Kisa challenges educators to recognize the agency they still have and the power of changing their own minds first.
- Looking Beneath "Behavior": What if the behaviors that challenge us are actually showing us what children need? Kisa invites us to move beyond controlling children and instead consider what they may be communicating, what warmth they may be seeking, and what we still need to learn.
- Learning From the Children We Didn't Get It Right For: Laura reflects on children from her own teaching career whom she understands differently now. Together, we talk about regret, repair, unlearning, and how doing better for the children in front of us can honor the children we weren't yet equipped to support.
If you've ever looked back at your teaching and wished you knew then what you know now, this episode is an invitation to keep learning rather than look away. Kisa reminds us that we can say the hard things out loud, learn from them, and use what we know now to see children more fully, preserve their dreams, and do better moving forward.
Connect with Laura:
Instagram: @little.stories.that.stick
Website: Little Stories That Stick
Connect with Kisa:
Instagram: @iam_still_learning
Book: We Are Who We're Waiting For
