Kristine Mraz is coauthor, with Christine Hertz, of the new Kids First from Day One, which provides a practical blueprint for increasing the child-centeredness of your teaching practice. She and Christine previously teamed up for the bestselling A Mindset for Learning, which provides practical and powerful strategies for cultivating optimism, flexibility, and empathy alongside traditional academic skills. Kristi teaches Kindergarten in the New York City Public schools. In addition to writing and teaching, she consults in schools across the country and as far away as Taiwan. She primarily supports teachers in early literacy, play, and inquiry-based learning. On the off chance she has free time, you'll find Kristi reading on a couch in Brooklyn with her dog, her husband, and baby Harry. You can follow all of her adventures on twitter @MrazKristine or on her blog kinderconfidential.wordpress.com.