✨What an honour to speak in front of almost 500

✨What an honour to speak in front of almost 500 educators last week at the County of Renfrew @cor.childcareearlyyears May Day Annual Conference!! 🥰

I presented on the topic of Trauma-Informed Care in ECE Settings, focusing on the ground-breaking research as well as informed practices like: Rhythm, Regulation, and Relationship.

It was such a thrill to see all of my past college students, fellow colleagues, politicians, and decision-makers all focusing-in on a subject we all need to be placing at the forefront today: children’s mental health & well-being💞

Thank you to all the dedicated ECEs who attended, for those who shared their thoughts and reflections afterwards, and the @cor.childcareearlyyears for entrusting me with delivering this important message for our community!🏡

📝 This week, it was wonderful to work with educ

📝 This week, it was wonderful to work with educators and leaders at @cbcelgccwcc2024 to discover & commit to deeply intentional VISIONS for individual programs across both locations!

“Visioning”🔭 is about more than expressing our hopes and dreams for our program. It’s also about discovering our values and deepest intentions for our work as Educators 💭🧐

And by doing so, not only does the research say that those intentions are more likely to become REALITY, but this essential practice also re-ignites our PASSION and PURPOSE!🔥

#earlychildhoodeducation #valuestovision #intentionaleducators #earlylearning #earlylearningprofessionaldevelopment #professionaldevelopmenttraining

What does it mean to be truly SEEN? 👀 For me, b

What does it mean to be truly SEEN? 👀
For me, being truly seen means that someone knows my heart ❤️. Despite how I might show up on any given day, it’s being offered grace—from myself and others—with the understanding that I’m inherently good and worthy at my core.

In difficult moments…Can we offer this to Children too? Families? Colleagues? And perhaps the most difficult: offer it to Ourselves?

#earlyyears #earlychildhoodeducation #seenheardvalued #worthyoflove #children

If I could reach-back into the past, I'd tell her

If I could reach-back into the past, I'd tell her it would all make sense one day 💛...

That she would become a passionate educator and advocate for supporting children's well-being & the importance of nurturing those who are entrusted with the sacred role of caring for children.

#acestoohigh #childhoodtrauma #complextrauma #earlyyearsmentalhealth #earlychildhoodeducation #childrenswellbeing #educatorwellbeing

I stumbled across this quote and instantly loved i

I stumbled across this quote and instantly loved it! 💛 Play is SO much more than “doing things that are categorized as play” (aka “activities”). 🎉Play is ✨robust, awe-inspiring, messy, challenging, deep, life-giving, remarkable…✨

🎈What do you do to PLAY? Play is an essential human need, so let’s share the many ways we PLAY!👇

I love to get lost in my garden, paint, sing, dance, and explore nature! All of these things are “playful” for me when I: let go of outcomes, live in the moment, and notice the little things. ✨

#earlychildhoodeducation #play #curiosity #wonder #getlost

🪁Do you ever wonder about your role as an Educa

🪁Do you ever wonder about your role as an Educator during PLAY?
🪁Do you ask questions like “when do I step in?” & “when do I step back?”
🪁Here’s some things to consider when reflecting on this aspect of our work…

✨Share your thoughts in the comments section, too!

#earlychildhoodeducator #theroleoftheeducator #playbased #earlyyears #neurodivergence

🧐Do you ever notice the pressures our culture p

🧐Do you ever notice the pressures our culture places on young children?

👉Do you ever feel the pressures our culture places on you as an educator? Or, as a parent?

As educators/parents, we're not focused on raising "good children" or being "good caregivers"...we're focused on raising "well children" and being "well caregivers". Good is: surface-level performing. Well is: deep wholeness.

In my sessions, I encourage educators to approach all areas of their work with this question: "What would 'well' look like...(in the cubby room...in my response to this moment...in creating our daily schedules/routines...when interacting with parents...when supporting children in solving a dispute...etc.).

The shift from encouraging children (and ourselves) to "just be good!"...to... being 'authentically well' is significant.

Here's some ways I like to think of “well" instead of "good" as a guiding principle:

💛 Well is...supporting children in meeting their emotions with kindness and understanding, instead of stuffing them down in compliance.

💛 Well is...'listening and observing' more than I 'speak and show'.

💛 Well is...engaging in slow, rhythmic pedagogy instead of fast, goal-oriented routines/activities.

💛 Well is...encouraging children (and ourselves) to express our authenticity and speak our truth, even when it causes temporary friction.

💛 Well is...assessing when to provide children with structure (boundaries) and when to offer more flexibility in our approach. (or, "In this moment, what will serve the child best: Do I need to be a sturdy caregiver or an extra-soft place to land?")

✨ How do you promote "well" (instead of "good") in your classroom? Let us know in the comments! ✨

🤎☕️But first, coffee!!☕️🤎

🤎☕️But first, coffee!!☕️🤎

💭It’s served me (and my practice) so well to

💭It’s served me (and my practice) so well to remember THIS quote as a forever ‘educator-in-progress’…

✨What’s one idea or quote that is a favourite of yours? Share it in the comments 🩷

#earlychildhoodeducation #earlylearnıng #professionaldevelopment #noshame #educatorwellbeing #progressnotperfection

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Contact

The Environment & Materials · March 21, 2023

VLOG: Why Children Belong in Nature

In: The Environment & Materials

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✨What an honour to speak in front of almost 500

✨What an honour to speak in front of almost 500 educators last week at the County of Renfrew @cor.childcareearlyyears May Day Annual Conference!! 🥰

I presented on the topic of Trauma-Informed Care in ECE Settings, focusing on the ground-breaking research as well as informed practices like: Rhythm, Regulation, and Relationship.

It was such a thrill to see all of my past college students, fellow colleagues, politicians, and decision-makers all focusing-in on a subject we all need to be placing at the forefront today: children’s mental health & well-being💞

Thank you to all the dedicated ECEs who attended, for those who shared their thoughts and reflections afterwards, and the @cor.childcareearlyyears for entrusting me with delivering this important message for our community!🏡

📝 This week, it was wonderful to work with educ

📝 This week, it was wonderful to work with educators and leaders at @cbcelgccwcc2024 to discover & commit to deeply intentional VISIONS for individual programs across both locations!

“Visioning”🔭 is about more than expressing our hopes and dreams for our program. It’s also about discovering our values and deepest intentions for our work as Educators 💭🧐

And by doing so, not only does the research say that those intentions are more likely to become REALITY, but this essential practice also re-ignites our PASSION and PURPOSE!🔥

#earlychildhoodeducation #valuestovision #intentionaleducators #earlylearning #earlylearningprofessionaldevelopment #professionaldevelopmenttraining

What does it mean to be truly SEEN? 👀 For me, b

What does it mean to be truly SEEN? 👀
For me, being truly seen means that someone knows my heart ❤️. Despite how I might show up on any given day, it’s being offered grace—from myself and others—with the understanding that I’m inherently good and worthy at my core.

In difficult moments…Can we offer this to Children too? Families? Colleagues? And perhaps the most difficult: offer it to Ourselves?

#earlyyears #earlychildhoodeducation #seenheardvalued #worthyoflove #children

If I could reach-back into the past, I'd tell her

If I could reach-back into the past, I'd tell her it would all make sense one day 💛...

That she would become a passionate educator and advocate for supporting children's well-being & the importance of nurturing those who are entrusted with the sacred role of caring for children.

#acestoohigh #childhoodtrauma #complextrauma #earlyyearsmentalhealth #earlychildhoodeducation #childrenswellbeing #educatorwellbeing

I stumbled across this quote and instantly loved i

I stumbled across this quote and instantly loved it! 💛 Play is SO much more than “doing things that are categorized as play” (aka “activities”). 🎉Play is ✨robust, awe-inspiring, messy, challenging, deep, life-giving, remarkable…✨

🎈What do you do to PLAY? Play is an essential human need, so let’s share the many ways we PLAY!👇

I love to get lost in my garden, paint, sing, dance, and explore nature! All of these things are “playful” for me when I: let go of outcomes, live in the moment, and notice the little things. ✨

#earlychildhoodeducation #play #curiosity #wonder #getlost

🪁Do you ever wonder about your role as an Educa

🪁Do you ever wonder about your role as an Educator during PLAY?
🪁Do you ask questions like “when do I step in?” & “when do I step back?”
🪁Here’s some things to consider when reflecting on this aspect of our work…

✨Share your thoughts in the comments section, too!

#earlychildhoodeducator #theroleoftheeducator #playbased #earlyyears #neurodivergence

🧐Do you ever notice the pressures our culture p

🧐Do you ever notice the pressures our culture places on young children?

👉Do you ever feel the pressures our culture places on you as an educator? Or, as a parent?

As educators/parents, we're not focused on raising "good children" or being "good caregivers"...we're focused on raising "well children" and being "well caregivers". Good is: surface-level performing. Well is: deep wholeness.

In my sessions, I encourage educators to approach all areas of their work with this question: "What would 'well' look like...(in the cubby room...in my response to this moment...in creating our daily schedules/routines...when interacting with parents...when supporting children in solving a dispute...etc.).

The shift from encouraging children (and ourselves) to "just be good!"...to... being 'authentically well' is significant.

Here's some ways I like to think of “well" instead of "good" as a guiding principle:

💛 Well is...supporting children in meeting their emotions with kindness and understanding, instead of stuffing them down in compliance.

💛 Well is...'listening and observing' more than I 'speak and show'.

💛 Well is...engaging in slow, rhythmic pedagogy instead of fast, goal-oriented routines/activities.

💛 Well is...encouraging children (and ourselves) to express our authenticity and speak our truth, even when it causes temporary friction.

💛 Well is...assessing when to provide children with structure (boundaries) and when to offer more flexibility in our approach. (or, "In this moment, what will serve the child best: Do I need to be a sturdy caregiver or an extra-soft place to land?")

✨ How do you promote "well" (instead of "good") in your classroom? Let us know in the comments! ✨

🤎☕️But first, coffee!!☕️🤎

🤎☕️But first, coffee!!☕️🤎

💭It’s served me (and my practice) so well to

💭It’s served me (and my practice) so well to remember THIS quote as a forever ‘educator-in-progress’…

✨What’s one idea or quote that is a favourite of yours? Share it in the comments 🩷

#earlychildhoodeducation #earlylearnıng #professionaldevelopment #noshame #educatorwellbeing #progressnotperfection

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