Liberated Learning

When we Interact with children, we often use scripts, phrases we can repeat to get children engaged. Scripts can be helpful for beginning a conversation or working through emotional times. But relying too much on a script can take us out of the moment. We need to be sure to connect to the child, not the script.  

Kisa can be found at The Playlab Foundation and Mike at Inclusion Includes Us, on Instagram and Facebook. Their books are available at https://www.redleafpress.org/ 

Did you know you can support the hosting costs of The Early Childhood Nerdwork on Patreon, and get Discord access to talk nerdy with like-minded folks too? https://patreon.com/EarlyChildhoodNerdworkbyThatEarlyChildhoodNerd   

Theme music by John's Black Dirt https://johnsblackdirt.bandcamp.com/album/horrible-moments-of-upness

Our conversation with Cay Burton turns more personal when Cay talks about their hope to be the adult they needed when they were a child. Cay reminds us that we don't need to have all the answers. We just need to approach difference with compassion, acceptance and love. 

Cay's article can be downloaded using this link: https://journals.uvic.ca/index.php/jcs/issue/view/1643 

Cayley Burton (she/they) has a Master of Education (MEd) in early childhood education from the University of British Columbia. Cayley is a queer early childhood educator, researcher, advocate, and writer living on Treaty 7 territory in Calgary, Alberta (Mohkinstsis in Blackfoot). Email: [email protected] 

Kisa can be found at The Playlab Foundation and Mike at Inclusion Includes Us, on Instagram and Facebook. Their books are available at https://www.redleafpress.org/ 

Did you know you can support the hosting costs of The Early Childhood Nerdwork on Patreon, and get Discord access to talk nerdy with like-minded folks too? https://patreon.com/EarlyChildhoodNerdworkbyThatEarlyChildhoodNerd   

Theme music by John's Black Dirt https://johnsblackdirt.bandcamp.com/album/horrible-moments-of-upness 

Liberation requires that each member of a community feels free to be themselves while accepting others for being themselves. Our differences are gifts--not threats--to collective well-being. We continue our discussion with Cay Burton focusing on how adult fears can interrupt children's appreciation of the range of human experience. 

Cay's article can be downloaded using this link: https://journals.uvic.ca/index.php/jcs/issue/view/1643 

Cayley Burton (she/they) has a Master of Education (MEd) in early childhood education from the University of British Columbia. Cayley is a queer early childhood educator, researcher, advocate, and writer living on Treaty 7 territory in Calgary, Alberta (Mohkinstsis in Blackfoot). Email: [email protected] 

Kisa can be found at The Playlab Foundation and Mike at Inclusion Includes Us, on Instagram and Facebook. Their books are available at https://www.redleafpress.org/ 

Did you know you can support the hosting costs of The Early Childhood Nerdwork on Patreon, and get Discord access to talk nerdy with like-minded folks too? https://patreon.com/EarlyChildhoodNerdworkbyThatEarlyChildhoodNerd   

Theme music by John's Black Dirt https://johnsblackdirt.bandcamp.com/album/horrible-moments-of-upness 

LL029 It's Also Mermaid Tails 

Rudine Sims Bishop once wrote, "Literature transforms human experience and reflects it back to us." But because human experience varies from person to person, what each of us sees also varies. When educators read to children, adult interpretations and goals for children too often get in the way of things; children live what they know of their lives. We continue our discussion with Cay Burton as they tell some of the stories from their research on Queer Circle Time. We keep circling back to the conclusion that our work as liberators is making a safe space for children and adults to express their many facets which includes their social identities but also their joys and fears. It can be a child feeling safe to express their gender, but it's also mermaid tails. 

Cay's article can be downloaded using this link: https://journals.uvic.ca/index.php/jcs/issue/view/1643 

Cayley Burton (she/they) has a Master of Education (MEd) in early childhood education from the University of British Columbia. Cayley is a queer early childhood educator, researcher, advocate, and writer living on Treaty 7 territory in Calgary, Alberta (Mohkinstsis in Blackfoot). Email: [email protected] 

Kisa can be found at The Playlab Foundation and Mike at Inclusion Includes Us, on Instagram and Facebook. Their books are available at https://www.redleafpress.org/ 

Did you know you can support the hosting costs of The Early Childhood Nerdwork on Patreon, and get Discord access to talk nerdy with like-minded folks too? https://patreon.com/EarlyChildhoodNerdworkbyThatEarlyChildhoodNerd   

Theme music by John's Black Dirt https://johnsblackdirt.bandcamp.com/album/horrible-moments-of-upness 

This week we are joined by Cayley Burton to talk about their article, Queer Circle Time: Inviting Children’s Responses to 2SLGBTQI+ Picture Books. We talk about the importance of representation; children having mirrors that reflect an aspect of their experience. The talk quickly goes deeper and talks about the need for educators to take the time to let children express themselves authentically. When we move quickly, children may only give us the answer they think we want. Slowing down and actively listening to children allows us to hear their answers. We see their humanity when we approach with curiosity. 

Cay's article can be downloaded using this link: https://journals.uvic.ca/index.php/jcs/issue/view/1643 

Cayley Burton (she/they) has a master’s of education (MEd) in early childhood education from the University of British Columbia. Cayley is a queer early childhood educator, researcher, advocate, and writer living on Treaty 7 territory in Calgary, Alberta (Mohkinstsis in Blackfoot). Email: [email protected] 

Kisa can be found at The Playlab Foundation and Mike at Inclusion Includes Us, on Instagram and Facebook. Their books are available at https://www.redleafpress.org/ 

Did you know you can support the hosting costs of The Early Childhood Nerdwork on Patreon, and get Discord access to talk nerdy with like-minded folks too? https://patreon.com/EarlyChildhoodNerdworkbyThatEarlyChildhoodNerd   

Theme music by John's Black Dirt https://johnsblackdirt.bandcamp.com/album/horrible-moments-of-upness 

Actions speak louder than words, but words matter. The power is in matching words with actions. We teach a child to ask, "Is there anything I can do?" rather than "Sorry," so they understand that apologizing requires action, not just words. Coaching a teacher is more effective when you tell them one thing to focus on and then have them observe and try it out. Intentionality is the key whether using words, gestures or actions. 

Kisa can be found at The Playlab Foundation and Mike at Inclusion Includes Us, on Instagram and Facebook. Their books are available at https://www.redleafpress.org/ 

Did you know you can support the hosting costs of The Early Childhood Nerdwork on Patreon, and get Discord access to talk nerdy with like-minded folks too? https://patreon.com/EarlyChildhoodNerdworkbyThatEarlyChildhoodNerd   

Theme music by John's Black Dirt https://johnsblackdirt.bandcamp.com/album/horrible-moments-of-upness 

Being an educator is vulnerable because we are showing an early draft of our authentic self. We can't improve our practice until we let others see how we show up. Then we need to let the children and our co-workers inspire us to be our best educator self. Like everything, we may feel a bit of imposter syndrome when we try something new, but over time, we can integrate practices that are working and come closer to our ideal. The trick is that we always have to be OK with realizing that there is no end point. There is always more to learn. 

Kisa and Mike refer to the Everything ECE Podcast episode, Why Movement Comes Before Mindfulness with Lisa Danahy https://podcast.elfoundations.com/playlist/WvbVjPR8by/file/6NKzrrXvDz 

Kisa can be found at The Playlab Foundation and Mike at Inclusion Includes Us, on Instagram and Facebook. Their books are available at https://www.redleafpress.org/ 

Did you know you can support the hosting costs of The Early Childhood Nerdwork on Patreon, and get Discord access to talk nerdy with like-minded folks too? https://patreon.com/EarlyChildhoodNerdworkbyThatEarlyChildhoodNerd   

Theme music by John's Black Dirt https://johnsblackdirt.bandcamp.com/album/horrible-moments-of-upness 

Listening to others means more than simply hearing the words that are spoken. Young children have the same complicated feelings adults do, but they have limited ways to express those feelings. What the child is feeling internally matters. This calls upon the adults caring for that child to take on the child's perspective when listening to them. And like much of what we learn from caring for children, this also applies to when we interact with adults who may come from a different cultural perspective. 

Kisa can be found at The Playlab Foundation and Mike at Inclusion Includes Us, on Instagram and Facebook. Their books are available at https://www.redleafpress.org/ 

Did you know you can support the hosting costs of The Early Childhood Nerdwork on Patreon, and get Discord access to talk nerdy with like-minded folks too? https://patreon.com/EarlyChildhoodNerdworkbyThatEarlyChildhoodNerd   

Theme music by John's Black Dirt https://johnsblackdirt.bandcamp.com/album/horrible-moments-of-upness 

LL024 Seeing the Other 

This week we have an unfiltered conversation about race, gender, and class. Kisa and Mike then reflect on the conversation and see how the topics share a thread of how to see the humanity in others. This can be easier said than done because we experience the world from our own perspective. We need to be able to notice when we are ignoring the perspective of others. Once again, we are joined by Amanda, Jax, Sophie, and Emma Worms. 

Amanda Worms is the CEO and Founder of Bella Vita Early Learning and the Founder and Executive Director of Elowyn, a community-rooted initiative grounded in connection and support for families, educators, and children alike.  

In this episode, Mike refers to the book, Caste by Isabel Wilkerson. 

Kisa can be found at The Playlab Foundation and Mike at Inclusion Includes Us, on Instagram and Facebook. Their books are available at https://www.redleafpress.org/ 

Did you know you can support the hosting costs of The Early Childhood Nerdwork on Patreon, and get Discord access to talk nerdy with like-minded folks too? https://patreon.com/EarlyChildhoodNerdworkbyThatEarlyChildhoodNerd   

Theme music by John's Black Dirt https://johnsblackdirt.bandcamp.com/album/horrible-moments-of-upness 

Learning is not linear, especially for neurodivergent people. Yet too often our learning institutions are structured as if it is. In high school, the day is often divided into periods of 45 minutes, so students jump from one subject to another. It’s hard to imagine an artist being told to stop working after 45 minutes so they can go swimming and then learn about history. In early childhood, children are often shuffled around from one activity to another to ensure covering all learning domains. This is counter to seeing the humanity of the children. Instead, educators need to start with relationship so they can see the spark in each child while also supporting that child’s needs. Once again, we are joined by Amanda, Jax, Sophie, and Emma Worms. 

Amanda Worms is the CEO and Founder of Bella Vita Early Learning and the Founder and Executive Director of Elowyn, a community-rooted initiative grounded in connection and support for families, educators, and children alike.  

Kisa can be found at The Playlab Foundation and Mike at Inclusion Includes Us, on Instagram and Facebook. Their books are available at https://www.redleafpress.org/ 

Did you know you can support the hosting costs of The Early Childhood Nerdwork on Patreon, and get Discord access to talk nerdy with like-minded folks too? https://patreon.com/EarlyChildhoodNerdworkbyThatEarlyChildhoodNerd   

Theme music by John's Black Dirt https://johnsblackdirt.bandcamp.com/album/horrible-moments-of-upness