Valentina Caputo has over 10 years of experience across the globe in early education. She has worked in education systems in Australia, China, Italy, and is currently based in Myanmar. Valentina is deeply passionate about nature pedagogy and project-based learning, with a strong belief in children's agency and their role as citizens in their own learning journeys.

Reflective questions on the topic of privilege in play to consider as you listen to Valentina's stories:

Guest speaker : Valentina Caputo 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/valentina-caputo-92601a125/

Host: Dee Suvanmani  @teachingjourneypodcast (https://www.instagram.com/teachingjourneypodcast/) 

Ren Wenas has a background in Psychology and has worked in the early childhood sector for over 10 years. His roles have included being a therapist for Autistic children, an Early Intervention Coordinator with the NDIS, and a speaker at conferences in Indonesia, where he continues to advocate for inclusive and accessible education in his home country.

Ren has a deep understanding of inclusion and diversity, and he’s incredibly passionate about equitable education for young people. He shared stories from his own professional journey—stories that reflect how his identity as an educator continues to evolves in ways they’ve shifted over time, and how he remains open to change as part of his daily work.

Reflective questions on perfectionism that you can consider as you listen to Ren's stories: 

What expectations am I holding onto?

What would it feel like to let go of the need for things to be “perfect”?

How might embracing imperfection open up new possibilities in my teaching?

And what would you say to a friend who might feel frustrated at themselves—could you say that to you?

Guest speaker : Ren Wenas @renwenas https://www.linkedin.com/in/renwenas/

Host: Dee Suvanmani  @teachingjourneypodcast (https://www.instagram.com/teachingjourneypodcast/) 

Dr. Rachel Foster has been in the early years sector for more than 20 years and is now a service coordinator and a sessional academic. She started her teaching journey in New Zealand and progressed into leadership positions after a few years of teaching. Rachel shared her doctoral thesis research on professional learning needs of recently appointed leaders in EC in NZ and found that  early leaders seek for specific knowledge needs that support their current challenges and sought for social connections as they navigate the challenges of their newly appointed roles. 

We also spoke about what leadership means to Rachel and why it is important to question in inner dialogue of discomfort. 

In this episode, I invite you to ponder on:

Resource:

Foster, R.. (2023). Recently Appointed Leaders in Early Childhood Education in Aotearoa New Zealand : The Quest for Useful Knowledge and Social Connection [Prof Doc Thesis]. Australian Catholic University Institute for Learning Sciences and Teacher Education Faculty of Education and Arts https://acuresearchbank.acu.edu.au/researcher/8yz24/rachel-foster

Guest speaker : Dr. Rachel Foster 

Host: Dee Suvanmani  @teachingjourneypodcast (https://www.instagram.com/teachingjourneypodcast/) 

Jenna Close has been in the sector for more than 20 years. She has started her teaching journey teaching in Primary and Secondary sector and very quickly realised her passion for Early Education.  

She speaks so thoughtfully about her joy in her current role as a coach and mentor, and how much she values the growth journey that comes with it. We also touched on leadership, reciprocal learning, and the significance of building strong relationships and connections.

In this episode, I invite you to ponder on:

• What does critical reflection actually mean to you?

Resources:

radical.sw. (2020, September 2). Emotional Regulation [Instagram photo]. Instagram. https://www.instagram.com/radical.sw/p/CEsHV77j4pB/

Dabell, J. (2018, August 12). Models of reflection. John Dabell. https://johndabell.com/2018/08/12/models-of-reflection-2/

Smyth, J. (1991). Critical reflection on classroom practice [Figure 3]. ResearchGate. https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Critical-reflection-on-classroom-practice-Smyth-1991_fig3_270762112

Guest speaker : Jenna Close @aroha.and.ako

https://www.instagram.com/aroha.and.ako/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenna-close-57666874/

Host: Dee Suvanmani  @teachingjourneypodcast (https://www.instagram.com/teachingjourneypodcast/) 

Barbi Clendining has been in the education sector for more than 20 years as a teacher and a leader in Outside of School Hours Care (OSHC). Now, she is a co-founder of Firefly HR, a recruitment agency in NSW and a podcast co-host OSHC After the Bell.

Barbi shared authentically of her journey of leadership and finding the right leadership that resonates with her. She said "I felt that I was doing it all wrong”- as her understanding of leadership is pre-contextualised from her own personal experiences and the understanding that leadership needs to be authoritative.

She described her leadership style as affiliative or servant leadership which is a leader who prioritize the growth and wellbeing of others. We spoke about how this leadership style and her characteristic traits as an ADHD-er influence in her decision making and how she leads her team. She shared the challenges and the rewarding complexities of the entanglements of the traits of understanding her leadership style and her journey of getting a diagnosis of ADHD.

Guest speaker : Barbi Clendining

OSHC After The Bell Podcast: https://oshcafterthebell.libsyn.com/ 

Host: Dee Suvanmani  @teachingjourneypodcast (https://www.instagram.com/teachingjourneypodcast/) 

Vicky Heng has been teaching for 10 years and has a Bachelor in Early Childhood Education from University of Queensland where she undertook the course in Malaysia and is now currently teaching in an international school as an Early Years Bilingual Teacher and Learning Innovation Coach in Kuala Lumpur. 

She spoke about the challenges navigating the knowledge and understanding of the Australian lens of Early Childhood Education and applying them in the Malaysian education system. We spoke about play based curriculum and how she has integrated the importance of play in a context where the education is primarily focus on academic achievements.

She shares her passion for the use of ICT in the classrooms and how it is a tool for communication, learning, documentation and reflections for both children and educators. 

Resources: 

Bird, J. (2020). Technologies and pretend play. Every Child, 26(1), 16-17. https://www.earlychildhoodaustralia.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/EC2001-Technologies-and-pretend-play.pdf

Early Childhood Australia. (2018). Statement and Young Children and Digital Technologies https://www.earlychildhoodaustralia.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Digital-policy-statement.pdf

Guest speaker : Vicky Heng

Host: Dee Suvanmani  @teachingjourneypodcast (https://www.instagram.com/teachingjourneypodcast/) 

Nicola Hoad was a primary teacher for 10 years and is now an owner of Play in the Past which centers around providing playful explorations with historical resources into classrooms for a hands on rich exposure to children’s learning.

Nicola has shared with us deliberate and intentional languages that she uses when she’s teaching and how this exposure would extend children’s contextual and understandings of the learnings they are experiencing with.

Today's episode, I invite you to reflect on: 

- What is play? And how often do we engage in play?

- Have you unpacked the concept of play with your team or yourself?

- What space and time do you allow free explorative play? What does that look like?

- How are children engaging in play and how do we allow children and educators to experience and reflect upon the human and non human entanglements in those interactions?

Resources: 

UNICEF (June, 2024) First Ever International Day of Play https://unicef.org/stories/first-ever-international-day-of-play

"Children’s immersion in their play illustrates how play enables them to simply enjoy being" (EYLF v2, 2022, p21).

United Nations (2024) International Day of Play. https://www.un.org/en/observances/international-day-of-play

Guest speaker : Nicola Hoad @playinthepast

https://www.instagram.com/playinthepast/

Play in the Past https://www.playinthepast.com/

Host: Dee Suvanmani  @teachingjourneypodcast (https://www.instagram.com/teachingjourneypodcast/) 

*Disclaimer* Please note that I have missed spelt and pronounced Nicola's last name as Noad when it is Hoad. Apologies for the initial lack of research and clarification on my end and I am unable to make the changes in the recording. Names are an integral part of our identity and should be clearly pronounced, spelled and identified. 

Belle Spillman has been in the early childhood sector for more than 20 years. She had a great career as a HR manager and her journey began when she struggled to find quality early learning services for her own children. This experience inspired her to study early childhood education and to provide high-quality early education for young people. Now she is a leader, mentor and has a consultancy business called Our Business Mentors.

Belle radiates as a leader who is passionate about people – children, families and educators. She emphasized the importance of knowing the people we work with and offering curiosity rather than judgment. She also spoke about self-investment as something crucial in self-growth and leadership – it is the active and intentional work that you put in yourself in being the best version of yourself. Belle talks about knowing consciously the different hats that we wear and being present and embody the hat that fits the role and the situation.

Guest speaker : Belle Spillman @ourbusinessmentors

https://www.instagram.com/ourbusinessmentors/

Our Business Mentors https://ourbusinessmentors.com.au/ 

Host: Dee Suvanmani  @teachingjourneypodcast (https://www.instagram.com/teachingjourneypodcast/) 

Donna Sheppard has been in the education sector for 30 years. She began her career as a high school music teacher, studied for her bachelor’s degree while raising children, and is now the co-owner of a consultancy business called Back on Track Early Childhood Professionals.

Donna shared her journey, including the challenges she faced as a new teacher in the early childhood sector and her battle with breast cancer. She continued teaching during her treatment and being cancer-free fueled her passion and motivation to advocate for the sector, leading her to start Back on Track.

Throughout the recording, Donna spoke passionately about the importance of advocacy in supporting families and educating others on our expertise in early education. She emphasized that parents are experts on their children, while educators are experts in child development, and both perspectives serve the best interests of the children.

Guest speaker : Donna Sheppard @backontrackconsultancy

https://www.instagram.com/backontrackconsultancy/

Back on Track Consultancy (https://www.backontrackconsultancy.com)

Host: Dee Suvanmani  @teachingjourneypodcast (https://www.instagram.com/teachingjourneypodcast/) 

Mariela Silvera has been in the early years sector for over 25 years and is now a certified mindfulness instructor and a certified Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) practitioner. In our conversation, she shared her honest experience of burnout and her struggles with mental health and well-being. She began her journey by self-learning meditation from YouTube videos and incorporating it into her daily routine.

Mariela spoke passionately about the importance of integrating well-being into early childhood curriculums as a foundational life skill for young people. Throughout the recording, she provided many practical examples of how we can introduce mindfulness to young children and shared EFT techniques that she uses with them. 

Video of Tappy Bear and EFT tapping technique. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8YP2-ltqBqc

Guest speaker : Mariela Silvera @teacherandwellbeingcoach

(https://www.instagram.com/teacherandwellbeingcoach)

(https://www.youtube.com/@mindfuljourneycoaching)

Host: Dee Suvanmani  @teachingjourneypodcast (https://www.instagram.com/teachingjourneypodcast/)