The Everything ECE Podcast

How does your classroom environment shape children’s behaviour, independence, and learning?

In this episode of The Everything ECE Podcast, Carla sits down with Jennifer Fernandez, School Specialty’s Early Childhood Education Strategist for the U.S. and Canada, to explore why classroom environments matter far beyond aesthetics.

Jennifer shares insights from her 30+ years in education as a teacher, professional learning specialist, and early childhood strategist, along with practical ideas educators can use to create spaces that support independence, regulation, curiosity, and emotional safety.

You’ll hear about: • Why the environment is often called “the third teacher” • Common classroom setup mistakes and simple shifts to try • The power of blocks, books, and open-ended materials • How environments connect to behaviour, engagement, and belonging • Ways to design intentionally without spending your own money

This conversation offers grounded, realistic ideas to help educators rethink their spaces with purpose and confidence.

JENNIFER FERNANDEZ

Jennifer Fernandez is School Specialty’s Early Childhood Education Strategist for the U.S. and Canada. She brings more than 30 years of experience in education as a teacher & professional learning specialist. She holds a BA in Elementary Education & Spanish and MA in Bilingual/Bicultural Studies along with teaching certificates in Elementary, Early Childhood, & Bilingual/ESL.

LINKS

LinkedIn: https:/www.linkedin.com/in/jennifer-fernandez-6a41a41a9/

Website: https://www.schoolspecialty.ca/ 

SUBSCRIBE & REVIEW

If you loved this episode, please take a moment to subscribe and leave a review. Your support helps us reach more ECEs who are in the thick of it!. Thanks for tuning in to The Everything ECE.  See you next week! shape their early years.

CONNECT WITH CARLA

The ECE Latte Lounge

Email Newsletter: ⁠⁠Click Here⁠

Website: carlatheece.com

Instagram: @carlatheece

Praise is so normalized in early childhood education that we rarely stop to question it. It feels supportive, encouraging, and positive. But over time, it can quietly teach children to look outside themselves for approval.

In this episode, Carla Ward explores the difference between praise and encouragement, the impact of extrinsic versus intrinsic motivation, and why common phrases like “good job” don’t actually support reflection or self-awareness. She also unpacks what’s really happening when children become frustrated after being asked to evaluate their own work instead of receiving immediate validation.

This episode is an invitation to slow down, notice language patterns, and consider how small shifts can support confidence, autonomy, and a stronger sense of self.

SUBSCRIBE & REVIEW

If you loved this episode, please take a moment to subscribe and leave a review. Your support helps us reach more ECEs who are in the thick of it!. Thanks for tuning in to The Everything ECE.  See you next week! shape their early years.

CONNECT WITH CARLA

The ECE Latte Lounge

Email Newsletter: ⁠⁠Click Here⁠

Website: carlatheece.com

Instagram: @carlatheece

How to Build a Community Classroom with Donna Skea

What makes children feel safe, connected, and ready to learn in early childhood programs? In this episode of The Everything ECE Podcast, Carla sits down with Donna Skea (The Infinite Educator) to talk about building a community classroom where every child feels like they belong.

You’ll hear practical, relationship-based strategies for early childhood educators, including why routine creates safety, how to shift from schedule-driven to child-centered days, and how classroom rules, lunchtime, and circle time can strengthen social-emotional development.

If you’re looking for real strategies to reduce stress in the classroom and build stronger connection with children, this conversation will leave you inspired and supported.

DONNA SKEA

Donna is a full-time faculty member in an Early childhood education department. She has spent the last 22 years teaching, supervising and supporting, students on their journey to becoming educators. Donna also runs a childcare consulting firm that provides workshops for the English School boards and childcare facilities in Quebec. She has given workshops for LEARN QUEBEC, QAPPD conference, Sir Wilfred Laurier school board as well as many daycare facilities throughout Montreal.

LINKS

The 6 Key Decisions to ECE Podcasting Masterclass: https://carlatheece.com/ece-podcast-masterclass 

LinkedIn

Instagram

Facebook

Free Resource: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1OkDwvpRn_l2sgbVRKmV3r9eAjpfcobiH/view 

SUBSCRIBE & REVIEW

If you loved this episode, please take a moment to subscribe and leave a review. Your support helps us reach more ECEs who are in the thick of it!. Thanks for tuning in to The Everything ECE.  See you next week! shape their early years.

CONNECT WITH CARLA

The ECE Latte Lounge

Email Newsletter: ⁠⁠Click Here⁠

Website: carlatheece.com

Instagram: @carlatheece

Families aren’t our opposition; they’re our partners. In this episode, Carla Ward explores three actionable ways educators can turn everyday communication into true collaboration with families.

From proactive communication loops to intentional language and making partnership visible, you’ll walk away with practical strategies you can implement right away with no extra workload required.

✨ Ready-to-use ideas for stronger family connections💬 Learn language shifts that build trust🌿 Create environments that reflect partnership

🎧 Listen now and start building the bridges that make your days lighter, calmer, and more connected.

LINKS

Learn the 6 Key Decisions to ECE Podcasting:https://carlatheece.com/ece-podcast-masterclass 

---

SUBSCRIBE & REVIEW

If you loved this episode, please take a moment to subscribe and leave a review. Your support helps us reach more ECEs who are in the thick of it!. Thanks for tuning in to The Everything ECE.  See you next week! shape their early years.

CONNECT WITH CARLA

The ECE Latte Lounge

Email Newsletter: ⁠⁠Click Here⁠

Website: carlatheece.com

Instagram: @carlatheece

Wellbeing consultant Monica Rollins, founder of Rooted Wellness Collective, joins Carla to explore what it really takes to move beyond burnout in Early Childhood Education. Together, they unpack the systemic roots of educator exhaustion and how to create H.E.A.R.T.-centered programs where teachers feel supported and children flourish.

Monica shares her personal journey through burnout, the lessons she’s learned about leadership and wellbeing, and practical ways educators and administrators can reconnect with purpose, presence, and joy.

Listen in for a conversation filled with honesty, hope, and real strategies to help you nurture both yourself and your team.

MONICA ROLLINS

Monica Rollins is a wellbeing consultant dedicated to transforming the early childhood profession, where she has spent nearly two decades as a teacher, leader, and strategist. After walking through her own season of burnout and loss in 2024, she realized that exhaustion in ECE isn’t just an individual struggle—it’s a systemic story the profession has carried for far too long. Now, she is on a mission to help schools rewrite their burnout stories and build H.E.A.R.T.-centered communities where teachers thrive, teams feel supported, and children flourish.

LINKS

The ECE Wellbeing Playbook:  https://www.rootedwellnesscollective.org/playbook 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/monica-kaye-rollins/

SUBSCRIBE & REVIEW

If you loved this episode, please take a moment to subscribe and leave a review. Your support helps us reach more ECEs who are in the thick of it!. Thanks for tuning in to The Everything ECE.  See you next week! shape their early years.

CONNECT WITH CARLA

The ECE Latte Lounge

Email Newsletter: ⁠⁠Click Here⁠

Website: carlatheece.com

Instagram: @carlatheece

What does abundance really mean, and how can you call more of it into your life this year? In this inspiring episode, Carla explores how educators and entrepreneurs can shift from scarcity to abundance: in mindset, time, love, creativity, and yes, even money.

You’ll learn practical ways to develop an abundance mindset, reframe scarcity thinking, and create space for joy, opportunity, and alignment in both your classroom and your business.

✨ It’s time to stop hoping for abundance and start declaring it.

Listen if you want to:

• Let go of scarcity thinking in your ECE career or business

• Learn how mindset shapes what you attract

• Create more time, peace, and joy in 2026

• Feel inspired to believe you are enough

  
  

SUBSCRIBE & REVIEW

If you loved this episode, please take a moment to subscribe and leave a review. Your support helps us reach more ECEs who are in the thick of it!. Thanks for tuning in to The Everything ECE.  See you next week!

CONNECT WITH CARLA

The ECE Latte Lounge

Email Newsletter: ⁠⁠Click Here⁠

Website: carlatheece.com

Instagram: @carlatheece

In this episode, Carla sits down with Paul Buckley, former preschool teacher and founder of Ratio Staffing, to explore what’s really happening behind staffing challenges in early childhood education.

Paul shares how burnout, outdated systems, and unnecessary barriers are affecting educators and programs and how a more human-centred, child-centred approach can change everything.

This conversation is filled with insight, compassion, and practical ideas for supervisors, directors, and educators who want to strengthen retention, improve support systems, and create healthier environments for staff and children.

PAUL BUCKLEY

Paul Buckley is the Founder and Managing Owner of Ratio Staffing, a groundbreaking platform reshaping how preschools connect with substitute teachers, enrichment educators, and speech pathologists. A former preschool teacher with nearly 20 years of hands-on experience, Paul’s mission is deeply personal: to help children thrive by supporting the educators who shape their early years.

LINKS

Website: https://ratiostaffing.com/ 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ratiostaffing 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ratiostaffing 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ratio-staffing/ 

SUBSCRIBE & REVIEW

If you loved this episode, please take a moment to subscribe and leave a review. Your support helps us reach more ECEs who are in the thick of it!. Thanks for tuning in to The Everything ECE.  See you next week!

CONNECT WITH CARLA

The ECE Latte Lounge

Email Newsletter: ⁠⁠Click Here⁠

Website: carlatheece.com

Instagram: @carlatheece

In this episode, Carla explores what meaningful progress truly looks like in early childhood education: the subtle, powerful shifts that happen long before skills show up on the surface. From greeting a child at the door to acknowledging feelings with empathy, she breaks down how these small moments strengthen neural pathways, support emotional regulation, and build genuine belonging. You’ll learn how to notice your impact, stay grounded in the long game of child development, and end your day feeling more connected to your work. Perfect for early childhood educators, RECEs, preschool teachers, and anyone who needs a reminder that their work truly matters.

SUBSCRIBE & REVIEW

If you loved this episode, please take a moment to subscribe and leave a review. Your support helps us reach more ECEs who are in the thick of it!. Thanks for tuning in to The Everything ECE.  See you next week!

CONNECT WITH CARLA

The ECE Latte Lounge

Email Newsletter: ⁠⁠Click Here⁠

Website: carlatheece.com

Instagram: @carlatheece

AI isn’t here to replace educators; it’s here to support us. In this episode, Carla sits down with Thomas Thompson, co-founder and CEO of Eduaide.Ai, to explore how AI can help teachers and early childhood educators work smarter, not harder.

From lesson planning and accommodations to game-based learning and productivity, Thomas breaks down how AI tools can save time, reduce burnout, and help educators focus on what truly matters: building connections and supporting children’s learning.

Whether you’re tech-curious or tech-cautious, this conversation will reframe how you think about AI in education.

Thomas  Thompson

Thomas is a​ co-founder​ and the CEO of Eduaide.Ai, where he studies how people learn and how teachers make instructional decisions. His work draws on cognitive science, instructional design, and the history and philosophy of education to develop tools that translate research into practical applications.​ A former classroom teacher and non-profit director, his focus has remained the same​ across roles: building practical systems that support effective teaching and reflect the complexities of how people think, learn, and develop over time.

LINKS  

Website: www.eduaide.ai/

SubStack: learningstack.substack.com/

SUBSCRIBE & REVIEW

If you loved this episode, please take a moment to subscribe and leave a review. Your support helps us reach more ECEs who are in the thick of it!. Thanks for tuning in to The Everything ECE.  See you next week!

CONNECT WITH CARLA

The ECE Latte Lounge

Email Newsletter: ⁠⁠Click Here⁠

Website: carlatheece.com

Instagram: @carlatheece

Transitions get a bad reputation: rushed, chaotic, stressful. But they don’t have to be. In this episode, Carla explores a powerful mindset shift: transitions aren’t the thing before the next thing. They are learning.

Carla breaks down how slowing down, pausing before stepping in, and leading with empathy can transform the way children experience transitions. She talks about why a bit of struggle is healthy, how to support children before they become dysregulated, how subtle language shifts build independence, and where flexibility (and the occasional “yes”) can make all the difference.

If transitions feel difficult in your day, this episode will help you see them with fresh eyes — and bring a lot more calm, connection, and understanding into your classroom.

SUBSCRIBE & REVIEW

If you loved this episode, please take a moment to subscribe and leave a review. Your support helps us reach more ECEs who are in the thick of it!. Thanks for tuning in to The Everything ECE.  See you next week!

CONNECT WITH CARLA

The ECE Latte Lounge

Email Newsletter: ⁠⁠Click Here⁠

Website: carlatheece.com

Instagram: @carlatheece