The Intentional ECE

In this episode, we explore the power of outdoor learning with April Zajko. From noticing the wonders of nature to creating spaces where children feel a deep sense of curiosity and belonging, April reminds us that the outdoors is more than a backdrop - it’s a teacher in its own right. Together, we reflect on how embracing nature can nurture belonging, resilience, creativity, and joy for both children and educators.

To learn more and connect with April:

Nature Inspired Teacher!

IG: @natureinspiredteacher

FB:  Nature Inspired Teacher

In this episode, Shirley Rempel—family child care provider, play advocate, and early learning leader—talks with us about the depth and value of home-based care. Shirley shares her experiences running a day home for over 16 years, her commitment to child-led, play-based learning, and the importance of advocacy for early childhood education in Alberta and beyond.

To learn more about Shirley’s work you can find her at:

https://toplayistolearndayhome.weebly.com/

IG:  @toplayistolearndayhomedayhome

FB:  To Play Is To Learn Day Home

Email:  [email protected]

FB:  Alberta (and Beyond) Early Learning and Child Care Network

What does it truly mean for children to have agency in early childhood settings? In this thought-provoking episode, Marta Skrzypczak invites us to consider how autonomy, democratic practices, and systems like children’s councils can support meaningful participation. Drawing inspiration from Janusz Korczak’s legacy, Marta shares insights into moving beyond small choices to real, empowered action.

Learn more about Marta’s work at ⁠Participation Coach

⁠Instagram:  ⁠@participation_coach

What if the path to literacy doesn’t begin with letters and sounds—but with movement, play, and connection? In this episode, Stacy Benge, M.S.—early childhood educator, speaker, and author of The Whole Child Alphabet—joins me to talk about how literacy develops through the body, the senses, and the child’s natural curiosity.

Stacy helps us unpack the real foundations of literacy, from language development and vision to rhythm, play, and child-led experiences. With clarity and heart, she offers a refreshing perspective for both educators and families—one that honours the whole child.

Learn more about Stacy’s work at:

IG: @StacyBengeMS

FB: StacyBengeMS

LinkedIn: StacyBenge

In this episode, we explore how an educator’s personal history—our beliefs, values, and lived experiences—shapes what we notice and how we interpret children’s actions and words. Drawing on insights from Beau Lotto and Ann Pelo, we reflect on perception, cultural lens, and the power of self-awareness in observation. When we look inward as we look outward, our observations become more intentional, responsive, and grounded in care.

Resources:Deviate by Beau Lotto

From Teaching to Thinking by Ann Pelo & Margie Carter

In the final episode of our play and arts series, we pause to reflect. What has surfaced through playful observation, creative expression, and time spent reconnecting with our senses and surroundings? What common threads have emerged? And how might these insights shift the way we think, teach, observe, and respond?

In this third episode of our four-part play and arts series, we explore the art of observation as a form of play and creative expression. Through sensory experiences, drawing, writing, photography, and sound, educators are invited to rediscover the world around them and reconnect with curiosity, wonder, and joy

Resources:

Georgia Heard

Center for Playful Inquiry

London Drawing Group

In this second episode of our four-part series on play and art, we explore how developing an art mindset begins with embracing play. By reconnecting with the joy, curiosity, and openness that live in both play and process art, educators can create meaningful, developmentally rich experiences for children—and rediscover their own creativity in the process.

What if play isn’t just something we do, but a way of being? This episode explores play as a state of curiosity, freedom, and connection—one that nourishes our sense of joy, replenishment, and belonging. Listeners are invited to notice their own moments of play and consider how this shift in perspective can deepen their work with children, themselves, and the world around them.

Resources:

The Original Learning Approach by Suzanne Axelsson

Play by Stuart Brown

Free to Learn by Peter Gray

Center for Playful Inquiry

In this episode, I’m joined by Rosalba Bortolotti—pedagogist, mentor, and founder of the Acorn Collaborative—for a rich conversation rooted in the Reggio-inspired philosophy. We begin by exploring the powerful idea of seeing and being seen—and how the image we hold of children and ourselves as educators shapes relationships, environments, and the everyday decisions we make in our learning spaces. Rosalba shares her insights on materials as co-constructors of learning, what it means to create a living studio of ideas, and how educators can begin to transform their practice through reflection and intention. We also talk about her Mini Book Collection—a beautifully curated set of stories, provocations, and invitations—and how it can serve as a meaningful companion for educators on their journey.

Learn more about Rosalba at acorncollaborative.com

Instagram:  @acorncollaborative