TTS Educators' Podcast

Throughout this episode, Shaddai Tembo is joined by Kerry Murphy, an Early Years lecturer at Goldsmiths, University of London and consultant, to discuss the meaning of ableism and how practitioners can address it. 

Kerry offers examples of how practitioners could unknowingly be perpetuating ableism and encouraging masking. Expectations around how children should pay attention, play and socialise lead to children being put into intervention to teach them to act more neurotypical.  

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(The views expressed throughout this podcast are the speakers' own, and TTS does not take responsibility for the views and guidance highlighted as part of this recording.) 

Please note: When referencing the speakers views, theory and work for development of your own materials, please ensure academic reference of the speaker is cited. 

In this episode, Shaddai Tembo is joined by Kerry Murphy, an Early Years lecturer at Goldsmiths, University of London and consultant, to discuss why adopting a neurodiverse approach is crucial in the early years. 

Historically, diversity or neurodiverse people have typically been viewed through a deficit lens. Kerry explains that in today’s society, we are getting better at understanding the needs of neurodiverse people but children are still exposed to a deficit experience through intervention strategies with an aim of making children ‘less neurodivergent’. 

She adds the importance of seeing neurodivergence as part of development and meeting children where they are. 

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(The views expressed throughout this podcast are the speakers' own, and TTS does not take responsibility for the views and guidance highlighted as part of this recording.) 

Please note: When referencing the speakers views, theory and work for development of your own materials, please ensure academic reference of the speaker is cited. 

To round up the 4th and final episode with Joss Cambridge-Simmons, Shaddai asks Joss to share his thoughts on how action settings can be put in place to promote a diverse and equal workforce.  

A more gender-balanced workforce will provide children with the widest range of experiences, skills, and teaching styles that will benefit their learning and development.   

Joss and Shaddai discuss the role of government, legislation, and films to change the attitudes towards men working in the early years and help create to create a better gender balance. 

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(The views expressed throughout this podcast are the speakers' own, and TTS does not take responsibility for the views and guidance highlighted as part of this recording.) 

Please note: When referencing the speakers views, theory and work for development of your own materials, please ensure academic reference of the speaker is cited. 

In this episode, Shaddai Tembo is joined again by Joss Cambridge-Simmons, the UK’s leading ‘super manny’ and founder of ‘Jossy Care’, to look at self-reflection and other skills needed to work with children in the Early Years. 

Joss discusses the skills and qualities that make a great early years practitioner, including passion, emotional intelligence, and love. He explains the importance of self-care and examining your own feelings and attitudes to avoid successive generations of children experiencing bias and inequality.

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(The views expressed throughout this podcast are the speakers' own, and TTS does not take responsibility for the views and guidance highlighted as part of this recording.) 

Please note: When referencing the speakers views, theory and work for development of your own materials, please ensure academic reference of the speaker is cited. 

Throughout this episode, Shaddai Tembo is joined again by Joss Cambridge-Simmons, the UK’s leading ‘super manny’ and founder of ‘Jossy Care’, to continue the conversations on gender and the need for more diversity in the Early Years. 

Joss expands on the previous episode, discussing why it’s important for children to have role models from a diverse range of backgrounds. He explains that children generalise and take things literally, so it’s important to give children a positive message about race and gender from an early age. 

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(The views expressed throughout this podcast are the speakers' own, and TTS does not take responsibility for the views and guidance highlighted as part of this recording.) 

Please note: When referencing the speakers views, theory and work for development of your own materials, please ensure academic reference of the speaker is cited. 

In this episode, Shaddai Tembo is joined by Joss Cambridge-Simmons, the UK’s leading ‘super manny’ and founder of ‘Jossy Care’, for the first of the conversations on gender and the need for more diversity in the Early Years. 

Joss discusses his experiences as a male nanny working in early years and delves into the challenges and biases that some male practitioners face. He explains how patriarchy is part of the reason that more men aren’t working in childcare and that we need to see a change in society so that men can be true to their identity.  

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(The views expressed throughout this podcast are the speakers' own, and TTS does not take responsibility for the views and guidance highlighted as part of this recording.) 

Please note: When referencing the speakers views, theory and work for development of your own materials, please ensure academic reference of the speaker is cited. 

To round up the 4th episode with Professor Gina Rippon, Shaddai asks Gina to share her thoughts on how practitioners can communicate more effectively with parents and the local community to overcome and challenge gender biases. 

Parent engagement is critical to make a difference and this regular communication with parents on the initiatives taking place in the setting, ensures that the work continues at home and amongst the wider community. 

Sharing guidance and inspiration on simple changes that make all the difference, Gina gives examples such as, ensuring that during the festive period Santa Claus offers gender neutral gifts, instead of categorising by gender. Additionally, when communicating with parents about key dates such as World Book Day, encourage families to think outside of the box, rather than focusing on the gendered stereotypical characters and outfits.

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(The views expressed throughout this podcast are the speakers' own, and TTS does not take responsibility for the views and guidance highlighted as part of this recording.) 

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In this episode, Shaddai Tembo is joined again by Professor Gina Rippon, Emeritus Professor of Cognitive Neuroimaging at the Aston Brain Centre, Aston University, to discuss what early years settings can do to promote a more gender inclusive practice. 

 Gina shares with listeners some of the practical steps and strategies that can be taken to challenge gender stereotypes that children naturally pick up and are exposed to in the early years. From regularly auditing the environment and resources, using appropriate and inclusive language, to having a gender champion representative within the setting, Gina and Shaddai discuss simple solutions that promote a gender inclusive practice.

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(The views expressed throughout this podcast are the speakers' own, and TTS does not take responsibility for the views and guidance highlighted as part of this recording.) 

Please note: When referencing the speakers views, theory and work for development of your own materials, please ensure academic reference of the speaker is cited. 

Throughout this episode, Shaddai Tembo is joined again by Professor Gina Rippon, Emeritus Professor of Cognitive Neuroimaging at the Aston Brain Centre, Aston University, to continue the conversation of keeping gender on the agenda in the early years. 

Touching on her own research and experience, Gina reiterates just how important the first five years are in shaping a child’s brain. Referring to children as ‘gender detectives’ both Gina and Shaddai discuss how play-based experiences have a huge impact on children’s understanding and perspective of gender and sex differences, as well as their social skills and emotional awareness. 

Overcoming gender biases and stereotypes in children’s play is crucial to promoting inclusive practice and this episode offers practical guidance and ideas to help educators challenge gender biases and stereotypes in the early years.

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(The views expressed throughout this podcast are the speakers' own, and TTS does not take responsibility for the views and guidance highlighted as part of this recording.) 

Please note: When referencing the speakers views, theory and work for development of your own materials, please ensure academic reference of the speaker is cited. 

Throughout this episode, Shaddai Tembo is joined by Professor Gina Rippon, Emeritus Professor of Cognitive Neuroimaging at the Aston Brain Centre, Aston University, for the first of the conversations on gender in children’s play and overcoming gender biases. 

Before delving into the recent shift changes in research and the neuroscientific knowledge of gender, Gina explains to listeners the difference between the terms ‘gender’ and ‘sex’. Gina shares how recent neuroscience developments have contributed to a much more contemporary understanding of gender and sex differences and why keeping gender on the agenda is so important in today’s modern world.

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(The views expressed throughout this podcast are the speakers' own, and TTS does not take responsibility for the views and guidance highlighted as part of this recording.) 

Please note: When referencing the speakers views, theory and work for development of your own materials, please ensure academic reference of the speaker is cited.