That Early Childhood Nerd

Welcome to Early Childhood MAYtriarchy 2025, where we celebrate the contributions of women to the work of early childhood. In this episode:Stephanie Goloway shares the accomplishments and contributions of Constance Kamii and Rhonda DeVries.Suzanne Axelsson brings two Swedish women to the conversation: Ellen Key and Alva Myrdal.I love doing this series! Hope you love it to. Support the work of That Early Childhood Nerd with a one time donation or monthly membership here: buymeacoffee.com/heatherf Thanks for listening! Save 10% on professional development from Explorations Early Learning and support the show with the coupon code NERD. Like the show? Consider supporting our work by becoming a Patron, shopping our Amazon Link, or sharing it with someone who might enjoy it. You can leave a comment or ask a question here. Click here for more Heather. For a small fee we can issue self-study certificates for listening to podcasts.

Welcome to Early Childhood MAYtriarchy 2025, where we celebrate the contributions of women to the work of early childhood. In this episode:Lizz Nolasco blows Heather's mind with her discussion of play advocate Dr Millie Almy.Gemma Medina expands our understanding of Caroline Pratt and her work beyond the wooden unit blocks we often associate with her.Bethany Corrie brings Magda Gerber's life and career changing work to the conversation.I love doing this series! Hope you love it too. Support the work of That Early Childhood Nerd with a one time donation or monthly membership here: buymeacoffee.com/heatherf Thanks for listening! Save 10% on professional development from Explorations Early Learning and support the show with the coupon code NERD. Like the show? Consider supporting our work by becoming a Patron, shopping our Amazon Link, or sharing it with someone who might enjoy it. You can leave a comment or ask a question here. Click here for more Heather. For a small fee we can issue self-study certificates for listening to podcasts.

Welcome to Early Childhood MAYtriarchy 2025, where we celebrate the contributions of women to the work of early childhood. In this episode:Mike Huber shares about how he has been influenced by Eve Trook and her ideas on having power on, power for, and power with children. Stacy Benge shares about Dr Marianne Gibbs, and occupational therapist who has informed Stacy's work around literacy.Richard Cohen shares about our beloved and brilliant Bev Bos and her ideas around what we all need for healthy human growth. I love doing this series! Hope you love it to. Support the work of That Early Childhood Nerd with a one time donation or monthly membership here: buymeacoffee.com/heatherf Thanks for listening! Save 10% on professional development from Explorations Early Learning and support the show with the coupon code NERD. Like the show? Consider supporting our work by becoming a Patron, shopping our Amazon Link, or sharing it with someone who might enjoy it. You can leave a comment or ask a question here. Click here for more Heather. For a small fee we can issue self-study certificates for listening to podcasts.

It's spring break 2025 and host Heather Bernt-Santy has invited some of the TECN nerds to Indianapolis for a four day sleepover!In this episode, Heather and some of her favorite people discuss how to navigate the idea of "consent" with young children. Want to support the show? Make a one time gift, or become a member and get bonus content like free webinars here: buymeacoffee.com/heatherf Thanks for listening! Save 10% on professional development from Explorations Early Learning and support the show with the coupon code NERD. Like the show? Consider supporting our work by becoming a Patron, shopping our Amazon Link, or sharing it with someone who might enjoy it. You can leave a comment or ask a question here. Click here for more Heather. For a small fee we can issue self-study certificates for listening to podcasts.

It's spring break 2025, which means the Nerds are descending on Indianapolis for four days of nerdy fun! In this episode, host Heather Bernt-Santy and nerds Lizz Nolasco, Mike Huber, Kisa Marx, and Bethany Corrie wonder about what happens when we lose ourselves in our caring work.Want to support the show? Make a one time gift, or become a member and get bonus content like free webinars here: buymeacoffee.com/heatherf Thanks for listening! Save 10% on professional development from Explorations Early Learning and support the show with the coupon code NERD. Like the show? Consider supporting our work by becoming a Patron, shopping our Amazon Link, or sharing it with someone who might enjoy it. You can leave a comment or ask a question here. Click here for more Heather. For a small fee we can issue self-study certificates for listening to podcasts.

It's spring break 2025, and that means it's time for the second Nerd Sleepover! This episode comes to you from an Airbnb in beautiful Indianapolis, where host Heather Bernt-Santy gathered with some of her very favorite nerds. In this episode, we discuss challenges to "DEI"--what if we said the words every time instead of hiding behind the acronym? What's the "other side" of diversity, equity, and inclusion? Want to support the show? Make a one time gift, or become a member and get bonus content like free webinars here: buymeacoffee.com/heatherf Thanks for listening! Save 10% on professional development from Explorations Early Learning and support the show with the coupon code NERD. Like the show? Consider supporting our work by becoming a Patron, shopping our Amazon Link, or sharing it with someone who might enjoy it. You can leave a comment or ask a question here. Click here for more Heather. For a small fee we can issue self-study certificates for listening to podcasts.

It's spring break 2025, which means it's time for the second Nerd Sleepover in beautiful Indianapolis! In this episode, Mike Huber invites us to consider whether "data" and "evidence" are the same thing, and as you might have guessed from the title, we decided it's not! Listen in as host Heather Bernt-Santy and some of her favorite nerds hash out claims of evidence based curriculums and other interventions with young children.Want to support the show? Make a one time gift, or become a member and get bonus content like free webinars here: buymeacoffee.com/heatherf Thanks for listening! Save 10% on professional development from Explorations Early Learning and support the show with the coupon code NERD. Like the show? Consider supporting our work by becoming a Patron, shopping our Amazon Link, or sharing it with someone who might enjoy it. You can leave a comment or ask a question here. Click here for more Heather. For a small fee we can issue self-study certificates for listening to podcasts.

In February 2025, occupational therapist Kelsie Olds, who hosts a facebook page called The Occuplaytional Therapist, published a post that struck a nerve--leading to almost 4000 reactions to date, and almost 2000 shares. The post is a powerful statement on the political nature of play, of respecting children, of supporting families, and taking care of each other. Listen in as she talks us through it.For more of Kelsie's work, find her on Facebook as The Occuplaytional Therapist, or follow her substack here: https://occuplaytionaltherapist.substack.com/Want to support the show? You can make a one time $5 or more gift, or become a member for bonus content! Find more information here: buymeacoffee.com/heatherf Thanks for listening! Save 10% on professional development from Explorations Early Learning and support the show with the coupon code NERD. Like the show? Consider supporting our work by becoming a Patron, shopping our Amazon Link, or sharing it with someone who might enjoy it. You can leave a comment or ask a question here. Click here for more Heather. For a small fee we can issue self-study certificates for listening to podcasts.

In another episode that was originally intended as a session in a virtual NerdCon conference that didn't happen, Richard Cohen, Lizz Nolasco and Bethany Corrie talk about children who seem hesitant to join in play. Want to support the show? You can make a one time $5 or more gift, or become a member for bonus content! Find more information here: buymeacoffee.com/heatherf Thanks for listening! Save 10% on professional development from Explorations Early Learning and support the show with the coupon code NERD. Like the show? Consider supporting our work by becoming a Patron, shopping our Amazon Link, or sharing it with someone who might enjoy it. You can leave a comment or ask a question here. Click here for more Heather. For a small fee we can issue self-study certificates for listening to podcasts.

Physics learning for children under 5? What? Join host Heather Bernt-Santy, Mike Huber and Krystina Tapia as they discuss one of the best articles Heather has read in a long time—“Young Children's Learning in Physics: A (Dis-)Trustful Play with Gravity, Friction and Counterforces?” by Sofie Areljun, Lena Backstrom, and Evelina Grenemark. Seriously, it's so good. Want to support the show? You can make a one time $5 or more gift, or become a member for bonus content! Find more information here: buymeacoffee.com/heatherf Thanks for listening! Save 10% on professional development from Explorations Early Learning and support the show with the coupon code NERD. Like the show? Consider supporting our work by becoming a Patron, shopping our Amazon Link, or sharing it with someone who might enjoy it. You can leave a comment or ask a question here. Click here for more Heather. For a small fee we can issue self-study certificates for listening to podcasts.

Can play in preschool be "fake?" In this episode, host Heather Bernt-Santy is joined by Gemma Medina, Bethany Corrie and Stacy Benge to discuss the article "Vygotskian Analysis of Fake Play in Preschools: What it is and How to Distinguish it From Real Play" by Elena Yudina and published in the American Journal of Play.Want to support the show? You can make a one time $5 or more gift, or become a member for bonus content! Find more information here: buymeacoffee.com/heatherf Thanks for listening! Save 10% on professional development from Explorations Early Learning and support the show with the coupon code NERD. Like the show? Consider supporting our work by becoming a Patron, shopping our Amazon Link, or sharing it with someone who might enjoy it. You can leave a comment or ask a question here. Click here for more Heather. For a small fee we can issue self-study certificates for listening to podcasts.

It's time for another round of Nerd Study Hall, where we record a series of episodes discussing research articles connected to working with young children and their families. In this episode, host Heather Bernt-Santy is joined by Mike Huber and Lizz Nolasco to dissect and connect ideas from a paper titled "Preparing democratic early childhood teachers in Don't Say Gay Times: How course readings fall short," written by Patricia M. Cooper and Erin M. Casey and published in October 2023 for the Journal for Early Childhood Teacher Education. Want to show your support for the podcast, or say thank you for this episode? You can do that over on Buy Me a Coffee--make a one time donation, or become a member and get bonus content! buymeacoffee.com/heatherf

In what may be the first ever Nerd episode that starts with a quote from a LinkedIn post, author Frances Carlson joins Heather to unpack her idea that, "Since anxiety is a by-product of an aversion to risk, and young children are suffering from increasing amounts of anxiety, does it not makes sense that we intentionally plan for and cultivate a healthy amount of risk in their play, especially in their rowdy body play? We have to provide chances to climb up and down, jump off, swing around, navigate uneven surfaces, and hang from a variety of acceptable heights."Want to show your support for the podcast, or say thank you for this episode? You can do that over on Buy Me a Coffee--make a one time donation, or become a member and get bonus content! buymeacoffee.com/heatherf

This episode was originally recorded to be part of a "Nerd Con 2" virtual conference....and then Nerd Con 2 didn't happen. The good news is you get it as a podcast now! Listen in as Mike Huber and Kisa Marx dig into the idea of supporting play for ALL children, really ALL children, in authentic ways. If you love the podcast, or want to say "thank you" for this episode, consider supporting Heather's work with a one time donation or as member at Buy Me a Coffee: buymeacoffee.com/heatherf

It's the 350th episode of That Early Childhood Nerd! To celebrate, host Heather Bernt-Santy invited listeners to submit a quote that they would like to come on the show and talk about...and here it is! Please welcome listeners Gemma Medina and Valley Varma to the show!The quote: "They caught all the wild children and put them in zoos. They made them do sums and wear sensible shoes. They put them to bed at the wrong time of day and made them sit still when they wanted to play," from the book/poem Wild Child by Jeanne Willis. To support Heather's work or say "thank you" for this episode: buymeacoffee.com/heatherf Thanks for listening! Save 10% on professional development from Explorations Early Learning and support the show with the coupon code NERD. Like the show? Consider supporting our work by becoming a Patron, shopping our Amazon Link, or sharing it with someone who might enjoy it. You can leave a comment or ask a question here. Click here for more Heather. For a small fee we can issue self-study certificates for listening to podcasts.

In the fall of 2024, IPA-USA (the American Association for the Child's Right to Play) celebrated its 50th anniversary by releasing an extensive collection of white papers on play topics across the lifespan. Host Heather Bernt-Santy contributed one of the papers. In this episode, Carol Garboden Murray interviews Heather about her white paper on the history and harm of the academic pushdown phenomenon in early childhood, and her recommendations for future efforts to combat it. Find the collection here: https://ipausa.org/whitepaper/Support Heather's work, or say "thank you" for this episode here: buymeacoffee.com/heatherf Thanks for listening! Save 10% on professional development from Explorations Early Learning and support the show with the coupon code NERD. Like the show? Consider supporting our work by becoming a Patron, shopping our Amazon Link, or sharing it with someone who might enjoy it. You can leave a comment or ask a question here. Click here for more Heather. For a small fee we can issue self-study certificates for listening to podcasts.

In the fall of 2024, IPA-USA (the American Association for the Child's Right to Play) celebrated its 50th anniversary by releasing an extensive collection of white papers on play topics across the lifespan. In this episode, Heather Bernt-Santy interviews Kisa Marx and Emily Clark about their white paper, "Redefining Basic Needs: Eliminating Systemic Barriers to Ensure Every Child Can Thrive." Find the collection here: https://ipausa.org/whitepaper/Support Heather's work, or say "thank you" for this episode here: buymeacoffee.com/heatherf Thanks for listening! Save 10% on professional development from Explorations Early Learning and support the show with the coupon code NERD. Like the show? Consider supporting our work by becoming a Patron, shopping our Amazon Link, or sharing it with someone who might enjoy it. You can leave a comment or ask a question here. Click here for more Heather. For a small fee we can issue self-study certificates for listening to podcasts.

Dr. Jamie Cho, an assistant teaching professor of justice in early learning at the University of Washington and Ninderjit Gill, tenured early childhood education faculty at North Seattle College, join host Heather Bernt-Santy to discuss their article, "Who Gets to Be Neutral? The Respectability Politics of Leading for Educational Justice."  Find the article here: https://hub.exchangepress.com/articles-on-demand/37114/ Support Heather's work here: https://studio.buymeacoffee.com/dashboard Thanks for listening! Save 10% on professional development from Explorations Early Learning and support the show with the coupon code NERD. Like the show? Consider supporting our work by becoming a Patron, shopping our Amazon Link, or sharing it with someone who might enjoy it. You can leave a comment or ask a question here. Click here for more Heather. For a small fee we can issue self-study certificates for listening to podcasts.

Emily Clark, aka "EarlyEdEm" on instagram, has some thoughts to share about the impact of trying to make a profit off of attempts to assess quality in early childhood settings. Can true quality be commodified? Do attempts to make money off of quality child care fit with what research tells us are indicators of quality? We don't think so.  Thanks for listening! Save 10% on professional development from Explorations Early Learning and support the show with the coupon code NERD. Like the show? Consider supporting our work by becoming a Patron, shopping our Amazon Link, or sharing it with someone who might enjoy it. You can leave a comment or ask a question here. Click here for more Heather. For a small fee we can issue self-study certificates for listening to podcasts.

In the third episode of this series on "quality" in early care and education, play advocate Kisa Marx joins host Heather Bernt-Santy for an important conversation about how too often, our standards for quality do not center the child. As part of the conversation, they discuss Heather's decision to reject the industry standard descriptor  "developmentally appropriate" in favor of more child-centering terms like "developmentally informed" and "developmentally responsive." Thanks for listening! Save 10% on professional development from Explorations Early Learning and support the show with the coupon code NERD. Like the show? Consider supporting our work by becoming a Patron, shopping our Amazon Link, or sharing it with someone who might enjoy it. You can leave a comment or ask a question here. Click here for more Heather. For a small fee we can issue self-study certificates for listening to podcasts.

In this episode, care advocate and author Carol Garboden Murray and host Heather Bernt-Santy share stories of being told that if we want anyone to pay attention to early childhood, we need to stop talking about "care." How in the world did we get here? There is no "quality" without "care." Thanks for listening! Save 10% on professional development from Explorations Early Learning and support the show with the coupon code NERD. Like the show? Consider supporting our work by becoming a Patron, shopping our Amazon Link, or sharing it with someone who might enjoy it. You can leave a comment or ask a question here. Click here for more Heather. For a small fee we can issue self-study certificates for listening to podcasts.

In this first episode in a new series about quality in early care and education, host Heather Bernt-Santy talks with Deb Lawrence and Lisa Murphy about her concerns that some of our ideas and tools for measuring "quality" often lead to early care and education settings where play is devalued or simply doesn't exist.  Thanks for listening! Save 10% on professional development from Explorations Early Learning and support the show with the coupon code NERD. Like the show? Consider supporting our work by becoming a Patron, shopping our Amazon Link, or sharing it with someone who might enjoy it. You can leave a comment or ask a question here. Click here for more Heather. For a small fee we can issue self-study certificates for listening to podcasts.

"Mike Asks Heather" is back! In the "Mike Asks Heather" episodes, Mike Huber has listened to a previous episode of the show, and asks host Heather Bernt-Santy some follow up questions. In this episode, Mike has relistened to TECN episode 226, where Heather interviewed Dr Lori Desautels, author of the book Connections Over Compliance. The conversation starts with Mike inviting Heather to make some connections between that interview and her current work writing a book about schema play and advocacy.  Thanks for listening! Save 10% on professional development from Explorations Early Learning and support the show with the coupon code NERD. Like the show? Consider supporting our work by becoming a Patron, shopping our Amazon Link, or sharing it with someone who might enjoy it. You can leave a comment or ask a question here. Click here for more Heather. For a small fee we can issue self-study certificates for listening to podcasts.

In episode 330, Bethany Corrie, Richard Cohen and Heather discussed the article "Stepping Back to Nurture." In this episode, one of the authors of the article, Jesse Coffino, joins in to keep the conversation going... Thanks for listening! Save 10% on professional development from Explorations Early Learning and support the show with the coupon code NERD. Like the show? Consider supporting our work by becoming a Patron, shopping our Amazon Link, or sharing it with someone who might enjoy it. You can leave a comment or ask a question here. Click here for more Heather. For a small fee we can issue self-study certificates for listening to podcasts.

Author Rae Pica has a new book out! It's called Why Play: How to Make Play an Essential Part of Early Childhood, and she joins host Heather Bernt-Santy in this episode to talk about why she keeps doing what she's doing--writing, talking and speaking to groups about play and movement in childhood.Want more Nerd content, like free webinars and 1:1 zoom sessions? Become a That Early Childhood Nerd member here: buymeacoffee.com/heatherf Thanks for listening! Save 10% on professional development from Explorations Early Learning and support the show with the coupon code NERD. Like the show? Consider supporting our work by becoming a Patron, shopping our Amazon Link, or sharing it with someone who might enjoy it. You can leave a comment or ask a question here. Click here for more Heather. For a small fee we can issue self-study certificates for listening to podcasts.

Author, speaker, lavender farmer, and long time friend-of-Heather Erin Ramsey joins the show this week to talk about the ideas in her book Inspired Work: Showing Up and Shining Bright. With an engaging combination of "woo-woo" and science, Erin has some great ideas for anyone who wants to work in a way that aligns with their authentic self.Find more Erin here: https://erinramsey.com/Want more Nerd content, like free webinars and 1:1 zoom sessions? Become a That Early Childhood Nerd member here: buymeacoffee.com/heatherf Thanks for listening! Save 10% on professional development from Explorations Early Learning and support the show with the coupon code NERD. Like the show? Consider supporting our work by becoming a Patron, shopping our Amazon Link, or sharing it with someone who might enjoy it. You can leave a comment or ask a question here. Click here for more Heather. For a small fee we can issue self-study certificates for listening to podcasts.

Heather finally got to meet the crew behind her favorite podcast--"Teaching with the Body in Mind." Join in as Heather, Mike Huber, Tom Bedard, Joey Schoen and Ross Thompson talk about how we can honor children and help them flourish by understanding their need for, and right to, movement.  Thanks for listening! Save 10% on professional development from Explorations Early Learning and support the show with the coupon code NERD. Like the show? Consider supporting our work by becoming a Patron, shopping our Amazon Link, or sharing it with someone who might enjoy it. You can leave a comment or ask a question here. Click here for more Heather. For a small fee we can issue self-study certificates for listening to podcasts.

In our final episode of our series of episodes focused on the contributions of Lilian Katz, Heather brings in Lizz Nolasco, Tiffany Pearsall and Samantha Balch to talk about...well, a lot. But it all starts with an article by Dr Katz called "The Benefits of the Mix." Find it here: https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED382411Want more Nerd content, like free quarterly webinars and 1:1 zoom conversations? Become a member here: buymeacoffee.com/heatherf Thanks for listening! Save 10% on professional development from Explorations Early Learning and support the show with the coupon code NERD. Like the show? Consider supporting our work by becoming a Patron, shopping our Amazon Link, or sharing it with someone who might enjoy it. You can leave a comment or ask a question here. Click here for more Heather. For a small fee we can issue self-study certificates for listening to podcasts.

Another episode celebrating the contributions of Lilian Katz! This time, Heather is joined by Lizz Nolasco, Samantha Balch and Mike Huber to talk through Dr. Katz's 2015 Exchange article "Distinctions Between Academic and Intellectual Goals for Young Children."Find the article here: https://www.exchangepress.com/article/distinctions-between-academic-and-intellectual-goals-for-young-children/5022618/Want more Nerd content, like free quarterly webinars and 1:1 zoom conversations? Become a member here: buymeacoffee.com/heatherf Thanks for listening! Save 10% on professional development from Explorations Early Learning and support the show with the coupon code NERD. Like the show? Consider supporting our work by becoming a Patron, shopping our Amazon Link, or sharing it with someone who might enjoy it. You can leave a comment or ask a question here. Click here for more Heather. For a small fee we can issue self-study certificates for listening to podcasts.

It's Heather and Lizz Nolasco again! After we recorded the episode on Lilian Katz's stages of preschool teacher development, Lizz had a great idea--a series of episodes focused on Lilian's work called "Katz Ladies!" In this second episode of the series, they discuss an essay she wrote, published in a 1995 collection called Talks with Teachers of Young Children, where Katz discusses the differences between practices in early childhood that contribute to self esteem and those that tend more toward narcissism.Want more Nerd content, like free quarterly webinars and 1:1 zoom conversations? Become a member here: buymeacoffee.com/heatherf Thanks for listening! Save 10% on professional development from Explorations Early Learning and support the show with the coupon code NERD. Like the show? Consider supporting our work by becoming a Patron, shopping our Amazon Link, or sharing it with someone who might enjoy it. You can leave a comment or ask a question here. Click here for more Heather. For a small fee we can issue self-study certificates for listening to podcasts.

Part one of a four episode series focusing on the work of Lilian Katz, in this episode Heather and Lizz Nolasco revisit Katz's 1972 article outlining her theory of the developmental stages of preschool teachers: survival, consolidation, renewal, and maturity. Find the article here: https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED057922Want more Nerd content, like free quarterly webinars and 1:1 zoom conversations? Become a member here: buymeacoffee.com/heatherf Thanks for listening! Save 10% on professional development from Explorations Early Learning and support the show with the coupon code NERD. Like the show? Consider supporting our work by becoming a Patron, shopping our Amazon Link, or sharing it with someone who might enjoy it. You can leave a comment or ask a question here. Click here for more Heather. For a small fee we can issue self-study certificates for listening to podcasts.

"Your image of the child, regardless of whether it is the first time you have reflected upon it, defines and determines the way you approach every interaction you have with children," writes Ron Grady in his book Honoring the Moment in Young Children's Lives: Observation, Documentation, and Reflection. Ron joins Heather in this episode to dig deep into a phrase ("image of the child") that is becoming more and more common in our field. What does it really mean? Why does it matter so much? Find more of Ron here: https://www.childology.co/Support Heather's work with a one time donation, or membership levels with even more content, here: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/heatherf Thanks for listening! Save 10% on professional development from Explorations Early Learning and support the show with the coupon code NERD. Like the show? Consider supporting our work by becoming a Patron, shopping our Amazon Link, or sharing it with someone who might enjoy it. You can leave a comment or ask a question here. Click here for more Heather. For a small fee we can issue self-study certificates for listening to podcasts.

Listen in as host Heather Bernt-Santy, and fellow ECE Nerds Bethany Corrie and Mike Huber, talk through the article When Boys Won't Be Boys: Discussing Gender with Young Children, where authors Hannah Katch and Jane Katch discuss the ways Jane is seeing gender roles enacted in her classroom.  Thanks for listening! Save 10% on professional development from Explorations Early Learning and support the show with the coupon code NERD. Like the show? Consider supporting our work by becoming a Patron, shopping our Amazon Link, or sharing it with someone who might enjoy it. You can leave a comment or ask a question here. Click here for more Heather. For a small fee we can issue self-study certificates for listening to podcasts.

If you've listened to the show for a while, you know Heather is a big fan of Anji Play! In this episode, she is joined by Bethany Corrie and Richard Cohen to talk through the article Stepping Back to Nurture by Krystina Tapia, Emma Pickering and Jesse Coffino. Link to article: https://www.naeyc.org/resources/pubs/tyc/fall2021/stepping-back-nurture Thanks for listening! Save 10% on professional development from Explorations Early Learning and support the show with the coupon code NERD. Like the show? Consider supporting our work by becoming a Patron, shopping our Amazon Link, or sharing it with someone who might enjoy it. You can leave a comment or ask a question here. Click here for more Heather. For a small fee we can issue self-study certificates for listening to podcasts.

In her article Both/And: Early Childhood Education Needs Both Play and Equity, consultant Ijumaa Jordan writes, "All children have a right to play. All children learn through play, not as enrichment but as a foundational context. Public outcry that play is disappearing from early childhood ignores the elephant in the room: this worrisome trend impacts young children unequally. Early education is segregated by race and class in the same way K–12 education is. Play-centered advocacy must dismantle oppressive educational systems that deny access to play based on race and class." You'll want to hear this conversation!Find more from Ijumaa here: https://www.ijumaajordan.com/Want to support the show? You can make a donation, or enroll as a member for bonus content, at Buy Me a Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/heatherf Thanks for listening! Save 10% on professional development from Explorations Early Learning and support the show with the coupon code NERD. Like the show? Consider supporting our work by becoming a Patron, shopping our Amazon Link, or sharing it with someone who might enjoy it. You can leave a comment or ask a question here. Click here for more Heather. For a small fee we can issue self-study certificates for listening to podcasts.

"Passion work is doing work you feel 'called to,' a job that makes you feel very obviously 'fulfilled,' a job that announces itself clearly as 'making a difference.'" (When Your Profession is on Fire by Anne Helen Petersen)Tiffany Pearsall joins host Heather Bernt-Santy for a discussion of early care and education as passion work, systems thinking, burnout, and our love of everything Anne Helen Petersen writes. Read the substack article here: https://annehelen.substack.com/p/when-your-profession-is-on-fire?utm_source=publication-searchWant even MORE Nerd content? A Nerd Membership at Buy Me a Coffee offers soapbox videos from Heather, the opportunity to join in for monthly virtual office hours, and more! Join here: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/heatherf Thanks for listening! Save 10% on professional development from Explorations Early Learning and support the show with the coupon code NERD. Like the show? Consider supporting our work by becoming a Patron, shopping our Amazon Link, or sharing it with someone who might enjoy it. You can leave a comment or ask a question here. Click here for more Heather. For a small fee we can issue self-study certificates for listening to podcasts.

Kisa Marx and Samuel Broaden, authors of Rethinking Weapon Play: How to Encourage Imagination, Kindness and Consent in Your Classroom, join host Heather Bernt-Santy for a discussion of the ways adults respond to weapon play and challenge us to wonder what we're doing, why we're doing it, and who it serves.  Buy the book here: https://www.routledge.com/Rethinking-Weapon-Play-in-Early-Childhood-How-to-Encourage-Imagination-Kindness-and-Consent-in-Your-Classroom/Broaden-Marx/p/book/9781032649122 Find more of Kisa's work here: https://theplaylabnfpoakpark.org/the-play-lab Find more of Samuel's work here: https://samuelbroaden.graphy.com/ Looking for more Nerd content from Heather? A Nerd Membership at Buy Me a Coffee includes occasional "soapbox videos" and opportunities to join in virtual office hours once a month. Join here: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/heatherf Thanks for listening! Save 10% on professional development from Explorations Early Learning and support the show with the coupon code NERD. Like the show? Consider supporting our work by becoming a Patron, shopping our Amazon Link, or sharing it with someone who might enjoy it. You can leave a comment or ask a question here. Click here for more Heather. For a small fee we can issue self-study certificates for listening to podcasts.

Host Heather Bernt-Santy is thrilled to have had this opportunity to talk to professor and author Dr. Lori Desautels about her book Connections Over Compliance: Rewiring Our Perceptions of Discipline. Find more of Dr. Desautels work here: https://revelationsineducation.com/

Cayley Burton drops by to talk about her research article, "This Is a Different Kingdom: A Case Study of Gender-Creative Feminine Expression During Princess Play" with Heather Bernt-Santy and cohost Mike Huber.

If the question is “How do you raise anti-ableist kids?” the answer is “Become anti-ableist and then model it through intention and action for your children.” Join Heather Bernt-Santy and Mike Huber as they welcome Carrie Hahn, author of the book Beyond Inclusion: How to Raise Anti Ableist Kids.

This episode is the fourth installment of a new tradition–episodes in May that invite some of Heather's favorite women in early childhood to talk about the women who guide our work. In this conversation, Heather talks about Lilian Katz, Miriam Beloglovsky celebrates Bev Bos, Rixa Evershed discusses Alison Gopnik's work, and Nadia Jaboneta salutes Margie Carter and Deb Curtis. 

Have you ever noticed that most of the theorists and philosophies in our early childhood textbooks are the same handful of men-plus-Montessori? Heather got curious….who are the women (past and present) who are influencing and informing the work we're doing with young children. This episode is the third installment of a new tradition–episodes in May that invite some of my favorite women in early childhood to talk about the women who guide our work. In this episode, Heather is joined by Krystina Tapia and Kisa Marx to discuss how bell hooks, Emmi Pikler, and Lisa Murphy inspire them. 

Have you ever noticed that most of the theorists and philosophies in our early childhood textbooks are the same handful of men-plus-Montessori? Heather got curious….who are the women (past and present) who are influencing and informing the work we're doing with young children. This episode is the second installment of a new tradition–episodes in May that invite some of my favorite women in early childhood to talk about the women who guide our work. In this episode, Heather is joined by Stephanie Goloway, Stacy Benge, and Nancy Rosenow to discuss how Sylvia Ashton Warner, A. Jean Ayres, Vivian Gussin Paley and Chris Athey inspire them. 

Have you ever noticed that most of the theorists and philosophies in our early childhood textbooks are the same handful of men-plus-Montessori? Heather got curious....who are the women (past and present) who are influencing and informing the work we're doing with young children. So, here's the first installment of a new tradition--episodes in May that invite some of my favorite women in early childhood to talk about the women who guide our work. In this episode, Heather is joined by Rixa Evershed, Carol Garboden Murray and Lizz Nolasco to discuss how Robin Wall Kimmerer, Carol Gilligan, Janet Gonzalez Mena and Rhoda Kellogg inspire them.