Episode 55: How the Education System has Failed Educators & Children
This episode is dedicated to all the educators and teachers around the world who are burnout and drowning in a system that is unsupportive and harmful to both them, and the children in their schools and daycares.
As an Educator myself, I have had enough of the lack of accountability and responsibility the education system/department of education has assumed in its failings for teachers and children, so I'm call them out. I'm bringing to light all the things that aren't seen by society. All the paperwork, documenting, high turnover rates and low emotional health that teachers are subjected to day in, and day out.
I share numerous scientific research studies that reveal eye-opening and heartbreaking experiences that many educators deal with.
This topic is so big, yet I have managed to condense it down to a regular length episode.
I also share some extremely exciting news, so you'll need to listen to find out what's coming up soon for myself and Spirited Hearts.
Resources Mentioned:
Dr Peter Gray on the Spirited Hearts Podcast
Free to Learn by Dr Peter Gray
Dumbing Us Down by John Taylor Gatto
NASA Study from the 1960s
Raising Wildlings episode with Woodline Primary Principal
http://www.iier.org.au/iier33/ng.pdf
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11218-022-09686-7
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10643-021-01203-3
Episode 31: The Next Evolution of Spirited Hearts™
n this solo episode I discuss all what happened at the end of last year for Spirited Hearts™: the new logo, refreshed website and new content.
I also share all the intentions I have for this year, including:
- our continuation of the Natural Learning Haven, where we will be welcoming back my husband, Lukas (we both started our first Family Day Care in 2015 in Canberra together)
- more support and resources for parents, including 1:1 sessions, online courses and workshops - including the upcoming for LIVE round of Month of Self Care - this is a collaboration with Vivian Viester who came on the podcast for Ep 20
- the brand new Spirited Hearts™ Approach to Early Learning Certification Program - this is something I have been working towards for the better part of a decade, and I share more information on it in this episode.
Enjoy, and I look forward to bringing you more beautiful, inspiring and meaningful conversations in 2023.
Resources Mentioned:
Where to Find Steph:
Website https://spiritedhearts.net
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/spirited_hearts
ABOUT STEPH
Steph Fleeton is the creator and founder of Spirited Hearts™ which is a multi-service community supporting children and families. She is a Parenting Support Counsellor, Aware Parenting Instructor and Early Learning Educator.
Steph has spent the better part of two decades, dedicated to child development, trauma and providing support to children, their families and early childhood educators.
She created her Natural Learning & Healing Haven to provide the strongest emotionally supportive environment in the industry, which is trauma-informed, and where children have the space and freedom to be their beautiful, unique selves.
In 2023, Steph will be launching the very first live round for her Certification Program for the Spirited Hearts Approach to Early Learning. This is for teachers, educators and anyone wanting to create their own natural learning haven from home.
Steph has two children; one with Autism and the other who suffered from an extremely rare and life-threatening medical condition for the first 5 years of his life. Steph is extremely passionate about assisting parents with children who have special needs and medical conditions. She provides 1:1 support, providing a space filled with unconditional acceptance, compassion, empathy and deep listening.
Episode 25: The Importance of Play & Nature During Childhood with Angela Hanscom
I absolutely loved this beautiful conversation with Angela Hanscom. Angela is a Paediatric Occupational Therapist and the founder of TimberNook a developmental and nature-based program that has gained international popularity including one here in Australia. Angela also has a highly viewed TEDx Talk and is the author of one of my all-time favourite books, Balanced and Barefoot.
Angela shares her story as an Occupational Therapist and the creation of TimberNook.
We then discuss:
- The harm children are experiencing from reduced unstructured outdoor time
- Adults as a barrier to children’s neurological development and why adults need to step back when children play
- Why staging children’s learning is detrimental to their development
- Nature being superior to man-made playgrounds and organised sports
- Play is where children learn and work through traumas
- How play can help children who experience sensory issues
- Plus so much more
Where to Find Angela
TimberNook Website
TimberNook on Facebook
Resources
Balanced & Barefoot by Angela J. Hanscom
Angela’s TEDx Talk
Free to Learn by Peter Gray
ABOUT ANGELA
Angela J. Hanscom is a pediatric occupational therapist and founder of TimberNook—an award-winning developmental and nature-based program that has gained international popularity. She is the author of Balanced and Barefoot: How Unrestricted Outdoor Play Makes for Strong, Confident, and Capable Children. Hanscom is also a frequent contributor to The Washington Post and in 2019 won a Small Business of the year award for the State of New Hampshire.
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Episode 21: Valuing Each Child's Learning Journey with Sally Haughey
I had the absolute pleasure of having this beautiful, meaningful conversation with Sally Haughey. Sally is the founder of Fairy Dust Teaching also known as Wunderled, she is the creator and founder of the annual Play Summit, an author, speaker and Educator.
We discuss so much in this episode, and it is jam-packed with passion, wisdom and knowledge:
- Sally shares her own journey as a child in the education system and then a teacher
- How the education system is failing us and our children
- The #1 goal of the system is compliance, and not attending to each child’s unique needs
- The history of the education system, and how it is outdated
- How beneficial changes come from families
- A child’s identity in the school system
- Executive function development through play-based learning
- Conflict resolution and negotiation in early childhood
- Support children’s natural desire to problem-solve
- Plus so much more
Where to Find Sally
Website: Fairy Dust Teaching
Facebook: Fairy Dust Teaching
Instagram: @wunderledteaching
Twitter: @WunderledEd
Resources Mentioned
* Jane Austen novels
* Alfie Kohn books
ABOUT SALLY
Sally Haughey is the CEO and Founder of Fairy Dust Teaching, also known as Wunderled. Fairy Dust Teaching is built on the passion for the wonder and magic of early childhood, the idea that young children have the right to play, to be collaborators in learning, and to dream.
Sally has spent over three decades in the classroom in various school settings. During time in the classroom, she was influenced by many different people and approaches, the two biggest being Waldorf education and the Reggio Emilia Approach.
Her journey took an unexpected turn when she started a blog in 2010. She was in the middle of one of her toughest years yet, and sharing her story opened a whole new world of possibilities: empowering and inspiring educators, and so Fairy Dust Teaching was born.
That blog transformed into our current community of over 220,000 educators from 114 countries. Her focus is to provide a deeper level of service and training that help educators own their true teaching self.
Since founding Fairy Dust Teaching, she has authored 3 books, one being The Wonder Art Workshop and has spoken and interviewed with thought leaders from all over the world.
Please leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, so these inspiring conversations can reach more people.
Episode 12: Creating Connection & Harmony at Home and at School
Are you a parent, teacher and/or educator seeking to create more connection and harmony in your home or school?
In this week’s episode I had the pleasure of chatting with Lael Stone.
Lael is an author, speaker (she has an amazing TEDx talk that recently hit over 1 million views), educator, she is also the co-founder/co-creator of Woodline Primary in Victoria, Australia, and she is the co-host of The Aware Parenting Podcast.
In this beautiful, empowering and inspiring conversation we discuss how as parents and educators there are times we can rupture the relationship between us and our children and students. Lael beautifully shares her knowledge and experience on how we can repair these ruptures with connection, honesty, authenticity and responsibility. Which also models to our children and the children in our care, how to repair any ruptures in their own relationships in a healthy, supportive and truthful way.
As with all of the precious episodes, we also have a meaningful conversation about the need for us as parents and educators to turn inward, do the inner work, take responsibility for our own feelings, as well as getting curious about our own behaviours with self-compassion.
I thoroughly enjoyed this conversation, and I hope you get what you need to out of all the wisdom and knowledge shared.
Where to Find Lael:
Website: Lael Stone and About Birth
Facebook: Lael Stone
Instagram: Lael Stone
Woodline Primary: https://www.woodlineprimary.com.au/
Podcast: The Aware Parenting Podcast
TEDx Talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6fL09e8Tm9c
Resources Mentioned in the Episode:
Vagina by Naomi Wolf
Aletha Solter’s books on Aware Parenting
ABOUT LAEL:
As a champion of connection and creating harmony in families, Lael Stone is an educator, TEDx speaker, author, mother, and parenting counselor who has been working with families for over 18 years. As a Parenting Educator, she facilitates workshops and support groups that empower parents to create connections and stronger relationships with their children.
Lael spent 15 years working in childbirth education and postnatal care, working with couples through pregnancy, birth, and the first few years of parenting as a Doula, Calmbirth Practitioner, and Postnatal trauma Counsellor.She is the Creator and Director of the About Birth Online Education Program, a pioneering way to learn about birth and early parenting.
Lael also created The Connection Program that she implemented in secondary schools all over Victoria, which focused on pleasure-based sex education along with relationship and self-awareness initiatives.
She is also the co-creator of Woodline Primary School, an innovative new school based on emotional wellbeing and connection. Lael is the co-host of The Aware Parenting Podcast and a sought-after public speaker who talks candidly about her experiences and her great passion; creating wellness in families through connection and communication. As well as sitting on a few advisory boards and consulting with organisations around emotional awareness and trauma-informed practices, she has teamed up with The Resilience Project to deliver presentations around raising resilient children all over Australia in 2021/2022. Lael’s first book is due for release in September 2022
She is the mother of three big kids - who are teenagers and young adults and she is currently putting all her research into practice with them!