That Early Childhood Nerd

NERD_0384 Child Care for All with Author Elliot Haspel

Elliot Haspel’s newest book, Raising a Nation: 10 Reasons Every American Has a Stake in Child Care for All makes a powerful case that ensuring child care for every family who wants or needs access benefits each of us. Listen to host Heather Bernt-Santy’s conversation with Elliot about the way child care for all can support the values of those who believe in national security, family values, community, racial and gender equity and more.
More about Elliot: https://elliothaspel.com/ 
Have you ordered Heather’s book Using Schema Play Theory to Advocate for Free Play in Early Childhood yet? It’s available on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Bookshop.org, or you can order directly from the publisher on the Teachers College Press website. 

NERD_0383 Nap Times in Child Care Settings

NAEYC’s Code of Ethical Conduct says, “Above all, we shall not harm children. We shall not participate in practices that are emotionally damaging, physically harmful, disrespectful, degrading, dangerous, exploitative, or intimidating to children.”
What does this have to do with nap time in child care settings? A whole lot, according to host Heather Bernt-Santy and her guests Kisa Marx, Tiffany, Pearsall, Lizz Nolasco and Carol Garboden Murray. 
Have you ordered Heather’s book Using Schema Play Theory to Advocate for Free Play in Early Childhood yet? Find it on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Bookshop.org, or straight from the publisher on the Teachers College Press website. 

NERD_0382 Supporting Children's Sense of Justice

Author, educator and community organizer Dr. Megan Madison joins host Heather Bernt-Santy to talk about her First Conversations children’s book series, children’s developing sense of justice and fairness, book bans, and more. This conversation will leave you feeling determined and hopeful, as it did Heather.
More about the book series, including downloadables and other guides, here: https://www.firstconversations.com/
Want to order Heather’s book Using Schema Play Theory to Advocate for Free Play in Early Childhood?
Teachers College Press: https://www.tcpress.com/using-schema-play-theory-to-advocate-for-free-play-in-early-childhood-9780807787243
Amazon: https://tinyurl.com/mry4md7b
Barnes and Noble: https://tinyurl.com/4vy5eyxy
Want to support the show and help keep it ad free? You can make a one time donation or become a member to get access to more TECN content at "Buy Me a Coffee:"
buymeacoffee.com/heatherf
Another way to support the show is to leave a review/rating on iTunes or Spotify, and to share on your social media networks!

NERD_0381 Free the Teachers! Calendar and Circle Time

It’s time for the second installment of Free the Teachers! 
In this episode, Heather Bernt-Santy is joined by Richard Cohen, Carol Garboden Murray, Stacy Benge, and Tiffany Pearsall to talk through the ways we can be free of traditional calendar, circle, and other large group times and to share new ways of thinking about gathering with young children. 
Want to order Heather’s book Using Schema Play Theory to Advocate for Free Play in Early Childhood?
Teachers College Press: https://www.tcpress.com/using-schema-play-theory-to-advocate-for-free-play-in-early-childhood-9780807787243
Amazon: https://tinyurl.com/mry4md7b
Barnes and Noble: https://tinyurl.com/4vy5eyxy
Want to support the show and help keep it ad free? You can make a one time donation or become a member to get access to more TECN content at "Buy Me a Coffee:"
buymeacoffee.com/heatherf
Another way to support the show is to leave a review/rating on iTunes or Spotify, and to share on your social media networks!

NERD_0380 Scrap Circle Time!

In this week’s episode, host Heather Bernt-Santy interviews Amy Reyes-Hauff, Early Learning Specialist with the Wyoming Department of Education’s school success division. They talk about traditional circle time practices in early childhood settings and Amy suggests that it’s time to scrap circle time in favor of more developmentally informed practices….and PLAY!
Amy is an advocate for outdoor learning and has integrated outdoor learning into over 200 classrooms across her home state of Wyoming with the Get Wild Wyoming Initiative. Amy is an early childhood speaker and motivator who firmly believes children learn best in outdoor learning settings where they are able to self regulate through natural colors, shapes, sounds, and feelings. 
Want to order Heather’s book Using Schema Play Theory to Advocate for Free Play in Early Childhood?
Teachers College Press: https://www.tcpress.com/using-schema-play-theory-to-advocate-for-free-play-in-early-childhood-9780807787243
Amazon: https://tinyurl.com/mry4md7b
Barnes and Noble: https://tinyurl.com/4vy5eyxy
Want to support the show and help keep it ad free? You can make a one time donation or become a member to get access to more TECN content at "Buy Me a Coffee:"
buymeacoffee.com/heatherf
Another way to support the show is to leave a review/rating on iTunes or Spotify, and to share on your social media networks!

NERD_0379 A New Way of Looking at Children's War Play

Host Heather Bernt-Santy and fellow nerd Mike Huber talk with Ebba Theorell about her brilliant article, Transformative Aesthetic Dimensions in Young Boys’ War Play:Exploring the World Through Kinesthetic Musicality, in which she discusses her research and thesis work examining war play through the lens of dance and choreography. 
Find her article here: https://muse.jhu.edu/pub/34/article/960063/pdf
Want to order Heather’s book Using Schema Play Theory to Advocate for Free Play in Early Childhood?
Teachers College Press: https://www.tcpress.com/using-schema-play-theory-to-advocate-for-free-play-in-early-childhood-9780807787243
Amazon: https://tinyurl.com/mry4md7b
Barnes and Noble: https://tinyurl.com/4vy5eyxy
Want to support the show and help keep it ad free? You can make a one time donation or become a member to get access to more TECN content at "Buy Me a Coffee:"
buymeacoffee.com/heatherf
Another way to support the show is to leave a review/rating on iTunes or Spotify, and to share on your social media networks!

NERD_0378 Free the Teachers! Tightly Controlled Schedules

Every now and then, host Heather Bernt-Santy and the other nerds in the TECN group chat hit on hot issues that we wish early childhood folks didn’t have to worry about. We decided to do a few episodes on these topics, calling it the Free the Teachers! series. 
In this episode, we talk about how stressful tightly controlled daily schedules are for adults and for children, and discuss some alternatives. 
Want to order Heather’s book Using Schema Play Theory to Advocate for Free Play in Early Childhood?
Teachers College Press: https://www.tcpress.com/using-schema-play-theory-to-advocate-for-free-play-in-early-childhood-9780807787243
Amazon: https://tinyurl.com/mry4md7b
Barnes and Noble: https://tinyurl.com/4vy5eyxy
Want to support the show and help keep it ad free? You can make a one time donation or become a member to get access to more TECN content at "Buy Me a Coffee:"
buymeacoffee.com/heatherf
Another way to support the show is to leave a review/rating on iTunes or Spotify, and to share on your social media networks!

NERD_0377 Slow Childhoods

When host Heather Bernt-Santy talked with Amy Chiu (www.theworkofplay.com) on TECN episode 372, she knew she had to have a follow up conversation including Carol Garboden Murray (https://www.carolgarbodenmurray.com/). Join them all as they discuss the benefit of slowing down with children in our early childhood settings, including some great first-of-the-school-year practices that help build slow habits. 
Want to order Heather’s book Using Schema Play Theory to Advocate for Free Play in Early Childhood?
Teachers College Press: https://www.tcpress.com/using-schema-play-theory-to-advocate-for-free-play-in-early-childhood-9780807787243
Amazon: https://tinyurl.com/mry4md7b
Barnes and Noble: https://tinyurl.com/4vy5eyxy
Want to support the show and help keep it ad free? You can make a one time donation or become a member to get access to more TECN content at "Buy Me a Coffee:"
buymeacoffee.com/heatherf
Another way to support the show is to leave a review/rating on iTunes or Spotify, and to share on your social media networks!

NERD_0376 Live from the 2025 Play Empowers Teacher Retreat

Live from the lobby of the Claggett Retreat Center, listen in as attendees and presenters debrief the day’s events–what resonated, what challenged them, and dreams for what happens next. The Play Empowers Teacher Retreat is truly one of a kind. 
Because it was a live recording of a large group, the volume levels vary a bit from person to person–this  may not be an ear bud episode!
Want to support the show and help keep it ad free? You can make a one time donation or become a member to get access to more TECN content at "Buy Me a Coffee:"
buymeacoffee.com/heatherf
Another way to support the show is to leave a review/rating on iTunes or Spotify, and to share on your social media networks!

NERD_0375 Trauma Informed Practices in Early Childhood

Nikki Darling-Kuria joins host Heather Bernt-Santy to share her growth as a trauma informed early childhood professional in an unpredictable world.
The quote to start this conversation is from Katherine Anne Porter, who said, “The past is never where you think you left it,” meaning that events that we think are in the past and believe we should be “over” aren’t ever over. Nikki shares thoughts and resources about moving through our work and our lives with trauma informed practices. 
Want to support the show and help keep it ad free? You can make a one time donation or become a member to get access to more TECN content at "Buy Me a Coffee:"
buymeacoffee.com/heatherf
Another way to support the show is to leave a review/rating on iTunes or Spotify, and to share on your social media networks!