The Intentional Educator

A successful week in Art Lab.

But what made it feel successful?

That question got me thinking about learning. How learning doesn’t move in a straight line - how it moves in circles, waves. Revisiting, building upon experience and knowledge - creating a depth of understanding.

And then, what it asks of the educator. Knowing when to teach, step back, facilitate.

Being a responsive educator.

The Shape of Leaning ~ link in bio.

A books can be a teacher directed, teachable moment.

Or it can be an invitation.

An invitation into curiosity, conversation, and the natural unfolding of ideas - where the children lead and the story simply opens the door.

Here are some of my favourites.
Each one captures attention in its own way, and creates the conditions for conversation to find its own direction.

Penny and Her Marble ~ Kevin Henkes
The moment you take something that isn’t yours and what happens inside you.

Outside My Window ~ Linda Ashman
A glimpse into different cultures around the world

Ella Who? ~ Linda Ashman
When adults don’t listen.

circle under berry ~ Carter Higgins
An invitation to look & think differently, and discover perspective.

Hug Machine ~ Scott Campbell
The joy of giving to others.

Window ~ Jeannie Baker
Wordless. Detailed. An invitation to look closely and create your own story.

Earth to Audrey ~ Susan Hughes
The discovery of friendship and what it means to truly connect.

What books do you reach for when you want to invite conversation?

(A shoutout to 𝙰𝚕𝚘𝚗𝚊 𝚈𝙸𝙻𝙳𝙸𝚁𝙸𝙼 || 𝙿𝚎𝚍𝚊𝚐𝚘𝚐𝚒𝚌𝚊𝚕 𝙰𝚝𝚖𝚘𝚜𝚙𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚎 who recommended a few of these books)

One child wanted to splatter a colour but wasn’t quite ready.

And so another child offered to do it for them.

Just like that.

This is what Junior Author & Artist Studio is -
a space to come together.
To play, explore, experiment.
To follow an idea and feel joy when it takes shape.
To support someone. Connect with someone.
Finding a place of belonging.

On our first day together, the children learned by doing.
Stories shaped together on the carpet.
Narratives finding form through materials.
Colours mixed, explored, discovered.

Choice. Experimentation. Play.
The freedom to help each other shape a story, add a mark, make a suggestion.

Meaningful learning doesn’t happen at a desk with a worksheet - it happens in the making.
In the helping, offering.
In the quiet courage of trying something because someone believed you could.

What do you notice when children are given freedom to learn from and with each other? What does that kind of connection make possible?

Something else I’ve been working on over the last few months, and I’m excited to finally share.

We talk about creating community with children, families and the teams we’re connected to, but what does it actually feel like?

The Shared Canvas is an intimate, in-person collaborative art experience for a small group of ten. A space to slow down, connect with the materials, yourself, and others - and feel what true collaboration is like.

Have a look at the slides, and visit the link in bio to learn more and inquire about fall bookings.

To replenish. To connect. To thrive - together.

What if we responded to behaviour with curiosity first?

Before correction, or consequence - before assuming we know what’s happening.

Simply curiosity.
Followed by empathy.

That shift is at the heart of trauma-informed practice. And it changes how we see children.

Megan Graham, Megan Graham, joined me to explore what it means to see the whole child.
The role of play in building a sense of self.
And why educators’ observational skills might be their greatest superpower.

But we don’t stop there.

Because we need systems that support it.
Smaller class sizes.
Designated roles like Child and Youth Care workers as part of the team - not called in when there’s a problem.
Time to observe, reflect, and actually apply what educators know.

When children’s developmental needs go unmet, the effect ripples far beyond the learning environment.

Let’s reimagine what’s possible - for children, educators, and for the systems that hold them both.

In your context, what’s one shift you can imagine that would place relationships at the forefront of?

Episode now available ~ link in bio. ✨

Creative Play ~ The day before, the group had been building towers together.

Then A. arrived and announced, “I have an idea. We could build a big ferry. I was thinking about this at home last night.”

The group was immediately on board. A conversation followed - each child sharing their ferry experience. What had stayed with them: it was “a bit wobbly and it was windy.” “I saw people eating outside”.

And then they set off to create their ocean and ferry. “We need to put the sea down before we do anything else.”

One child began setting up the ground and beach. Another noticed the gems - deciding they would be sand and fish food. The green fabric became seaweed. Animals were needed for the ocean. Everyone seemed to migrate towards building the habitat together.

It was interesting to see their knowledge about the ocean ecosystem, and I wondered if they had abandoned the ferry idea.

Then A. realized there was no room for the ferry.

When others heard the disappointment, they tried offering a solution. Using paper and glue, they made small ferries. But A. wasn’t satisfied and the group became stuck.

I could see they needed support so I simply said, “we need a bigger ocean.”

They liked this and negotiations began. A. had ideas and the others agreed; the ocean expanded.

The block ferry got built - complete with propeller, and a White Spot restaurant with a secret code to get in. The sea animals came to eat. The ferry got extended to fit the cars.

One idea, shared at the start of the morning. Collective agreement. Disruption. Empathy. Problem-solving. Creative thinking. Compromise. Collaboration.

Collective autonomy.

All of it, the children.

The educator’s role?
To know the children. To be attentive and attuned. To offer support only when the play was stuck - and the children wanted to keep it going but didn’t quite have the skills yet.

What helps you pause long enough to let the children find their own way through?

What does attunement look like in your practice? What does it ask of you?