Calling Early Childhood Educators, Leaders & Directors Who Need Support & Mentorship To Stay In Their Current Role…
Want to ENJOY Creating Opportunities For Play Based Early Learning Again?
Of course you do - even without a supportive manager, service or complete confidence in your ability to meet all of the standards and regulations expected of you because you’re feeling constantly exhausted and uninspired...
But what if you were able to get the training & mentorship you needed to feel supported, reignite your motivation, restore confidence and make a difference to whether you continue in early childhood or not?
“You’re so good with children - you should get into early childhood!” they said
“The training you have to do will all be worth it because you’ll gain qualifications that are valued in a profession that’s respected!” they said
Everybody seems to talk about how important early education is and the valuable role educators play in the lives of children...
You’ve no doubt heard stories in the media about how they get to spend ‘quality time’ with children each day supporting their learning through ‘just playing’.
And the ‘experts’ tell us that educators have many opportunities to become empowered mentors and leaders because they can (of course!) access targeted professional development opportunities suited to their role and the mentorship needed to then use these new skills.
Well that early years sector, wherever it is, must be nice…
I wish we could all go there don't you? 
I chose to study for my early childhood qualifications and work with young children because I firmly believed that by providing playful early learning opportunities in the early years of a child’s life I could make a difference and help get them off to a good start.
I still believe that. And I’m pretty sure that you feel that way too or you wouldn’t be here reading this...
The Problem Is...
In reality, recent figures show an alarming number of early childhood educators and leaders have left our sector over the past 6 months, many more are away each day using up their non-existent sick pay and this makes it even more imperative that you are able to access the quality support, learning and guidance YOU need.
Because it often seems like you’re the one left picking up the slack at the moment and working way more hours than what’s written on the roster - especially when over ratio if you expect to leave when your knock off time comes around!
It’s no wonder you’ve been thinking a job at Maccas wouldn’t be so bad and found yourself practising ‘would you like fries with that’ in that dream the other night because you have no idea where this magical utopia of valued and well supported educators is.
Who could blame you?
It’s like there’s a secret training and support strategy that you’re not in on, and you just wish somebody would finally open up and tell you what it is.
Seriously.
I’m that somebody!
Hi, I'm Jodie, your planning and play mentor.
The answer to you as an educator feeling more motivated and able to confidently guide and extend children’s early learning day after day with everything else you’re expected to do, is first understanding how to BALANCE your planning, programs, assessment, play, interactions and environment by simplifying what you’re already doing and removing what’s NOT useful or meaningful.
It ISN’T a solution to just expect more of the WHAT constantly from educators (or yourself!). More paperwork, more templates, more assessments or more complicated steps and processes to follow without any WHY, HOW or WHEN support.
After all - we want to continue to work with young children and we want to encourage other educators to join us…which isn’t going to happen if we’re still feeling unsupported, inadequate or judged.
You just need a few simpler documentation tools, step by step training that explains concepts visually for you with real examples you can actually relate to, easier processes to follow so that you can stop doubling up on paperwork… and a whole lot of support with a sprinkling of mentorship to build on your current strengths and skills...
Which Is Why You Need...
The templates, training, play ideas, programs & time management resources that will give you the motivation and action steps to get through all those child observations, assessment visits, room setups, forward planning notes, program writing and reflections with confidence and no more unnecessary writing.
And that time you'll save with those tools at your fingertips…
will allow you to focus on more quality interactions with the children and setting up activities and experiences that will create incidental and intentional opportunities for early learning...the part of the job you actually love and feel inspired by.
After 30 years working in early education & community services…
And the past 12 years online supporting students, assistants, educators, room leaders and directors to simplify their planning, setup budget friendly learning environments and activities that invite engagement and create more time for quality interactions with the children,
I can tell you with 100% certainty that educators who first understand how to follow a keep it simple, back to essentials approach in their planning and practice AND most importantly, receive the SUPPORT they need to continually reflect on and modify these steps to suit their current strengths, service type and experience level….
…Are without a doubt more inspired, confident and happier educators.
They still meet all requirements of their role but the difference is they have simple steps to follow that ensures they can ditch the ‘always in catch up’ mode while feeling valued and supported.
I Keep Coming Back To Simple...
Through years of on the floor experience trying out different strategies and methods to deliver high quality experiences and outcomes for children (while also maintaining my own sanity!), not to mention planning mistakes that wasted a lot of my time, the most effective approach I’ve found that still works for me even today is to just ‘Keep It Simple’.
Not every educator is 'exceeding level' skilled at documentation and paperwork... and that’s ok
Not every observation tool, family communication app, learning story format or program template makes sense to every educator…and that’s ok
We're all unique in the way we document, support and extend a child’s early learning journey because we don’t all have the same strengths, resources, age groups or even levels of experience.
And that is ABSOLUTELY ok.
Yes Really...That's Why A Keep It Simple Approach Works So Well For All Educators - No matter Their Experience Or Early Years Role.
Why?
It transforms complicated planning cycles and unnecessary paperwork into a clear step by step routine that actually gives you the information needed to inform your future planning and speed up the entire documentation cycle …
and that means...
It supports educators to arrive home each day feeling more confident in their work and not worried about HOW to complete something with the time and budget they have because they now understand WHY they are doing it in the first place and what works with their strengths…not the person down in the preschool room or the FDC educator around the corner.
Want To Know How I Keep It Simple?
My *secret strategy* is to use a Keep It Simple Approach To Planning & Play...
Yep, that’s it. No fancy tricks.
Just back to basics steps & choosing to use easier methods instead of complicated.
I've Been Using This 'Simpler' Approach To Planning For The Last 30 Years In Early Childhood...and so can you
The Truth?
The way many of our online early childhood training institutions now teach the planning cycle and what educators *must* do to create the best possible outcomes for children’s early learning is broken, rushed and too focused on one type fits all strategies and methods.
Everywhere you look, early education managers and services (both home based and centre based) are telling you to complete a certain number of observations, reflections and programs. But nobody is teaching you…
WHY you need to do all this writing or HOW you could modify it to better suit your skills, strengths and the age group you work with so it becomes less overwhelming and time consuming.
And this means even our experienced educators and leaders are becoming more stressed as they try to explain something they aren’t quite sure of themselves anymore because there are so many ECE myths and false interpretations of framework expectations circulating right now.
Every educator should be shown HOW to confidently use a *simpler* approach to their documentation, setups and program writing to gather meaningful information that ultimately supports children’s learning…
and yet I see so many who aren’t…and unfortunately, they are the educators and teachers burning out at an alarming rate in early education.
But It's Not Your Fault...
you just haven’t been shown HOW to simplify Your Documentation & processes In A Way That Ensures You still complete the planning cycle & Meet Regulations...
...So That You end up less stressed & Frustrated about Doing it
i'm not sure how to do this
Like many other educators, teachers and leaders, you’ve probably just been told WHAT you need to do to meet the many standards and outcomes *required*... and then you're left on your own to figure out the HOW...so you try to do a bit of everything...all of the time.
when do i get time for this?
…it’s easy to see why you might FEEL like you're always stuck in catch up mode with paperwork with little time left to actually engage with the children or set up your environments the way you want them.
DO I REALLY NEED TO DO THAT MANY?
I don’t know about you but I feel so frustrated when early childhood educators tell me they *have* to complete 10 learning stories or link every activity they plan to a learning outcome to meet the requirements of frameworks and standards...
Why?
Because it's simply not true...
…and I believe if there was more emphasis on supporting educators to understand the WHY and HOW of the planning and documentation cycle rather than just the quantity of paperwork to show *evidence* of planning, we wouldn't have so many stressed, qualified and disappointed educators leaving our sector right now.
It’s not good enough. And it’s time to change that...
You probably haven’t heard this in awhile but you DO have rights and options as an educator…
You deserve to go to work each day feeling motivated, inspired and excited by the important work that you do…and we want leaders to have the resources and guidance they need to mentor new educators so it lessens the current burden on our more experienced educators.
So if you’re an educational leader, room leader, family daycare educator, student, preschool teacher, kindergarten teacher or director who wants to confidently balance your planning, activities, documentation, assessments and time with well set up, engaging learning environments and meaningful interactions with children...
...but aren't sure where to start or what to do to mentor others toward creating change…
Here's How We'll get You There...
Let Me Introduce You To...
The Academy For Empowered Educators
Mentorship, Resources & Training To Support & Inspire Early Childhood Educators
The Academy is the most comprehensive, empowering, on-demand professional development resource and training solution of its kind, specifically created for early Childhood Educators all over the world who want to make their job not only easier but more fulfilling!
This professional development portal not only GIVES YOU THE TOOLS & TRAINING… it also SHOWS YOU HOW to use them with visual examples and step by step strategies.
You’ll find the Empowered Ed ‘KEEP IT SIMPLE’ approach used throughout the entire collection of resources, training and tools inside The Academy.
And This Means You'll Be Able To...
write programs faster
Simplify the steps of your planning cycle so you can write weekly and monthly programs in half the time it usually takes you.
spend less time writing
Stop wasting time on unnecessary writing and manage the little time you do have more effectively.
feel more confident
Access the resources you need to do your job well on-demand when it suits you
extend your skills
Ensure you are not left frustrated trying to find training that is useful to your specific ECE role
stop looking for activities
Instead, you can choose from a library of play-based activities for 0-12 years that are ready to go straight onto your program since they are already linked to learning areas for you.
setup the way you want
Have more time to set up your learning environments, invitations and activities the way you want them
All This Without Having To...
Fill in templates or apps you don’t understand because ‘everyone else does it this way’.
Connect everything on your program to a theorist or learning outcome before the play can begin.
Stare at a blank template wondering what your going to put on your program this week
Worry about how you can show written evidence of an ongoing cycle of learning.
Spend hours and hours documenting and analysing children’s observations without gaining any meaningful information to make your forward planning easier.
Resort to writing more than you need to or buying expensive resources because you haven’t been given the basic information and guidance that you need to complete your planning cycle... and you feel too embarassed to ask for help
Use the same old equipment in the same old ways to set up your learning environments…leaving you AND the children feeling bored and uninspired.
Our members can access the community support and tools they need inside the Academy to help them arrive at work each day feeling motivated and confident….
...instead of letting the less important things like a poopy pants incident, pockets filled with snotty tissues, not enough child observations, red handprints on the shorts (that will probably have to be explained yet again to some stranger at the shops after work) and writing this week’s program overwhelm them.
Simone W
preschool teacher
It's amazing. Well organised, easy to access and has wonderful resources...it has provided me with lots of great webinars, planning ideas and resources.
Lucie S
OSHC Coordinator
This is somewhere to go that has all that I need in one place and that is user friendly and you explain everything so well to make everything so easy and simple...there is continuing learning on everything we do.
Karen B
centre director
Your website is an absolutely fantastic resource for educators at all levels...fantastic resources and easy to navigate.
It Can Be As Simple As Starting With >>>>
The truth is, even if you’re not getting the support you need from your centre manager, director, service or family day care coordinator/scheme at the moment, you CAN recapture your confidence and the optimism and enthusiasm you deserve to feel each day when you start your shift...
Downloading a template, checklist or step by step visual guide exactly when you need it so there's no wasted time or procrastination because you're not sure what to use or how to start
Making use of the visual tools, planning cycle workshops and quick guides to help you clarify, understand and decide what to use to complete each step of your own planning cycle
Watching a quick training video that shows you a simpler way to do something you’re currently struggling with,
Finding an activity guide that meets a specific learning outcome to include on your program
Or just taking part in a member event or community discussion that leaves you feeling inspired and motivated to create small, realistic changes that will save you time or leave you feeling optimistic.
All of them lead you toward a simpler approach…and so much FASTER than trying to do it on your own.
So, the secret to making your role less stressful & more enjoyable again while also growing your skills and knowledge as an educator is to…
Use The Academy 4 Pillars To Confident, Simplified, Planning & Prep For ECE Educators…
The Empowered Ed Keep It Simple approach to ensuring planning and documentation is simpler and therefore easier to complete, weaves throughout all 4 of these pillars…
… and when you have access to all of the resources within the 4 Academy Resource Pillars, it is so much easier to transition from feeling uncertain or overwhelmed to empowered and confident in your role as an early years professional.
1. Planning & Paperwork
The tools & strategies needed to simplify your documentation & manage your time.
2. Play & Programs
The consistent flow of ideas to ignite early learning with your activities, experiences and program.
3. Environments & Engagement
The inspiration, ideas and equipment to transform your indoor & outdoor learning spaces on a budget.
4. Communication, Reflection & Growth
The essential building blocks needed to ensure opportunities to ascend as a Leader, Communicator & Mentor.
Without the right documentation processes and tools in place, getting your planning done and writing your program is always going to feel way too overwhelming…not to mention frustrating.
The good news? Becoming a member changes that for you because you get access to a step by step visual guide (we call it our ‘Member Map’) …that will routinely fill you with confidence and bring you back to simpler, clearer planning, prep and environment setup.
I help you decide on your priority pillar - the support and resource area that would be the MOST helpful for you right now and we start there.
It’s your choice whether to dive in and out of all 4 Pillar Resource Libraries or just focus on one pillar area as you need it.
Jayne
educator
After watching your planning cycle video on Facebook I just had to sign up. I feel like I've already recouped my first monthly subscription payment just from downloading your planning guide!
Indrie H
educational Leader
Plenty of resources and it helps you understand the cycle of planning in an easy way. Ideas of activities, environment setups and the best thing is that each activity links to learning areas & extension ideas.
Bec
educational leader
So many great resources, particularly love the templates which saved me so much time and energy, allowing me more time with the children.
This is YOUR professional development journey...
Think of it like one of those ‘choose your own adventure’ books we used to read in the 90’s and the 4 Pillars are your pathways that all eventually connect together to lead you toward achieving YOUR specific goals and support needs…before creating new ones and mapping out a new path to travel.
1.
The 4 Pillars give YOU a map to follow to make sure you receive the support and simpler steps you need to continue your important work in the early education of children…in the areas of professional development YOU specifically need the most for the demands of your role right now.
2.
And the good news for you is that because we use the 'Keep It Simple Approach' throughout the whole of the Academy, I’ve already sorted all of our training, templates, workshops, printables, action guides and ebooks into the 4 different pillars to create a simple success path for you to start with that will help you make the absolute most of your time as an Academy member and not waste valuable time on the stuff that you don’t need right now.
3.
Because the key to using a keep it simple, back to essentials approach in YOUR planning and feeling more motivated to continue in the early childhood profession is to focus on just ONE of those pillar areas at a time to clarify ways you can use simpler strategies.
What ‘one thing’ on your current planning to do list TODAY, could you check off or learn more about that would then give you more time and confidence in your day?
Not sure? Let’s take a closer look at what each Pillar will solve for you as you follow your Member Map and unlock each of the 4 Pillar Resource Libraries inside the Academy…
Pillar 1 Resource Pathway
The Academy PLANNING & PAPERWORK LIBRARY is packed with the tools and training you need to simplify your documentation, planning and paperwork while managing your time more effectively.
Unlocking Pillar 1 Will Give You…
All of the Pillar 1 training videos, templates & printables to SIMPLIFY your PLANNING & PAPERWORK...
Meaningful Observations
The steps and tools you need to source and document more meaningful observations so that analysing the learning taking place becomes easier
Children's Voices & Interests
Creative ways to capture the children’s voices and interests so that you can include them in your programs and learning environment setups with ease.
A Way To Link Documentation
Documentation tools that link together as a step by step process so that it makes sense to you and clearly demonstrates how you evaluate, assess and share a child’s progress on their individual learning journey.
Easier Forward Planning
Videos that show you real examples of all of those methods in action and how to connect them so that you’re not writing more than you need to and actually use the information you collect from your documentation to inform your forward planning.
Organised Paperwork
Printables and processes that make it easier and faster for you to organise your paperwork, children’s files, family information, and planning resources…so that you’re no longer wasting time looking for essential paperwork.
Dana S
educational leader
I found Member Hub (The Academy) so useful as I was just starting out in my educational leader role. I was lucky enough to be able to pass everything I have learnt on to the next educational leader.
Joanne N
family daycare educator
Hi Jodie.. just a quick thankyou so much for all the hard work you have put into this amazing resource. I absolutely love looking through all the hub has to offer. It has refreshed my way of doing portfolios and programming. (12 years in LDC). Love, love love it. 
Nikki L
educator
Great tool to help with understanding programming and the planning cycle. Lots of webinars to help gain skills and templates to guide you in your programming documentation...I love the simplicity of the tool and the clear explanation on the why's & how's.
Pillar 2 Resource Pathway
The Academy PLAY & PROGRAMS LIBRARY gives you Ideas To Ignite Early Learning With Your Activities & Experiences.
Unlocking Pillar 2 Will Give You…
All of the Pillar 2 training videos, templates, printables & activity ideas to INFORM your PLAY & PROGRAMS along with…
Easier Program Writing
A program that is easier to write and actually helps you to link all the planning steps together and setup ahead of time so that program writing isn’t just a waste of your time because you need to show ‘evidence’ on a wall
Activity Ideas & Prep Tips
Play based activities already linked to important early childhood learning, development and schemas for ages 0-12 years so that you never run out of ideas and can enjoy the wonder of play based learning again instead of just focusing on writing down an outcome number.
Links To Learning Outcomes
Done for you program prompts, setup ideas and planners that show you how to spark curiosity and inquiry led learning so that you’re consistently including a mix of intentional and incidental learning opportunities and experiences.
Ways To Save Money
All of the activity guides, curiosity prompts, printables and training videos ONLY share low cost, realistic resource ideas that you can create yourself using materials from around the house, centre or thrift shops
Tools To Invite Engagement
Printables, card games, exploring emotions & diversity, editable templates, scavenger hunts, storytime videos, music playlists and playful ways to introduce technology to children's learning safely.
Pillar 3 Resource Pathway
The Academy ENVIRONMENTS & ENGAGEMENT LIBRARY is where you'll get all the inspiration you need to transform your indoor and outdoor learning spaces.
Unlocking Pillar 3 Will Give You…
All of the Pillar 3 training videos, templates & checklists to INSPIRE your ENVIRONMENTS & ENGAGEMENT...
An Engaging Environment
The strategies you need to set up learning environments in creative ways that invite investigation, child led experiences and a sense of belonging so that children are engaged in their play spaces instead of bored.
Open Ended Play Ideas
Steps and examples to follow along with visual learning printables so that you can spend less money by creating your own budget friendly learning resources and invite play with open ended and upcycled materials.
Indoor & Outdoor Program
Program and planning ideas that help you to gather the information you need to confidently setup your outdoor environment and experiences so that they become an extension of indoor learning (and cancel out the need for and indoor AND outdoor program)
Ideas For Sustainable Practice
Creative ways to introduce and embed sustainable practices into your early education service, environment and routines so that children can become active participants in the care of their community and world around them through playful initiatives and activities.
Invitation To Play Ideas
Simple and realistic provocation ideas and invitations to play that incorporate natural and recycled materials and can be used in many different ways week after week to promote hands-on early learning.
Herminia A
assistant
It's great to be apart of a learning journey and all the content is user friendly.