Curriculum Supports and Program Practices
Modules
THRC Podcasts
Join us as we reflect and learn together by sharing stories and perspectives from professionals in the early learning community. You can find all episodes of THRC Table Talks on Soundcloud and Spotify. Do you have something to share? Email us at connect@thrc.ca. Use this Podcast Reflection Form to reflect on your learning after listening to an episode, and add it to your CPL.
The ECE Backpacker
In this Tidbit, meet Frances Killingbeck, Supervisor at The Halton Resource Connection. She sparked the metaphor of the ECE Backpack in a conversation and we just had to dive in! What is it? How is this relevant to your work in the field? Take a listen and find out! What you will hear: Collaboration in the field supports our professional growth We can clean out our backpacks, updating our knowledge and skills as we learn more.
Really Seeing Children
Join us as Geethmi, Frances, and Basma dive deep into a passage from Deb Curtis's enlightening book, Really Seeing Children.
In this episode, we explore:
The importance of slowing down and being present
Using reflective protocols to deepen our thinking
Calls to action to support children in their creative and joyful pursuits
Tune in to reflect with us and find inspiration to better support the young minds around us.
Listen now and let’s journey together towards truly seeing and understanding children. We invite you to visit THRC Resource Library to borrow your copy.
The Art Of Kintsugi And Early Childhood
Diane Kashin Tribute
In this episode, we pay tribute to the legacy of Diane Kashin, who passed away in January 2024.Diane meant a great deal to all of us in the early learning field. She generously shared much of her knowledge throughout the years, through many different platforms and mediums.In this episode, several educators from the early learning field share their memories of Diane. The common thread throughout was that Diane not only provided new intriguing learning opportunities to engage our thinking, such as sharing her perspectives on seasonal pedagogy, as well as providing opportunities for us to connect theory to practice and our practice to theory – she did this while foraging a deep connection to US, the learner, making us feel SEEN, HEARD and VALUED for what we do.Dr. Maya Angelou once said, “People will forget what you said. People will forget what you did. But people will never forget how you made them feel.” Diane had this gift for making us feel special, and for recognizing the talents we put into our work supporting children, families, and each other."
Exploring Inclusion As It Supports Belonging In The Early Childhood Environment
In this episode, listen in as Nursery School Educators Nida, Joanne and Tanja, come to the table to explore and reflect on how Inclusive practices support relationship building and the Foundations of HDLH? in their program
Using Visuals in the Classroom: A Toddler Educator Shares Her Journey
Welcome back to a brand new year! Join Farrah and Pawandeep, a toddler room educator as we have a conversation around her inspirational story of how she used visuals to support herself as a new staff and the children. One of her many, many nuggets of wisdom she shares is that at the core of her whys, she honours the children she works for. Take a listen now!
Here's Why You Should Read from Teaching to Thinking
From Thinking to Teaching, should be EVERY educator's pedagogical COMPANION. Where are you coming from and where are you hoping to go? Let From Teaching to Thinking be your companion on the journey.From Teaching to Thinking- is it on your bedside table/bookshelf yet? Want to read it? Come visit us at THRC. We have a copies available to borrow.
From Teaching to Thinking (Part Two)
Continue your journey of exploring From Teaching to Thinking with us! There is so much more to unpack in this book. What are teacher scripts? How do they get in the way of what you truly value? Do they disrupt the responsive relationships you hope to build with the children? Do they limit creativity for you and your children? How are your centre's Vision and Values aligning with How you build relationships? How do you structure time, space and collaboration for staff and children/families to reflect and learn from one another?
From Teaching to Thinking (Part One)
Supporting New Child's Transition from Home to Childcare
As we excitedly start off this fall season, the Early Years Sector are also excitedly welcoming new children into the classroom. In the spirit of new beginnings, join us as we center our conversation on our recently published Inspiration Sheet: How to make the Transition from Home to Childcare smooth, with its' co-creater, Quality First Consultant Geethmi. Questions we unpack: How do we create space to welcome in new children? How can we give ourselves the permission to slow down and focus on building the children's sense of belonging.
Supporting New Child's Transition from Home to Childcare Episode Resources
Image of the Child (Part Two)
Join us around the table, in part two of our THRC Table Talk where we: reminisce about our past experiences with puddles in the playground; reflect on informing families about our values during tours, and how those values play an important part in our program and the experiences we offer children; and reflect on the concept of “Professionalism” – Does it mean changing who you are? Does it mean refraining from frivolity and laughter?
Table Talk - Image of the Child (Part Two) Episode Resources
Image of the Child (Part One)
Join us as we gather around a table for an honest, raw, reflective conversation where we address: our fears when risk taking; fears of public perception and judgement; Educator scripts that we feel constricted by; and the Whys of the limitations we place on children.
Table Talk - Image of the Child (Part One) Episode Resources
Exploring Pedagogical Documentation (Part Two)
We continue our exploration of Pedagogical Documentation with the ACT team. We chat about ways to nurture creativity in the documentation writing process; give some tips on how to make your documentation come alive, as well as offer some encouraging words to make documentation writing feel less daunting.
Exploring Pedagogical Documentation (Part Two) Episode Resources
Exploring Pedagogical Documentation (Part One)
Join us as we explore Pedagogical Documentation with members of the ACT team. We hope to inspire you to think of documentation not as must do, or a have to, but as a gift to honour not only the child, but your introspective self.
Exploring Pedagogical Documentation (Part One) Episode Resources
Naming Love as a Professional Value
Join us, as we name and explore love as a core value with Janina, a passionate EarlyON educator. She shares how these elements of love show up in her work and in her relationships. When we get to explore love in these in-depth ways, we discover that love isn’t soft or weak, it is rooted in connection, awareness, trust, respect and it can be viewed as strong and powerful, and has the ability to make our communities thrive.
Pedagogical Prompts
We are so excited to announce a new reflective resource "Pedagogical Prompts." Listen in to hear how this new publication hopes to stir up new ways of thinking in the field of early learning. To view Pedagogical Resources: thrc.ca/pedagogical-prompts/
Exploring the Value of Joy
In this episode we explore the value of joy and how we might foster it within ourselves and within our programs, taking inspiration from the article , "Joy in Our Relationships with Children, Families and Each Other," by Luis Hernandez.
Best Practices Series: Group Time
THRC Podcast is back with another episode in the Best Practices series, this time around group time. We talk with Sarah Krol from THRC's Resource Library about what group time is, what does it look like, and we share strategies to handle some of the common challenges educators experience with group time.
Best Practices Series: Being a Play Partner
In this episode, we continue exploring best practices by reflecting on and considering our role as a Play Partner with children. What does being a play partner look like, what are the benefits to children and to ourselves, and how does this impact lifelong learning and joy.
Best Practices Series: Being a Play Partner Episode Resources
Best Practices Series: Transitions
In this episode we go back to basics and discuss a variety of strategies and resources that can support educators and early learning professionals in creating smooth and effective transitions that meet the diverse needs of all children. How can we balance everyone's needs and get through transitions with ease? Listen in to find something new to add to your tool belt.
Introducing Loose Parts
In this episode, we chat with Irina from THRC's Resource Library to go "back to the basics" of loose parts. What are they and how can we safely and effectively introduce them into our programs to support engagement with all children.
How Does Learning Grow? (Part Two)
In Part 2, we continue our conversation on the concept of learning; what drives it and how can we support it, for children, for families and for ourselves as educators? We were inspired by a quote from the Exchange article "Recognizing School as a Place of Learning for all: From Infancy through Graduate School" written by Alison Maher and Lori Ryan.
How Does Learning Grow? (Part One)
In part 1 of this episode, we reflect with two EarlyOn educators on the concept of learning; what drives it and how can we support it, for children, for families and for ourselves as educators? We were inspired by a quote from the Exchange article "Recognizing School as a Place of Learning for all: From Infancy through Graduate School" written by Alison Maher and Lori Ryan.
Learning from and with Metis Nation Ontario
We are celebrating National Indigenous Peoples Day with this new conversation with Louise Humphreys from Metis Nation Ontario exploring her role and the resources that MNO has to offer the community in our journey towards truth and reconciliation.
Learning from and with Metis Nation Ontario Episode Resources
Let's Talk Montessori
In this episode, Minhaz Minhas shares her passion for the Montessori philosophy and we discuss what an authentic Montessori environment looks, sounds and feels like for children, as well as dispelling some of the myths and misconceptions around Montessori education.
Molly Wright TED Talk Review
In this episode, we talk about Molly Wright's TED Talk "How Every Child Can Thrive By Five". In her TED Talk, 7-year-old Molly Wright speaks about the impact that actions of connecting to, talking to and playing with children from 0 to 5 years has on brain development.
How Our Learning Happened (Part Two)
In this episode we continue our conversation around parallel processing after we participated in an adult watercolour class. We discovered that we wanted to unpack these reflections to consider children's points of view when learning, engaging and expressing themselves.
How Our Learning Happened (Part One)
In this episode we explore parallel processing after we participated in an adult watercolour class. We discovered that we wanted to unpack these reflections to consider children's points of view when learning, engaging and expressing themselves.
Importance of Drawing
We chat about the importance of including representational mark making in programs, to build and nurture children’s observational and communication skills, understand, and appreciate ones’ own unique identity as well as the unique identities of others. We continue to be inspired by Ann Pelo's book Language of Art as we explore this topic - www.redleafpress.org/Language-of-Ar…ngs-P1550.aspx
Why Do You Want to Be an ECE?
To celebrate Child Care Worker and Early Childhood Educator Appreciation Day, we sit down to discuss our Why. Why we do the work we do, how we learned about our strengths, and how we can support others in finding their why in the field. The work of Early Childhood Educators and those who work with children makes a huge impact in the world and we appreciate YOU, today and every day!
It's Not Just Interactions
This episode was inspired by a conversation with an 8 year old about his experience in child care. Hear the clip of his insights and then listen in as we discuss the important impact that our interactions have on children and families with two passionate educators.
Your Classroom Without Walls
Listen in as we discuss the impact that programming for the outdoors can have on the children but also us as educators. You will hear simple strategies to get outside and embrace all that the outdoors has to offer.
Impact of Mr. Rogers
In this episode EarlyON educators, Julie Matthews and Kim Silva reflect on the impact Mister Rogers had on them as an educator, parent and caregiver. Join us as we explore what it means to slow down and wonder with children.
Exploring the Outdoors with Rusty Keeler
In this episode we talk with Rusty Keeler, a playscape designer and outdoor play guru to discuss his new book Adventures in Risky Play: What Is Your Yes and how educators can create engaging outdoor environments that support children's development. For more information about Rusty Keeler and his work visit his website:
rustykeeler.com
Discovering Flow
The concept of Flow was discovered by a Hungarian psychologist Mihály Csíkszentmihályi while he was researching happiness and creativity. He discovered people were most happy when they were in a mental state he named “flow”. Join Bibi Mohammed, Daniela Garcia and Denise MacDougal as they explore this fascinating topic, as it relates to children and adults in their pursuits for experiencing joy and happiness.
Conversations with ACT
Join us as we chat with members of MCRC's Artists and Children Together team, as we explore clay and how it can be introduced and used meaningfully with children and educators. We use Ann Pelo's book Language of Art as our guide, as we explore the concepts of identity, relationship and power as it relates to clay.
THRC Information & Inspiration Sheets
THRC's Information and Inspiration Sheets provide Educators with concrete ideas and relevant information to support Early Learning and Child Care environments.
How Does Learning Happen? in the Montessori Environment Information Sheet
Visuals in the Montessori Environment Information Sheet
Professional Supervision Information Sheet
How Does Learning Happen Information Sheet
Using Visuals Information Sheet
Social and Emotional Development in Montessori Information Sheet
Setting Up the Environment Information Sheet
Books and Literacy Information Sheet
Exploring Literacy Outdoors Information Sheet
Exploring Math Outdoors Information Sheet
Loose Parts in the Montessori Environment Information Sheet
Supporting Free Expression in Montessori Information Sheet
Supporting Outdoor Play in All Types of Weather Information Sheet
Learning Outdoors with Loose Parts Information Sheet
Setting Up the Montessori Environment Information Sheet
Sensory Play Information Sheet
Making a Smooth Transition from Home to Child Care Information Sheet
Modules
Pedagogical Prompts
A series of publications based on the six Pedagogical Approaches from the "How Does Learning Happen?" document, this resource is designed with the intention of provoking thought and curiosity for any professional wanting to engage in self-paced and reflective professional learning.
Articles & Resources
There are no Curriculum Supports and Program Practices Articles & Resources at this time.
