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Speaker 2: [00:00:00] Welcome to Stories That Stick with me, Laura, as your resident storyteller. I'm here to show you how oral stories inspire and captivate minds young and old. Tune in each week to hear a compelling story and join in meaningful conversations. I'll be digging deep into the heart of storytelling, connection, and listening.
So whether you're a kid, teacher, caregiver, grandparent, or simply a lover of stories, this podcast is for you. Join me as you get lost in another world and discover how stories shape our lives. Here's to the next page in our story.
Laura: Welcome to today's episode on Stories that Stick. Today, I have with me Jess Karpathios of Curious Educator Collective. She and I are gonna be chacking- chatting all about small world play, and I'm so excited to dig into this topic as it's such a fun one, and one that not [00:01:00] all educators take advantage of.
I'm gonna let Jess jump in and tell us a little bit about herself and what's brought her to the work that she's doing today. Hi, Jess. How are you doing?
Jess: Hi. I'm great, Laura. Thanks so much for having me. Yes, my name's Jess. I am from Ontario, Canada, and I am a registered early childhood educator. I've been working in the field for just over 15 years.
But I think I've been an educator since I was four. I remember when my sister was born, I would, as an infant, set her up with little worksheets before I knew better. Play, play school with her. So I've always had this strong desire to be working with children, and I have been doing this work both directly with children and with educators over the last 15 years, and have been working as a pedagogical leader and consultant since 2020.
And that's really where [00:02:00] my love for mentorship, relationship, community, creating these spaces for us to think about the work of ECE in a deeper way, and really to- Create spaces for us to ask what is the purpose of early childhood education, and I think that's a question that we in the West haven't yet figured out.
And so I hope to be a part of that conversation that can hopefully not only improve those conditions for children but for educators. And that's something I'm really passionate about as well is how can play, how can innovation within our curriculum keep really high-quality educators so that they can have long fulfilling careers because we know like relationships are at the heart of what we do.
So yeah, that's a little bit about me. And yeah, just so excited to join this conversation, Great ... to talk about stories.
Laura: Awesome. Now, for people that [00:03:00] maybe have not heard this term, you wanna just briefly tell us- ... what pedagogical leadership is. Yeah. I feel like it's more prominent in Canada than it may be here in the States.
Jess: Yeah. It's so funny. I'm so grateful that you asked because I'm always encouraging people to be mindful of those words that we throw around without a, a assuming understanding. So thank you for that. Pedagogical leadership the roots of this idea come from Reggio, a, a pedagogista. And what I have come to understand is how do I make sense of that in the Canadian context?
I'm really sensitive to not say that I'm a, a pedagogist because I'm not working in the context of Italy and Reggio Emilia. So what I believe it to be is a person who works in relationship with [00:04:00] educators, children, families, community to understand the thinking and learning and teaching process. So I am going into programs or working alongside educators to help them create conditions for them to understand their own values around learning.
Because from my perspective, I, I- Think we still have a lot of work to do in terms of how we, what we believe about learning.
And I've seen firsthand that as we create these conditions to get more confident in what our learning and teaching values are, then we can have those dream programs that, that we're looking for, those beautiful pictures that we see in Reggio.
And that's where the pedagogical leader comes [00:05:00] in. And it is also a person who recognizes the intersection or the interplay of ECE with the broader community, the broader society. What I love about Reggio, for example, is that the pedagogista is actually employed by the municipal government- because they are bringing the children's voices, bringing the educators' voices into policy-
Laura: Yes.
Jess: That's- So that decisions are made that serve the children. And I think that is another really key element is seeing that interplay of the work that we do in our classrooms and how political it is, how much it moves our society forward.
All these really fun, deep questions that keep me up at 3:00 in the morning.
Laura: [00:06:00] Absolutely. Yeah. When you say it in that such clear way, that last piece, right? About being somebody that's coming from the government in to bring back the voices of the educators and the children, I think so many of us that are strong advocates for developmentally responsive environments and spaces for young children are just asking for that, right?
Yeah. We just want the children's voices to actually be heard, and those of us that are working with them day in and day out and have what our, dreams and needs are to be-
...
Laura: Heard and met.
Jess: Hav-
Laura: Yeah ...
Jess: having a seat at the table- Absolutely ... is really what I think it's all about. And asking that question whose voices don't we hear-
When we're making these decisions and- Then on a smaller scale, when I was working within an organization, it was that but at a policy level. Thinking about [00:07:00] things like our program statement or our policies that educators need to abide by and thinking differently about how those policies are written so that educators, again, can have environments that provoke joy and wonder.
Because if educators don't feel it, it's gonna be- ... very hard for them to do that with with children in their programs. So- Absolutely ... definitely different than a supervisor or a- ... director.
Laura: Yep.
Jess: That's where I like to make that distinction because I have done both of those roles. I do think it's challenging for one person to do both of those roles because you have to live in two worlds in your brain.
I think that's the tension that I'm holding onto right now knowing what we know about budget and, a lot of- ... organizations only having one director. How could somebody live in those two worlds? But in my dream world, it would be that every [00:08:00] school childcare center, district has not only a supervisor director who's, worrying about all the policy stuff but also a pedagogical leader to help nurture that, that thinking and learning process with the educators.
Laura: Beautiful.
Jess: One day.
Laura: One day. All we can do is dream. I was- Yeah ... I was just chatting last night with Kesa Marks about her book Who Are We Waiting For? And we spent the first 15 minutes talking about, how she's a keeper of dreams. And the main thing she wants is for educators to be holding the dreams of children and bringing them to fruition despite any of our philosophies or pedagogies.
Not within any of these different sectors, just no matter where you are, no matter what your, the way and style that you are teaching. But just dream for the children and let the children dream big. So I love that. Oh, I love that too. And yeah. So all right. Let's dive in a little bit about this and talk about the curiosity and beautiful [00:09:00] environment, that joy that, educators can bring to life through small world play.
So as I did, I l- I do like to be really intentional about the language and make sure we all have a shared understanding. So I'd love to hear how you define small world play so that we can all have the same picture in our mind as we're talking about it.
Jess: Yes. Thank you.
So small world play for me is a way of bringing story to life in a three-dimensional form. And in that, I think there are some necessary components. I like to use the SCALE framework so that it has story, narrative- so the A, we are thinking about agency. How do children have control over that story?
Oh, I forgot the C. The C is that we wanna have contrast, so we're thinking about big, little. [00:10:00] I know the, the definition is small world play, but I like to think of it as either really teeny tiny or really ginormous. Things that we can explore with size. Then we have light and layer and then the environment.
So using three-dimensional materials to bring a story to life. And that could be like what we see online, taking a pre-written story, Three Billy Goats Gruff, and using figurines to bring that to life. Or stories that the children have come up with. Stories that have been written in your documentation.
Stories that children are still trying to figure out. So just trying to open up our understanding of what gets to be called a story- ... for me, is not necessarily something that's been published by somebody else. They are great springboards. And that children [00:11:00] then have the opportunity to interact and control that story, determine the outcome.
When I think about a published story, creating that space for the children to rewrite the ending or to rewrite the beginning. So I think just for me, it is creating stories using loose parts, found materials, and bringing that story to life i- in a meaningful way within your program. And that could be done anywhere.
Could be done in a s- a sensory table. It could be done in a book center, in a dramatic play center, block center. There's really no right or wrong. But I think using, first and foremost, our observations of children. Is it a story that they always keep coming back to? And then you have that entry point to bring that to life, or a story that a child brought in from home.
So just using what you [00:12:00] observe in the children's play to, to create those small world stories
Laura: Okay, awesome. I wasn't sure what your answer was going to be, so I was, like, just really curious about it, and of course, went through a train of thoughts in my mind. But I think the thing that just really resonated with me was when I think about some of my classroom spaces I often did the, you know the environment is the third teacher, right?
And in many of us, we ... although I had that fluid space for cross-pollination of bringing materials from one space to another, there were some designated spaces, right? This is the loud, messy space with the blocks, getting knocked down and the gross body, whole body play, and this is, the, the wet and messy space with the art and the sensory table here, right?
And I always had, a library space, and then I would bring out ... I used it more, I called it like a storytelling space, right? Where I would bring, out, whether it be small puppets or small figurines or small blocks or felt pieces, things like that, right? In [00:13:00] this miniature s- sense of a world, right?
The small world play that was usually more always felt more fantastical, right? Than maybe- Yes.
Jess: Oh, I love that word ...
Laura: you know what I mean? Than a little bit more- Yes ... like traditional of the things they're encountering in their day to day, right? But when you just said now that I'm thinking about it, like- Especially with loose parts as well.
I'm thinking, seeing it in a sensory table. The children- ... are really, when they're in the sensory table, that is that small world play kind of same stories are coming out in that way- ... where they're exploring, pouring things back and forth, and it slowly takes on a narrative of what it- wherever it may be.
And I feel like that also always ends up happening in the art studio space when children are freely exploring art materials. Whether it be they're just, rubbing paint all over the place and then it starts to turn into a story of, whatever is happening with it or the loose parts that they're adding into their Play-Doh and things like that.
So I think I probably was always thinking about it a little bit more specific in this- ... like one-ish area, and [00:14:00] thinking about it in this bigger space of just like it's just another way that children are creating stories on this very 3D with something tangible versus the stories that they may be telling with their bodies in the dramatic play when they're, they are the veterinarian or they are the dragon, right?
Jess: Yes. Yeah. I think you've hit it on the nail on the head. My belief is that children are always creating worlds, and how are we responding to those worlds? I love old movies and the, a theme that I see a lot in the movies that we watched growing up were these small worlds. Like- ... magic School Bus or Fraggle Rock, FernGully.
The Borrowers is one of my favorites because it's these little people who are living in a house, and when the people are trying to sell the house, they are the ones who are like coming out and creating like booby traps all around the house so it doesn't [00:15:00] sell . And that's what has me thinking about dramatic play, like who lives in the kitchen when we leave?
Who lives in our puddles when we go inside? And how that whimsy and that wonder allows us to be invited into the worlds that children are creating.
Laura: Yes, I love that. What is so beautiful that you just brought up The Borrowers. I have not thought of that book in forever, but it was one that I loved.
Me too. And what my children and I've, are, I've taken to now this summer, I wanted to re- I always wanna read more with my kids, I homeschool them, and I just feel like we're on the go so much. Even though we homeschool, we're, like, never home. We're always on the go so much, and I'm not reading books as much as I wish I was.
And finally, I was like, "Why are we not listening to audiobooks?" We'll listen to podcasts. We'll listen to- ... [00:16:00] songs. We'll tell stories. But the other day we had a long drive, it was, like, an hour, and I was like, "What if we listen to a book?" And then I was like, "Oh, I'll really get them if we listen to the book and then watch the movie."
We started with, I think it was Because of Winn-Dixie, and then we watched the movie. And then we did Charlotte's Web and we watched the movie. But I am using the app Libby where you can just borrow books, like, from the library, the audiobooks.
Jess: Oh, yeah.
Laura: And I r- I keep l- waiting for The Borrowers to come off hold because I really wanna listen to it with my children.
Oh, yeah. And as you were just saying, this idea of what a fun invitation it could be in your, dramatic play space to put some little peg dolls in the refrigerator with a little, piece of fabric. Yes. And just see that simple little invitation could just invite, drawing children in to change that little bit of a story.
Jess: Yeah, the... the possibilities are truly endless. And I think, Even like what you've talked about, like reading the story versus watching the story, [00:17:00] it allows a conversation to be had of multiple interpretations and how do we tell story. I think a lot about some of the indigenous companions and mentors that I've had, and the lessons they've taught me on the value of oral storytelling and how we, look at storytelling in a very narrow, neoliberal mo- down that rabbit hole- Yep
today, but for thousands and thousands of years, stories took so many different forms, whether that was dance, art, music. And I think small world is just an invitation to, to just that, is saying stories are everywhere. Stories are happening in all of these spaces. How can you bring visibility to those?
The ... One of my favorite tools to use is having a classroom fairy, and I think that leans on the idea of a small world because it's, a little creature who comes [00:18:00] and visits us at specific times of the day. I was working in a preschool classroom that was rather challenging at nap time, and that's where the idea came to me.
So I was like, "What if we had a fairy that visited during nap time, and she left little trinkets and treasures and letters to us?" And that was our way to, recalibrate- ... and be re-invited into the afternoon. And it was one of the best strategies I used because I would say "Fairies don't like to be in spaces where people throw furniture."
So- ... if we want the fairy to visit, we can't throw the chair across the classroom. We don't want to hurt her." And, using that as a transition tool to get outside. What ... How can we bring that world outside, and then how can we bring it back inside and how are we interacting with it in so many different ways?
And then using our documentation. Once the children ... Once we document [00:19:00] what the children have engaged with these small worlds, offering that back to the children and asking them to recreate it again or add- ... sound tracks to it or make, bird sounds. Record bird sounds and we can add it to the play.
So yeah, there's just so many possibilities, springboards of where small worlds can take you. And I think, at the nucleus for me is just a way of seeing the world-
...
Jess: And being invited into that whimsical, joyful experience.
Laura: Yeah. So I think what I would love, 'cause I'm feeling like, okay, which way, what's most helpful?
I feel like probably educators can have a sense of, like, how to offer some small world- ... play. But let's talk a little bit about the moves you as an educator or a pedagogical leader are making, right? This idea that, yes, children are always creating worlds, so how are we responding to the worlds, right?
So when you're saying, documenting what are [00:20:00] some ways, right? What are the tangible ways that we can notice beyond, ... I immediately am like, "Slow down." That's my first- Yeah ... thing always.
Jess: Number one, slow down. Take the clock out of your classroom. Slow down. One really fun approach that I will offer to educators, especially newer educators, is just at mealtime gatherings.
So everyone's already sat at the table. Get ... Before you serve lunch or snack, get out a pen and a piece of paper and ask the children to, retell the story of their small world. Ooh. And do one sentence at a time or one word at a time, or if you're working with toddlers, one sound at a time.
And write down what you hear them say. And then when you're going into your play [00:21:00] period or going outside, that can be your script that you use. You gather all of the children and you say, "Okay, here's the story that we wrote at morning snack. Let's build a world for this story. Johnny said there was a goat.
Okay we have to make a goat. Who's gonna make the goat? Go, go find sticks and let's make a goat. And Suzy said that there was a house. Okay what do we need to build this house?" And use that play period to bring that story to life, and then at the end you can be the narrator and say, "Okay everyone, sit down.
Here's the story. Here's the set that we built, and now we're going to act it out." Take a photo of that. That can be posted in, on your bulletin board, what have you. And then that can be revisited. What happened, here's our world with the goat. What happened over the night? We all went home and [00:22:00] we went to sleep.
What do you think the goat did while we were, we, while we were at home? Did they go to sleep? Did they go out and find food? And use that sort of as, as an offering to tell a story. Another tool that I love to use, like I said, is fairies. So using fairy letters and writing letters back and forth to the fairy.
So having them s- introduce an idea to you. There's treasures all around the room, and then once the children find the treasures, "Okay, let's all gather and let's write a story back to the fairy and tell her what we found." You found the purple gem. What does it look like? What does it feel like?
Does it sound like anything? So just using literacy in meaningful ways to tell the stories of what the children are encountering in their rooms. With food I always love to have fairy tea [00:23:00] parties, and having the children create a recipe for what tea we want to make. So we want it to be a watermelon tea.
What ingredients do we need? Where could we find those at the store? So those are all sort of the first ideas that come to mind for me. And then also- With using more like a traditional book, say you're using The Billy Goats Gruff, like photocopying those pages and putting them out in the classroom alongside your miniature figurines and maybe putting them in the incorrect order and saying, "Okay, let's see if we can put these in the order of the story, and how would we tell it?"
Or, "How does the story sound when the ending is at the beginning?" So playing with story. There's zillions of ideas.
Laura: Yeah, absolutely. This is just one of the things that I genuinely love about having these kinds of conversations, right? [00:24:00] Because what I was anticipating your response to be is so different than what you shared.
And I,
Jess: I, I-
Laura: So I'm gonna share out, like in my mind what I was thinking and anticipating. I love this idea of almost what you walked us through and this idea of like gathering together and almost building a story together with them, and then almost inviting them, right? Teaching them how they can take their ideas in this way that they say aloud, and then create this small world play.
And then revisiting it through questions and documentation and things like that. What I was thinking in my mind was that more observant role initially, right? Like us as educators- Oh ... noticing, the two children that are over here and are always using the two blocks to do this, right?
And seeing that and noticing that these two kids are always doing that. And then when they're outside, they have sticks, and they're doing that play fighting like [00:25:00] that, right? And noticing types of play or stories that are unfolding in their play. Documenting that, and then giving an offering of okay, maybe there's some materials that we put out that tie into knights and dragons and themes, right?
Maybe that's the theme that they were exploring that you were seeing in these few different ways. And then providing, materials in a different different types, like loose parts or whatever it might be in a space with, some fabric or whatever it might be, right? To then allow that play to transition from, the blocks that they were doing it in, maybe with their whole body, maybe outside with the sticks, and then offering it here in this more miniature way.
... So that's the like what I was thinking about, like observing children's stories and play and then that reverse engineering almost, right? Yes. And so- And I think- Which, of course, there's no wrong way, but
Jess: No, I think that's a c- a critical part of the conversation. I've what I was mentioning earlier is taking- everything in a [00:26:00] play-based program, our hope is that it's rooted in your observations of the children.
So l- like you so beautifully said, being attuned to where stories are happening. I love how you used the blocks as the example. I think, there's two choices in that moment. You can say, we don't use blocks as weapons," "Put the blocks away." Or we can ask ourselves, what story are they trying to act out?
Are they trying to play with power? Are they trying to be knights? Are they trying to be police officers? Who knows? So creating those ... The, being attuned enough, and I think what's been helpful for me in those moments is instead of jumping in, whether that's with my own discomfort, my own idea, giving myself 30 seconds and just saying nothing.
Just be quiet. People have [00:27:00] been ... If they're this far into the conversation, you can tell that I love to talk, so that is a physical choice to not talk. But I think in that 30 seconds it gives you that gift of saying, at first I saw unsafe play or weapon play, but underneath that, there's something bigger that's happening here, and how could I actually respond to that in a meaningful way instead of saying, "Put the blocks away," or we're not using that as a weapon."
How can I give a true responsive opportunity that will allow them to think about the bigger ideas underneath what that play is telling us?
Laura: Absolutely. Yeah. One of my favorite tools to give educators is to do exactly what you just said. When we are noticing a behavior that- we feel it in our body.
Something wants us to redirect, to control, to stop, [00:28:00] whatever it might be. Instead of saying, "What are you doing? Don't do that." "Why are you running? Why did you do that?" Shift it and "What story are you telling?" "What's happening now? What are you pretending?" "What's your character doing?"
Because yeah, maybe they're running 'cause they're just running, but like maybe you didn't catch what was just happening and they're running away from the wolf. Or like-
Jess: Yes ...
Laura: why did you do that? They did that because their character is defending da-da-da. You know what I mean? Often what we see is actually their story coming out.
Jess: Yes. Yes. But
Laura: we
Jess: don't see- And we never
Laura: have- ...
Jess: we never have the full picture. And I think what you just described is the fundamental disposition of being a pedagogical leader, which is thinking in questions.
And I think that shift, if if we can, again, resist our own conditioning, because we were all raised in systems that taught us having the answer [00:29:00] is good, that makes you a good student, that makes you a good teacher.
And unlearning that to be comfortable in thinking in those questions. Again, of course there are going to be moments where it's like- Dude, you can't jump off the 10-foot- like- Yeah ... there are real moments. For sure. But outside of that, how can we offer that pause and shift what was an assumption into a question?
And I think that is the basis of connection, and relationship and truly being seen. There's there's a childcare center that is right across from where I live, and since I haven't been in a childcare for quite some time, I always love to take my dog for a walk. And there's this little hiding corner in the yard, and every time I walk by I'm always like, "What's going on in that corner?"
Because it's very funny. There's this one little guy that I see every day, and he [00:30:00] brings somebody to the corner, and they'll, make up this whole world and he'll tell him all the rules of the world. And then they go out and they act it all out, and I will just watch. A- and I'm waiting to see what are the educators- Yeah
how might the educators respond to that? Because not always the best choices that they're making. But it's really a brilliant, delegation, and he's got a whole plan for this world. But I think those really to me was a story that illustrated what you were saying, is like-
Laura: Yeah ...
Jess: we only see the booking it across the yard and throwing the wood chips.
Laura: Yeah.
Jess: But we didn't get to see the 10 minutes of that little person negotiating, delegating the roles, determining who was going to do what. And similarly to us, how many times in our lives have we been misunderstood?
How many times [00:31:00] have you felt with my own husband you're like, "That's not what I was gonna do here." That's ... "Why did you throw this out? I had a plan for this- Yes ... pile of paper that looks like garbage."
Laura: Yep ...
Jess: and so I think just offering that same compassion that maybe you might not have the whole story, and how can ... Even with people who don't talk yet- Yeah
how can we be attuned enough to be curious about what that story really is?
Laura: Yeah. So beautiful. I- Just l- love this conversation so much because just now, again, I did, I came into this with some assumptions around what is this idea of small world play and the way that I've seen it represented and, you know, what I think I'm building my understanding and shifting is it's almost even just the other worlds that they're playing.
And it doesn't have to be this small, miniature- ... Pinterest perfect setup of- Yes ... the peg dolls with, the [00:32:00] sewed, unicorns and all that, right? It's in fact just us tuning into the other worlds, the s- the smaller worlds that's not this world that the children are creating, whether that be in the corner where they're deciding, who's gonna be the robber and who's gonna be the bad guy and who's gonna, take them home and whatever things.
And just, yeah.
Jess: And giving those value.
Laura: Yeah. Yes.
Jess: I think the process of creating the world using the pegs, that is a language, a medium of giving those worlds value.
Laura: Yeah.
Jess: And I think you can do that in so many different ways. I think, yes, it can be done in that, that traditional sense, but I even think about, there's always that one person that finds the teeniest, tiniest speck of rice and holds onto it in their pocket all day.
Probably 10 years ago I would have said "Take that out of your pocket and throw it in the garbage." I don't know why, but looking back on it- Yeah. Yeah ... I don't know why, [00:33:00] but in the moment I did. And now I'm like, you know what? That's a treasure. That's- Yeah ... they found this treasure.
It's not gonna kill anyone.
Laura: Nope.
Jess: Let them carry the piece of rice around for the day. And I think in, I know maybe that sounds a bit far out, but for me that is honoring- ... that child's small world. To them, we say when a child comes up to us and gives us a rock, that is like currency to them.
That is their greatest gift that they can bestow to us. And recognizing that our worlds are very big and their worlds in s- in some ways are smaller, and how do we tune into that and honor that in meaningful ways? I think that can be done in music, in story- in figurines. In, in so much.
It's about magic and- Yeah ... what the word do you use? Fantastical?
Laura: Yeah.
Jess: Yes. That's the word.
Laura: That's it. Just bringing the fantastical to life. Yeah, when you- Yes, exactly ... were just saying that about the rice in the pocket, I immediately had images of all the children that, collect the rocks and keep [00:34:00] the rocks.
Yes. And then I just had this vision of, when a child, like my daughter's always giving me rocks, like wow, what if she just went on this incredible adventure in her mind to find this rock? Maybe she just saw it and it was cool, and she picked it up and she gave me- Yeah ... the cool rock. But maybe she had this really in-depth thing happening in her brain.
And she thought all these things about it, and handed it to me like it was this, golden coin that, only one person could have, and she fought to the death for it- Yes ... and then gave it to me,
Jess: yes.
Laura: It's her
Jess: offering.
Laura: Yeah. How beautiful. How beautiful. I wanna be mindful.
I like to try to keep our podcasts so that we can digest them. Yes ... but if there's anything, before we wrap up that you feel like you didn't get to say any advice you have to say about The Small World Play, or any last thoughts you have about it, I'd love to invite you to share that.
Jess: I think that is a great question. I think- [00:35:00] If you are feeling Like you don't know where to start? Yeah I would say tune into your own inner child first. Like, when we brought up The Borrowers- ... and we both had that visceral reaction to it- ... is because it connected us to a part of our own childhood.
And I think the fun thing about small worlds is that we get to be s- silly. We get to... And for some educators, and I respect that, that's uncomfortable- Yeah ... because of our own journeys and our o- own conditioning. But maybe it's about, going on your own nature walk and, seeing what's one treasure you can find or the, the shiniest rock you can find in the forest, and bringing that back into your classroom and saying, "I found this treasure and I wanna see what we can do with it."
So just maybe looking inward first- ... might be a nice place to [00:36:00] start because I know for myself, being a bit childish or playful, it is fun for me. But I know for some people it, it can be- Yeah ... uncomfortable. Doing that and starting with the classroom fairies is also a great entry point as well, and there's tons of resources online that can help you get that started.
So I I do have some free resources on my website around small worlds that you can introduce more like provocation-
...
Jess: Starters or question prompts. So those are all free and you can find those on my website as well.
Laura: Beautiful. Yes, I'll put those in the show notes. And tell us where can people find you and learn more about you and see what you're up to.
Jess: Yeah. So I'm on Instagram @curiouseducatorcollective. I do have a Facebook page. Not on it too much. Just trying to focus on one platform at a time.
Laura: Fair.
Jess: I do have a podcast that is launching on [00:37:00] August 11th. Very similar style. I'm just hoping to have meaningful conversations with passionate educators doing important work in the sector.
And then I have my membership. So the first cohort for that is closing on August 17th, and I have two pathways, again, with my work being situated in both working with children and working with adults. I have two separate spaces Professional Pride and then More Than Fun, and it's a, you get monthly resources, webinars.
There's a monthly virtual call and 24/7 access to me to kinda help-
Laura: 24/7?
Jess: Yeah. Yeah, 24/7-ish. You can message me 24/7.
Laura: Yes.
Jess: I will get back to you during the day. And really just my vision- Is that we create a collective of educators who are wanting to [00:38:00] maybe challenge the status quo a little bit- in terms of- ... of what our programs can look like, and just feeling supported throughout that process.
Laura: Beautiful. I can't wait to see and hear all these things as they continue to roll out and unfold. I'm so glad that we had the opportunity to talk, and I know it will not be the last time. So I look forward to our next chat.
Jess: Yes, me too. Thanks so much for having me.
Laura: Thanks, Jess.
Speaker 3: The end. But really, that's it for today's episode of Stories That Stick, inspiring and captivating minds young and old. Remember, stories have the incredible ability to spark conversations, ignite imagination, and create lasting connections. If you loved what you heard, be sure to subscribe to the podcast and leave a five-star review.
It really does make a difference. And if you have a story to share or a topic you want me to explore, reach out to me on Instagram at Little Stories That Stick. Until next time, keep working that storytelling muscle and tell [00:39:00] stories every day
