The Everything ECE Podcast

Carla Ward

The Everything ECE Podcast is for early childhood educators, preschool teachers, and childcare professionals who want to grow intentionally and take meaningful action. Host Carla Ward shares real-life insights, expert interviews, and practical strategies to support your work in childcare centres, preschools, and kindergartens. From play-based learning to leadership, each episode helps you stay inspired, confident, and connected to your purpose.

  1. 1d ago

    #264: What Does a Pedagogical Leader Actually Do? with Jessica Karpathios

    In this episode of The Everything ECE Podcast, Carla is joined by Jessica Karpathios, founder of The Curious Educator Collective, to make pedagogical leadership feel less like an abstract title and more like the work that happens in a classroom. Jessica is a Registered Early Childhood Educator whose experience includes working with toddlers, supervising child care programs, teaching future educators and supporting professional learning across organizations. She brings those perspectives to a conversation about what educators need when a familiar routine is no longer serving the children in front of them. Together, Carla and Jessica explore the shift from habit to intention. Instead of stopping at “no running inside,” what can educators learn by asking why a child is running and what the environment may be communicating? They discuss observation, reflection with a team and the value of a fresh set of eyes that helps educators think rather than arriving with a list of fixes. They also talk honestly about the time this role requires and why adding it to an already full supervisor's workload can make the work harder. This conversation offers a clearer picture of pedagogical leadership and another possibility for experienced ECEs wondering where their work could grow. ABOUT JESSICA Jessica Karpathios is a Registered Early Childhood Educator, pedagogical leader and founder of The Curious Educator Collective. Her experience spans early learning programs in Canada and abroad, child care supervision and field faculty work at Humber College. She partners with organizations to support pedagogical growth. LINKS Website: https://www.jessicakarpathios.com Instagram: @curiouseducatorcollective LinkedIn: Jessica Karpathios  Pedagogical Leader Mentor Guide: https://www.jessicakarpathios.com/pedagogicalleadermentoringguide   Book: Creating a Culture of Reflective Practice, The Role of Pedagogical Leadership in Early Childhood Programs. And it's written by Anne-Marie Coughlin and Lori McGee Barrett. LINK Transcript SUBSCRIBE & REVIEW If you loved this episode, please take a moment to subscribe and leave a review. Your support helps us reach more ECEs who are in the thick of it!. Thanks for tuning in to The Everything ECE.  See you next week! CONNECT WITH CARLA Email Newsletter: ⁠⁠Click Here⁠  Website: carlatheece.com Instagram: @carlatheece

  2. 4d ago

    #263: How Do I Actually Feel Confident? | Dear Carla

    In this Dear Carla episode, an educator writes in about confidence, imposter syndrome and the pressure they feel to appear confident while leading their team. Carla challenges the idea that good leadership requires having all the answers and talks about what it actually takes to build confidence over time. From doing things scared and paying attention to your own self-talk to collecting the “receipts” that remind you of what you’re capable of, this conversation is about learning to trust yourself, even when that little voice gets loud.  With ideas inspired by Mel Robbins, Brené Brown, Brendon Burchard and Stephen Covey, this episode offers practical places to start without pretending confidence has a quick fix. Maybe it’s time to stop faking it till you make it and start practising it until you believe it. Resources mentioned: The High 5 Habit — Mel Robbins Brené Brown — Dare to Lead High Performance Habits — Brendon Burchard The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People — Stephen R. Covey Dear Gabby meditation — Gabby Bernstein ASK CARLA Have a question? Ask here SUBSCRIBE & REVIEW If you loved this episode, please take a moment to subscribe and leave a review. Your support helps us reach more ECEs who are in the thick of it!. Thanks for tuning in to The Everything ECE.  See you next week! CONNECT WITH CARLA Email Newsletter: ⁠⁠Click Here⁠  Website: carlatheece.com Instagram: @carlatheece

  3. Oct 2

    #262: Block Play Beyond Towers

    In this episode of The Everything ECE Podcast, Carla Ward explores block play, provocations, three-dimensional learning, problem-solving, and what can happen when children are given more time and space to build, experiment and figure things out. From rethinking the way we respond when structures come crashing down to considering what hands-on learning offers children in an increasingly digital world, this episode is an invitation to take another look at the block area in your early learning environment. In this episode: Block play beyond building towers Using provocations to extend children's thinking Three-dimensional learning and spatial awareness Supporting problem solving and resilience through play Rethinking safety without unnecessarily limiting children's ideas Block play in a world of screens, technology and AI Simple ways to add curiosity to your block area Books Iggy Peck Architect Resources mentioned: Purdue University — Block play could improve your child’s math skills, executive functioning: https://www.purdue.edu/research/features/stories/block-play-could-improve-your-childs-math-skills-executive-functioning/ Research article on block play and mathematics:https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7954229/ Transcript SUBSCRIBE & REVIEW If you loved this episode, please take a moment to subscribe and leave a review. Your support helps us reach more ECEs who are in the thick of it!. Thanks for tuning in to The Everything ECE.  See you next week! CONNECT WITH CARLA Email Newsletter: ⁠⁠Click Here⁠  Website: carlatheece.com Instagram: @carlatheece

  4. Sep 25

    #261: Adults Need Play Too with Pat Rumbaugh

    In this episode of The Everything ECE Podcast, Carla is joined by Pat Rumbaugh, better known as the Play Lady, for a conversation about why play belongs to adults as much as it does to children. Pat spent 30 years as a physical education teacher and coach before helping start a community play day in Takoma Park, Maryland. That work grew into Let's Play America, a nonprofit that organizes free play events and helps other communities make room for people of all ages to play. Together, Carla and Pat talk about giving children real choice in their play, what happens when adults join in, and the joy of bringing different generations together through games. Pat shares what an adult play day can look like, while Carla reflects on how they met at a workshop about play for grown-ups. Their conversation moves from community events to small, everyday invitations: hopscotch on a walk, a game with friends, or simply making time for something you enjoy. If you spend your days protecting children's opportunities to play but rarely think about your own, this episode may help you find your way back to it. ABOUT PAT Pat Rumbaugh taught physical education and coached at Washington International School from 1981 to 2011. She founded a play committee in Takoma Park in 2009; it became the nonprofit Let's Play America in 2014. Pat has written two children's books on play, given two TEDx talks and organized 49 Play Days. LINKS Let's Play America: https://www.letsplayamerica.org Instagram: @lets.play.america Facebook: @letsplayamericaltd TikTok: @letsplayamerica SUBSCRIBE & REVIEW If you loved this episode, please take a moment to subscribe and leave a review. Your support helps us reach more ECEs who are in the thick of it!. Thanks for tuning in to The Everything ECE.  See you next week!  CONNECT WITH CARLA The ECE Entrepreneur Experience Email Newsletter: ⁠⁠Click Here⁠ Website: carlatheece.com Instagram: @carlatheece

  5. Sep 22

    #260: Supporting a Child with Selective Mutism? | Dear Carla 

    This week’s Dear Carla question comes from Lime Green, an educator who will be working with a four-year-old with selective mutism. They’re looking for ideas and strategies to support the child, and the question takes Carla back more than 20 years to one of the first children she ever taught. In this episode, Carla draws on that experience, what she learned along the way, and what she wants Lime Green to consider as they begin building a relationship with this child. ASK CARLA Have a question? Ask here SUBSCRIBE & REVIEW If you loved this episode, please take a moment to subscribe and leave a review. Your support helps us reach more ECEs who are in the thick of it!. Thanks for tuning in to The Everything ECE.  See you next week! CONNECT WITH CARLA Email Newsletter: ⁠⁠Click Here⁠  Website: carlatheece.com Instagram: @carlatheece

  6. Sep 18

    #259: Building Self-Trust Through Journaling with Cheryl Sutherland

    In this episode of The Everything ECE Podcast, Carla sits down with Cheryl Sutherland, founder of PleaseNotes, for a conversation about journaling, self-trust, confidence, and learning to pay attention to what we actually need. Cheryl shares why she once considered herself a “journaling hater,” how journaling can help us recognize patterns and make clearer decisions, and why the words we use with ourselves matter more than we may realize. Carla and Cheryl also talk about the very real overwhelm educators carry, the pressure to be everything to everyone, and what can happen when we acknowledge that something isn’t working instead of continuing to push through it. And Carla makes a commitment during the episode: 30 days of journaling. Listen in, then join her for the experiment. Transcript CHERYL SUTHERLAND Cheryl Sutherland is a speaker, author, and founder of PleaseNotes, a Toronto-based personal growth brand offering guided journals, planners, and affirmation cards for confidence, clarity, and self-trust. She also works as a facilitator and mindfulness speaker for corporate clients, ERGs, and HR teams, with a background spanning banking, sales, and business coaching. She has run four successful Kickstarter campaigns and has been featured in Forbes, Fast Company, InStyle, HuffPost, CBC, and Inc. She is passionate about helping people build self-trust through journaling and reflection.  LINKS Website: PleaseNotes & cherylsutherland.com Instagram: PleaseNotes / Cheryl Sutherland TikTok: Cheryl Sutherland Affirmations in Abundance: Link MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE Tiny Experiments by Anne-Laure Le Cunff If You Want to Change the World, Start Off by Making Your Bed - William McRaven, US Navy Admiral SEE CHERYL LIVE Cheryl will be speaking at the ECE Entrepreneur Experience on November 14, 2026. www.carlatheece.com/ece-entrepreneur-experience  30 DAYS OF JOURNALING Carla is taking Cheryl’s advice and turning journaling into an experiment: 30 days of showing up and seeing what happens. Want to join her? Tag @carlatheece and Cheryl/PleaseNotes on Instagram so you can do the 30 days together. SUBSCRIBE & REVIEW If you loved this episode, please take a moment to subscribe and leave a review. Your support helps us reach more ECEs who are in the thick of it!. Thanks for tuning in to The Everything ECE.  See you next week! CONNECT WITH CARLA Email Newsletter: ⁠⁠Click Here⁠  Website: carlatheece.com Instagram: @carlatheece

  7. Sep 11

    #258: How to Have a Great Circle Time with Saira Remtulla

    In this episode of The Everything ECE Podcast, Carla Ward sits down with Saira Remtulla, Ontario Certified Teacher and founder of Connected Start, for a conversation about rethinking circle time in early learning. Circle time can be one of the most powerful opportunities for connection in an early learning program, but only when we’re clear about why we’re gathering in the first place. Carla and Saira talk about the difference between entertaining children and genuinely engaging them, why participation doesn’t always look like sitting still, the importance of flexibility and intentionality, and what can happen when circle time becomes less about getting through the plan and more about creating a shared experience. They also explore educator confidence, following children’s interests, the role of songs, rhymes and repetition, and why connection needs to come before content. Whether you love circle time, avoid it, or have been wondering if it still belongs in early learning, this conversation will have you thinking differently about what gathering together can be. SAIRA REMTULLA Saira Remtulla is an Ontario Certified Teacher with over 19 years of experience, specializing in early years education. Her work is grounded in fostering connection, creativity, and meaningful learning experiences for young children. As the Founder of Connected Start, Saira has developed joyful, hands-on programming for children from birth to age four, that sparks curiosity, supports emotional development, and lays the foundation for lifelong learning. Saira is committed to empowering early years centres with accessible, high-quality resources that enrich their programs and strengthen the communities they serve. LINKS Website: www.connectedstart.ca  Instagram: @connectedstart & @learnwithmssaira LinkedIn: Saira Remtulla SUBSCRIBE & REVIEW If you loved this episode, please take a moment to subscribe and leave a review. Your support helps us reach more ECEs who are in the thick of it!. Thanks for tuning in to The Everything ECE.  See you next week! CONNECT WITH CARLA Email Newsletter: ⁠⁠Click Here⁠  Website: carlatheece.com Instagram: @carlatheece

  8. Sep 8

    #257: Should We Still Use Food in Sensory Play? | Dear Carla

    After 34 years in the field, one educator has seen a lot of trends come and go, including the shift away from using food like rice, beans and pasta in sensory play. But with a growing understanding of sensory needs and regulation, is it time to reconsider? Or are there bigger questions about food, resources and respect that should still guide practice? In this Dear Carla episode, Carla responds to “Frustrated Foodie” and digs into food in sensory play, the rabbit hole of deciding which resources are okay to use, and why the better question might be: Why this material, for these children, at this moment? ASK CARLA Have a question? Ask here SUBSCRIBE & REVIEW If you loved this episode, please take a moment to subscribe and leave a review. Your support helps us reach more ECEs who are in the thick of it!. Thanks for tuning in to The Everything ECE.  See you next week! CONNECT WITH CARLA Email Newsletter: ⁠⁠Click Here⁠  Website: carlatheece.com Instagram: @carlatheece

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Ratings & Reviews

4.4
out of 5
17 Ratings

About

The Everything ECE Podcast is for early childhood educators, preschool teachers, and childcare professionals who want to grow intentionally and take meaningful action. Host Carla Ward shares real-life insights, expert interviews, and practical strategies to support your work in childcare centres, preschools, and kindergartens. From play-based learning to leadership, each episode helps you stay inspired, confident, and connected to your purpose.

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