In Season 5 of Educator Yarns, host Jess Staines, Director of Koori Curriculum, is joined by Bec Burch, founder of Bush Kindy Australia.

Together, they explore the fascinating intersection between Aboriginal perspectives, nature play, and sustainability in early childhood education. This thoughtful conversation delves into common misconceptions held by educators, highlighting that while these three areas overlap, they remain distinct educational focuses requiring intentional integration.

Bec shares her wealth of experience in establishing nature-based learning programs across Australia, whilst Jess offers invaluable insights into meaningful Aboriginal cultural integration beyond superficial activities.

This episode sets the foundation for a season dedicated to helping educators move beyond "just sticks and stones" towards deeper, more authentic engagement with both nature and Aboriginal cultural perspectives.

In this enlightening episode of Educator Yarns, we sit down with Aaron Johnston, recipient of the Primary School Teacher of The Year Award at the Koori Curriculum Educator Awards in 2024.

Aaron, an Assistant Principal at a K-6 school on the Central Coast of NSW (Darkinjung Country), shares his profound journey of becoming an active ally for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander education. From his awakening during the Black Lives Matter movement to supporting a student discovering their Aboriginal heritage, Aaron candidly discusses how his ignorance transformed into passionate advocacy.

As the leader of his school's Aboriginal Education team, creator of Mr. J's Learning Space on social media, and co-host of the Teacher Takeaway podcast, Aaron demonstrates how educators can authentically embed First Nations perspectives in their pedagogy and influence their communities.

This conversation offers practical insights for early childhood educators seeking to begin or deepen their journey of embedding Aboriginal perspectives in their teaching practice.

In this enlightening episode of Educator Yarns, host Jess Staines is joined by Bec Burch, founder of Bush Kindy Australia, to explore the powerful intersection between Aboriginal perspectives and sustainability practices in early childhood education.

Together, they unpack the seven Rs of sustainability—rethink, refuse, reduce, reuse, repair, regift, and recycle—and how these principles can guide educators in teaching children to become mindful custodians of Country.

This conversation delves deep into practical strategies for moving away from wasteful classroom practices towards more meaningful, culturally respectful approaches that honour Aboriginal connections to land.

Bec and Jess share inspiring examples of how natural materials can become rich learning resources, the importance of ethical procurement that supports Aboriginal businesses, and how educators can critically reflect on their environmental impact in ways that respect the traditional owners of the land on which centres operate.