Donnas deep respect for children comes through in this interview as she discusses the importance of being honest, and open when answering the questions of children. No only to establish a relationship of respect but also to acknowledge the big world questions the children do have and do want answers to.

She reflects on the agency of the child and how begin conscious and open to the childs queries not only allows them emotional space to move freely in their thoughts but also encourages other staff to do similar and move along the same journey.

Donna is a wealth of knowledge and her understanding of the Aboriginal history and its place in the classroom is both refreshing and enlightening and a big win for the child.

Narelle talks about her journey and the insights learnt in connecting with the local community, the challenges and the rewards of persistence, genuine reflection and the importance of listening when seeking those connections.

Episode 3's guest on Educator Yarns is Sue Motley, Director of Armidale Community Preschool located on Anewan country in NSW’s New England Tableland.

Sue shares with Jessica her extensive journey in embedding Aboriginal perspectives beginning with her visit and subsequent teacher exchange program with educators from Fitzroy Crossing in WA, along with her nature pedagogy network, Nature Play Conference and her discoveries on just how deeply country informs and connects us all.

In Episode 4 of Educator Yarns, Jessica speaks with Alix Hill, an early childhood educator on Wurundjeri Land in Sunbury Victoria.

Alix reflects on the navigation of inbuilt fears, common misunderstandings and an eventual realisation of obligation which lead to the creation of her teams Reconciliation Action Plan. This began a journey of a deeper more truthful embedding of Aboriginal Perspectives into their service.

From their first moment during their Certificate 3 through to the engagement of staff and community, Alix reflects on the navigation of inbuilt fears, common misunderstandings and an eventual realisation of obligation, they and the staff went through as they created their Reconciliation Action Plan, and began the journey of a deeper more truthful embedding of Aboriginal Perspectives into their service.

In episode 5 of Educator Yarns, Jessica speaks with Casey Goodman, from Wurundjeri Land in Brunswick Melbourne.

Casey discusses her journey as Aboriginal Program leader across several services where she has shared her own passions and ideas of how to respectfully and meaningfully embed Aboriginal perspectives. Casey generously shares some of the challenges and celebrations on bringing other staff on the same journey.

Drawing heavily upon her belief in community, Casey details how she began to engage with local groups, and organisations while taking her time to build strong relationships. She reflects on her own journey and the journey of others as she learnt to understand and respect the different paces of her colleagues, recognising the importance of  the collective community, whether it be with staff, children, families or the broader community.

In episode 6 of Educator Yarns, Jessica speaks with Marnie Omeragic, Director on Wangal Land in Sydney’s Concord West.

Over the past several years Marnie and her team have worked towards embedding Aboriginal perspectives and creating a greater connection to Country. Marnie has seen their efforts transform their service from a place wanting to acknowledge and respect local Aboriginal culture to becoming a place of cultural safety for local Aboriginal families and community.

In this interview Marnie talks about slowing her practice down, cultivating lasting and meaningful relationships amongst the community and what it means to her and her team to work in partnership. A partnership with not only her, the families and her community, but a partnership with the land on which they stand.

In episode 7 of Educator Yarns, Jessica speaks with Marnie Omeragic, Director on Wangal Land in Sydney’s Concord West.

Over the past several years Marnie and her team have worked towards embedding Aboriginal perspectives and creating a greater connection to Country. Marnie has seen their efforts transform their service from a place wanting to acknowledge and respect local Aboriginal culture to becoming a place of cultural safety for local Aboriginal families and community.

In this interview Marnie talks about slowing her practice down, cultivating lasting and meaningful relationships amongst the community and what it means to her and her team to work in partnership. A partnership with not only her, the families and her community, but a partnership with the land on which they stand.

Today on Educator Yarns, Jessica Staines speaks with Mica Corscadden. Educator at Harrietville Bush Kinder on Dhudhuroa land in Victoria

Mica talks about how her passion for country and nature lead her on a journey to connect with local community. Mica yarns about how she engaged the community in consultation to ensure authenticity and respect.

In this episode, Jess Staines speaks with Alicia Hansen, a Menang Woman of WA country currently residing in Victoria where she works as an Indigenous Preschool advancement strategy facilitator across 83 different centres.

Alicia talks about the importance of creating a welcoming and culturally safe service when facilitating Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander enrolments. Jess and Alicia also reflect on their face to face work with educators as they seek to build relationships with their local Aboriginal community.

In this episode of Educator Yarns, Jess speaks with Bandjalang resident Cath Gillespie, educator and Director at Evans Head Preschool.

Cath discusses the efforts that are made within the centre to allow children to connect with Country. Cath reflects on how this has created a deeper connection to the local Aboriginal community and has seen not only an increase in Aboriginal staff, but also in the knowledge that has been shared with the children from this community.

In this episode of Educator Yarns, Jessica is joined by Linda Price from Kinglake Ranges Children’s Centre on Taungurung land in Victoria

Linda reflects on how drawing upon her own passion and understanding of seasons from her home in New Zealand equipped her to use the local Taungurung seasons to embed a deeper connection to local Aboriginal culture in her curriculum.

In this episode of Educator Yarns, Jessica speaks with Cassie Davis from Penrose Kindergarten Tarneit, Melbourne. Part of the Wyndham City Council of the Kulin Nations.

Cassie talks about how her trip and time spent within the community of the Torres Strait Islands informed her passion and desire to embed a richer narrative of their culture within her centre and pedagogical practices. This cultural immersion experience sparked a deeper understanding of custodianship and sustainable practices within the service.

In this episode of Educator Yarns, Jess speaks with Anne Marie about her career in Early Childhood and the importance of building relationships when embedding Aboriginal perspectives in curriculums.

Anne Marie considers her career and how through relationships she came to understand and respond to the importance of ethical decision making. She discusses her efforts in the support of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander business and ethical procurement practices.

On Educator Yarns today Jessica speaks with Eliza, an educator working with under threes on Wurundjeri country in the Yarra Valley

Eliza speaks specifically about how she began her journey into this often overlooked age group and ways she found using language and visuals to meaningfully connect children in a respectful manner to the Aboriginal Community that surrounds her service.

In this episode, Jessica speaks with Kelly and Rhi, about their work in  embedding Aboriginal pedagogy within their practice with children who have additional learning needs

Drawing upon their own lives, family and educational experiences, they speak about the benefits of Country, and the importance of exposing children to the support of country. Kelly and Rhi discuss the importance of culture and the need to advocate for the culture of those that can’t advocate for themselves.

This episode's guest is Primary School Teacher and Author Cathy Hope to talk about her work and study into string figures and string games.

Drawing upon her wealth of knowledge and research , Cathy talks about the universal use of string figures in many first nations communities around the world but specifically how the use and similarities of the string figure designs are found and identified across many Aboriginal communities Australia wide. Celebrating how important these processes and designs were to not only play but build and design, Cathy talks about their significance and the role they play in identity and history.

In this episode of Educator Yarns, Jessica speaks with New Zealand educator Nicky and her experiences as a linguist and sign language interpreter within the Australian education system and Aboriginal communities

Nicky speaks in detail about Two-Way Learning and the process’ by which children and educators are considered both teachers and students on equal footing. She also discusses the importance and empowerment of the child being able to share their own cultural knowledge and how her own New Zealand educational upbringing has informed her work both as a teacher and an avid advocate for first nations language.

In this episode of Educator Yarns, Jessica Speaks with Rebecca Burch, educator and leader at Pottsville Community Preschool located on the Bundjalung Nation, Tweed Shire, Northern NSW.

Rebecca discusses her Nature Explorers program which provides nature-based learning to not only the children of her service but to the broader community as well. She talks passionately about using nature as her catalyst for learning as well as the educational value found in nature enquiry and of course the power of Dadirri, a deeper more spiritual connection to Country.