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In early childhood education, curiosity is a foundational skill to build safety and connection. Certainty rather than curiosity can feel efficient, but it often costs us connection. Because, when we become certain — “He’s doing this on purpose.” “She’s manipulative.” “That family doesn’t care.” — we stop seeing what’s actually happening. Curiosity, on the other hand, keeps us aligned to what we know to be true: behaviour is communication. Children use behaviour to express ne

Psychosocial risk management is not just a wellbeing initiative. It is part of an organisation’s work health and safety responsibilities, with clear and prescriptive Regulations in all jurisdictions in Australia. Unmanaged psychosocial risks can result in improvement or prohibition notices, enforceable undertakings or prosecution. But this does not need to be another compliance burden added to an already long list. Done well, psychosocial risk management can help create the

Many services I work with seek support for children who are exhibiting behaviours that educators find challenging, and at times unsafe for themselves, other children, and adults around them. Often, teams are understandably hoping for strategies that will be immediately effective — approaches that will quickly change behaviour and help children develop self-regulation skills in a short space of time. However, the reality is far more complex. When educators are repeatedly respo

There’s a noticeable shift that happens in a team when curiosity becomes the default. Conversations shift to seeking understanding, possibilities and opportunities. Curiosity isn’t just a communication and connection style – it’s a positive culture-builder. It signals that I’m open and I’m listening . In early learning settings (and in any workplace), this is a foundational element of positive organisational culture. Brené Brown describes curiosity as something we choose when

A few months ago, I wrote about the importance of cultivating compassionate learning communities. At the time, my focus was on how...

I recently had the privilege of attending the International Positive Psychology Association (IPPA) World Congress in Brisbane, and I’ve...