The Resource Table: Early Childhood Conversations Across Ontario

di Early Childhood Resource Consultant Network of Ontario

Stagione 1

Welcome to The Resource Table: Early Childhood Inclusion Conversations Across Ontario

Sheri Jones, Central Region Director, introduces The Resource Table: Early Childhood Conversations Across Ontario, a podcast created by the Early Childhood Resource Consultant Network of Ontario (ECRCNO) to spotlight the often behind-the-scenes work of resource consultants and inclusion professionals. The podcast offers honest dialogue about inclusion, participation, belonging, and the realities of supporting children, families, educators, and communities amid evolving systems in Ontario’s early learning sector. Episodes will explore inclusion practices, responsive service delivery, educator collaboration, participation-focused approaches, professional growth, reflective practice, and changes within the network, led by ECRCNO board members and featuring voices from membership and other inclusion leaders. Sherri invites listeners to join ECRCNO for province-wide connection and learning at ecrcno.ca and to share the podcast with colleagues. 00:00 Welcome to the Podcast 01:17 Why Inclusion Work Matters 02:08 Creating a Space for Consultants 02:47 Who the Podcast Is For 03:37 What Episodes Will Cover 03:57 Voices and Format 04:41 Community and Closing Welcome 05:21 Join the ECRCNO Network 05:59 Final Thanks and Share

S1 · E1

24 mag 2026

6:25

Building Inclusive Culture: Moving Beyond the Classroom

Amelia Rupsys, President of the Early Childhood Resource Consultant Network of Ontario (ECRCNO), discusses how inclusion often becomes siloed in resource consulting through child-specific, classroom-by-classroom referrals, and argues for shifting engagement to program-level conversations that build shared responsibility across an entire center. She emphasizes an environmental lens that adapts spaces, routines, and expectations so all children can participate across every area, including outdoor and common spaces, and encourages centers to map internal assets such as staff expertise, relationships, and practical supports already available. Amelia highlights the need to move from isolated strategies to durable systems (e.g., shared routines and simple reference tools) so inclusion is consistent even with supply staff and transitions, aligning with universal design. She closes with reflective questions and invites Ontario inclusion professionals to join ECRCNO at ecrcno.ca. 00:00 Welcome and Purpose 01:32 Breaking Out of Silos 02:44 Shared Responsibility in Practice 03:45 The Environmental Lens 05:24 Finding Assets Within 07:09 From Strategies to Systems 08:36 Universal Design Foundation 09:45 Reflection Questions 10:55 Closing Thoughts and Thanks 11:45 Join the Network

S1 · E2

24 mag 2026

13:07

Universal Strategies vs. Targeted Supports: Making Inclusive Program Planning Feel Lighter

Universal Strategies and Targeted Supports: One Inclusive Plan in Early Childhood Classrooms The current Director of Website and Social Media at the ECRCNO hosts an episode of The Resource Table: Early Childhood Conversations Across Ontario (ECRCNO) on how universal strategies and targeted supports connect in inclusive classrooms, arguing that multiple individual program plans often reflect one cohesive approach. She defines universal strategies as routines and environmental supports designed for all children (e.g., predictable routines, visual supports, modeling language, offering choices, accessible materials) and targeted supports as the intentional, focused use of those same strategies for specific child goals. Reflective Questions for Educators What universal strategies are already in place that could be named and strengthened? How are targeted supports being introduced? Do they feel like extra work or a focused use of what's already happening? Where do you help educators see patterns across multiple plans? How might the shift in thinking change the way you approach conversations, coaching, or collaboration? 00:00 Big Inclusion Questions 01:08 Meet Tracy Sherriff 02:21 Universal Versus Targeted 04:10 Four Coaching Strategies 04:48 Strategy One Name Wins 05:36 Strategy Two Focused Use 06:15 Strategy Three Connect Plans 07:13 Strategy Four Participation 08:02 Key Takeaways Reflect 10:05 Wrap Up And Invitation

S1 · E3

24 mag 2026

11:23

Listening First: Strength-Based Partnerships with Families

Families as Partners: Listening, Curiosity, and Strength-Based Collaboration in Early Learning In this episode of The Resource Table: Early Childhood Conversations Across Ontario, Cathy, ECRCNO Director of the North Eastern Region focuses on shifting early learning practice from seeing families as obstacles to treating them as true partners through listening, curiosity, and respect. The host explains how resource consultants coach educators to move from reacting to reflective listening, withholding judgment, and asking open-ended questions. Two stories illustrate how assumptions damage relationships: staff misread a child’s worn clothes as financial hardship, and a “negative” grandmother was actually an exhausted night-shift nurse coping with early pickup calls and tablet transitions; once her context was understood, a collaborative plan improved routines and healed trust. The episode highlights the emotional weight families carry in case conferences and offers strategies such as strength-based communication, sharing small wins, non-judgmental language, normalizing challenges, and flexibility, plus an invitation to join the Early Childhood Resource Consultant Network of Ontario (ecrcno.ca). 00:00 Families As Partners 02:11 From Reacting To Listening 03:02 Assumptions And Clothing 05:13 Grandma Story Behind Behavior 09:19 Case Conferences With Empathy 11:25 Coaching Partnership Strategies 12:49 Reflection Questions 13:20 Closing And Network Invite

S1 · E4

29 mag 2026

15:17

Supporting Educators When Behaviour Feels Challenging: Connection and Co-Regulation

Michelle, a resource consultant and Western region director on the ECRCNO board, discusses relationships, connection, and responding to children’s needs in challenging moments. She describes how children move between exploring and returning for safety and connection, and encourages educators to stay curious and view behavior as communication (e.g., aggression as overwhelm, clinginess as a need for reassurance, refusal as independence/control). When children resist support and escalate, she suggests “being with” them—staying calm, nearby, and available without pressure—rather than rushing to fix the moment, emphasizing co-regulation and resilience-building. She offers reflection questions for educators about how they respond, how to offer support children can receive, and how to stay present. The episode closes with an invitation for Ontario resource consultants to join ECRCNO at ecrcno.ca. 00:00 Why Support Backfires 01:51 The Explore and Return Cycle 03:11 Behavior as Communication 04:06 When Comfort Escalates 04:47 Being With as Secure Base 06:03 Inside Out and Co-Regulation 07:40 Reflective Questions for Educators 08:40 Closing and ECRCNO Invitation

S1 · E5

29 mag 2026

10:11

Looking Beneath Behaviour: Co-Regulation and the Five Domains of Self-Regulation

In this episode of The Resource Table (ECRCNO), Sheri, current Director of the Central Region explores self-regulation, co-regulation, and behavior in Ontario’s early years settings, emphasizing a shift from stopping behavior to understanding the stress and internal experiences driving it. Drawing on Dr. Stuart Shanker’s five domains - biological, emotional, cognitive, social, and pro-social, the conversation frames behavior as communication and clarifies that self-regulation is not compliance and can fluctuate for children and adults. The episode highlights co-regulation as the foundation of self-regulation and stresses. connection before correction regulation before reasoning safety before problem-solving Sheri notes that educator regulation and well-being are essential when supporting children with developing self-regulation skills. She outlines supportive adjustments such as reducing sensory demands, using visuals and predictable routines, simplifying instructions, offering movement breaks, and scaffolding social experiences. The episode closes with an invitation for Ontario resource consultants to join ECRCNO at ecrcno.ca. 00:00 Welcome and Topic 01:41 Look Beneath Behavior 03:03 What Self Regulation Means 04:30 Co Regulation Foundations 06:07 Behavior as Communication 07:52 Five Domains Overview 08:09 Biological Stressors 09:42 Emotional Domain and Adult Wellbeing 11:19 Cognitive Overload Supports 12:32 Social and Pro Social Skills 14:43 Shifting Practice and Key Takeaways 17:12 Closing and Membership Invite

S1 · E6

29 mag 2026

19:12

When Strategies Don’t Work: Supporting Educators Through Complex Change

This episode has Amelia Rupsys, current president of the ECRCNO explores why early childhood strategies sometimes fail and how consultants can better support educator teams through change without oversimplifying it. It introduces the Lippitt-Knoster model, which says successful change needs vision, skills, incentives, resources, and an action plan, with missing elements showing up as confusion, anxiety, resistance, frustration, or false starts. An example of persistent peer conflict shows how a room’s physical layout undermined a plan, shifting “resistance” into communication about environmental barriers. The script emphasizes curiosity-driven consultation, asking what feels difficult and what’s realistic, using invited modeling to make strategies concrete, and creating simple action plans with clear responsibilities. It also notes leadership and supervisory framing can affect implementation and highlights consultants’ ethical accountability to children’s safety, dignity, and belonging. The episode closes with an invitation for Ontario resource consultants to join ECRCNO at ecrcno.ca. 00:00 Why Strategies Fail 00:54 Change Is Personal 01:28 Lippitt Knoster Model 02:49 Diagnosing Pushback 03:12 Room Layout Example 04:58 Pushback As Communication 05:32 Consult With Curiosity 06:22 Modeling In Practice 07:10 Simple Action Plans 08:50 Systems And Leadership 09:16 Ethics And Accountability 10:34 Reflection And Wrap Up

S1 · E7

29 mag 2026

11:42

Beyond the Apology: Understanding Relational Repair in Early Childhood

In this episode, Julie explores a phrase that echoes through early learning environments every day: "Say sorry." While apologies are often well-intentioned, Julie invites listeners to look beyond the automatic response and consider a deeper question: What are children actually learning in these moments? Through a neurodiversity-informed and trauma-informed lens, Julie examines the difference between compliance and connection, highlighting how meaningful relational repair helps children develop empathy, accountability, perspective-taking, emotional awareness, and a sense of belonging. She challenges educators to move beyond assumptions such as "they know better" and instead explore the skills, understanding, and support children may still need. This thoughtful conversation offers practical strategies for supporting authentic repair in early learning environments while encouraging educators to reflect on their own relationship with apologies and conflict. The episode closes with an invitation for Ontario resource consultants to join ECRCNO at ecrcno.ca. Resources Mentioned Early Childhood Resource Consultant Network of Ontario (ECRCNO) Connect with ECRCNO If you're a Resource Consultant, Inclusion Facilitator, or inclusion professional supporting children and families across Ontario, consider becoming a member of the Early Childhood Resource Consultant Network of Ontario. Membership provides opportunities for professional learning, collaboration, networking, and connection with colleagues across the province. Learn more at: ECRCNO

S1 · E8

12 giu 2026

13:20

Building Strong Educator Teams Through Inclusion, Teamwork, and Everyday Leadership

In this episode of The Resource Table: Early Childhood Conversations Across Ontario from ECRCNO, board member Cathy Courville discusses the growing request for consultants to support not only children but also educator teams in childcare centres where staff conflict is affecting program quality. She focuses on inclusion, teamwork, and leadership within educator teams, emphasizing that how adults treat each other shapes the climate children experience. Inclusion is described as an adult experience shown through everyday actions like greetings, being invited into decisions, and feeling safe to share struggles, while exclusion can appear through inside jokes, sarcasm, assumptions, or being left out of group chats. Teamwork is framed as relational and emotional work, including co-regulation, respectful conflict repair, curiosity, and staying focused on children. Leadership is presented as a behavior, not a title, modeled through calm, support, honesty, and kindness, and listeners are invited to take small actions to strengthen team relationships. The episode closes with an invitation for resource consultants and inclusion professionals to join ECRCNO at ecrcno.ca. 00:00 Why Teams Struggle 00:40 Episode Welcome 01:15 Consultant Perspective 02:28 Inclusion Within Teams 03:45 Everyday Exclusion Signs 04:58 Teamwork Beyond Tasks 05:50 Co-Regulation and Conflict Repair 06:54 Leadership Is a Behavior 08:30 Reflect and Take Action 09:06 Closing Thoughts 10:27 Membership Invitation

S1 · E9

8 set 2026

11:35