Let's ENJOY
early learning &
play again...
Stop dreading all the paperwork you have to do so you can
get back to the children and doing what you love.
Somedays, does it feel like your only option to stay sane is to get out of Early Childhood?
Let's face it ….
The pay comes in at just slightly more than a jar of Nutella next to that bottle of wine from the shelf on the bottom that had cobwebs growing under it.
You have no patience left when it comes time to actually parent your own kids.
Your Sunday afternoon is spent writing a program of activities that looks good displayed on the wall but in all reality you are only going to get the time to do 1 or 2 of those exquisitely planned gems of early childhood learning because you are going to spend too much time cleaning toilets, emptying rubbish, filling in paperwork and attending meetings out of hours.
You are an experienced educator who enjoys learning new skills but you feel frustrated trying to find ways to turn the templates, programs and assessments you use into a process that doesn’t require you to give up nights and weekends with your own family.
So you can see why it's easy to fall into the trap of thinking you're just not good enough.
But guess what? It’s not your fault -
you’re not actually inadequate and neither are you alone.
Every educator should have the right to ask for helpful feedback & guidance and be able to explore simpler (yet still best practice) ways to do their job….without the ‘you should know that’ looks.
Which is why you need the tools and resources to help you get through all those child observations, assessment visits, room setups, forward planning notes, program writing and reflections at lightning speed.
That time you save enables you to once again focus on engaging with the children and encouraging playful learning...the part of the job you love.
Presenting...
The Academy For Empowered Educators
Member Hub is the most comprehensive, empowering, on-demand professional development resource and training solution of it's kind, specifically created for early Childhood Educators all over the world who want to make their job not only easier but more fulfilling!
Educators access the community support and tools they need inside Member Hub to help them arrive at work each day feeling motivated and confident….instead of letting all the unimportant things like a poopy pants incident, pockets filled with snotty tissues, red handprints on the shorts (that will probably have to be explained yet again to some stranger at the shops after work) and writing this week’s program overwhelm them.
When you join this online resource hub and community created for early childhood educators just like you, you will be able to….
What are other educators saying
about their time with The Academy?
What will you have immediate
access to today?
Everything you need as an early childhood educator to stop stressing about paperwork, documentation and showing evidence of linking to learning outcomes - without the jargon, judgement or hours of writing instead of play!
Plans and Programs
Done for you Program Planners that will give you:
Play Based
Activity Ideas
Simple Activity Guides that will
give you;
Training Video Library
Quick win training videos that will...
E-Book & E-Guide Collection
A comprehensive collection of e-books that will...
Regular Workshops
1 - 2 hour live training workshops that offer...
Planning Templates & Play Printables
A collection of templates & printables that give you...
Time Management Tools
Factsheets, forms, training & guides that will make sure you...
Learning Environment Inspiration
An ever-evolving member photo gallery of setups to...
Networking
What are other educators saying
about their time with The Academy?
How will the Academy make my planning easier?
Program Planners, Activity Guides, Forward Planning, Communication, Reflection, Observation Templates and learning environment inspiration all come together to create a time-saving process and framework to follow that not only helps you spend less time on paperwork but also guides you towards a better understanding of the planning cycle and how to use documentation meaningfully and efficiently - banishing wasted time, unnecessary writing and outside hours admin!!
Choose a Planner
Choose Activity Guides
Environment & Materials
Play, Observe & Reflect
Analyse & Extend Learning
Save Documents or Print
What are other educators saying
about their time with the Academy?
What else will having access to all of the training & resources inside do for me?
Provide Regular Training
Login & watch short toolbox training videos that will give you simple steps to take action or save time. Watch on your computer or device when it suits you. Download training certificates
Help You Network & Connect
Join the private Facebook group to ask Jodie & other members questions, meet new friends and share ideas and support without the judgement or condescending comments
Explain Early Childhood Basics & Essentials
Gain access to the entire collection of popular Empowered Ed Simple Series E-books, toolkit training sessions and printable guides. All the essentials explained simply!
Give You Play-Based Programs
Ditch the overwhelm when you choose from the library of completed program plans already linked to matching activity guides and learning outcomes. Or choose from our blank templates and add activities from our ideas library to personalise your plans.
Give You Activity Ideas
You will never be short of an activity idea, invitation to play or DIY resource again when you can access the library of 100's of activity guides and select those from a specific learning area focus.
Show You How To Get Organised
Download tools & watch training that will help you get on top of basic administration, paperwork, staffing, accounts, policies, portfolios & marketing.
You can choose a Month-to-Month or Annual Hub Membership*
*You can choose to cancel your recurring monthly or annual subscription payments at anytime before your next scheduled payment is due. No explanations required. You are always in control of your payments
Why Did I Feel The Need To Create The Academy?
Because I'm just like you and I've thought about leaving this educator gig too. Actually, I did.
I'd had enough and just couldn't do it anymore. I went back to uni again, got a degree in social work and human services and loved the career change. But I missed the children....missed setting up play experiences....missed feeling like I was making a difference in the early years of a child's life.
But I didn't miss the planning overwhelm, the working on my weekends, the lack of support, the staff cliques, the weekend workshops, the unpaid staff meetings, the uncertainty of knowing if I was doing everything right.
So I decided to come back to early childhood... but this time I was going to do it my way - I was going to embrace different and throw the 'know it alls' into that nappy bin that no one ever wants to empty.
I was going to simplify while still being excellent at my job. I was going to be assertive. And I was going to share this vision with other educators like me.
And let me tell you that it's been working out pretty darn well. But I wanted to do more in the online world, I wanted to create a space where you could feel like this too...no matter your role or where you live. And that’s WHY Member Hub is here.What do current members say after joining?
Is this your space to belong, to be inspired, to get answers to your questions, to become more confident and less stressed as an Educator?
The Empowered Ed Member Hub has been created especially for early years educators who recognise the importance of play-based learning and want to access the support, guidance and tools to help them create playful environments & active learning experiences without the overwhelm or over the top documentation.
Academy content is suitable for those educators in the following roles:
- Family Day Care Educators, Coordinators & Mentors, Educational Leaders
- Pre-School & Kindergarten Teachers
- Home Daycare Owners
- Centre-based early childhood teachers
- Outside School Hours Care Educators & Leaders
- Head Start Teachers
- Early learning Centres - Leaders, Assistants, Directors.
- Home Educators
- Early Childhood Students - Certificate, Diploma, Bachelor
- Occasional Care Centre Educators & Playgroup Facilitators
Every month there are new tools & training for you to use...
What makes the Academy different?
This is a virtual Empowered Ed Community that gives students and educators not only the tools and training to increase their skills, better understand the basics and save time meeting planning requirements.... It also offers a safe space to feel less isolated, to connect with other educators from around the world and to share ideas.
The difference comes down to an acknowledgement that this role is challenging, not often recognised for its importance and yes, sometimes overwhelming, but becoming a member of the Empowered Ed Hub will change all that as we come together as a community of professionals.
I want to join as a team
If your early learning service, coordinator, director, school or administrator has professional development funding set aside for your role or you would like to give more than 1 educator access to member hub please click here for more information about our 'Hub Groups' Option.
What makes the Academy Professional Development Portal essential for early childhood educators like you?
Everything in One Place
You need different resources at different times and you are busy so you need them quickly! We get that and it's why all you need to do is login online and all training videos, programs, activity guides and printables are right there at your fingertips- just choose and go!
Simple Plan & Activity Ideas
Planning and documentation is often a source of overwhelm but they don't need to be confusing or complicated! You will save so much time when you can access program planners already completed with activities & linked to learning outcomes.
I Walk the Talk
I share what I know is helpful because I have most likely walked in similar shoes to yours over the past 30 years. I know what it's like to be a student, an assistant, a room leader, a coordinator, FDC educator, a director....so the training and tools in the hub come from REAL experience. I know what works...and what doesn’t.
Regular Workshops
Forget about paying for single training workshops. Members not only have access to a collection of short training videos - you also receive a seat at any live presentations and on demand ‘watch the replay anytime you want’ access as part of your monthly or annual member fee.Of course personalised professional development certificates, slide guides and MP3 audio also accompany every workshop.
Playful Learning
Planning Focus
All materials, ebooks, training, planners and activity guides have been developed with a play based learning focus at the core. The outside environment is also recognised as an important learning space & included throughout content.
Cancel Membership Anytime
I have no doubt that you are going to find the Empowered Ed Member Hub worth every cent of your monthly subscription when you see how much time and stress it saves you, but if for any reason you decide to leave you can cancel your membership at any time. No hidden fees!
Playful Activities Sneak Peak
Online Training Sneak Peak
So, The Academy Looks Like A Good Option For Me….
But….I need my questions answered first.
I hear you, an empowered educator is an informed educator and that’s why I’ve compiled a list of the questions that other savvy educators ask before joining Member Hub... Simply click on the questions below to reveal the answers you need.
YES. I know many educators still prefer to print, write and file rather than use a computer or device so I've spent a lot of time making sure the member hub is easy to use and the resources are a simple click to download to your own computer.
Then you can just print if you prefer to work in hard copies. If you love to work on the computer or device and save on ink and paper then you are also covered! You can save the plans and activity guides then just type into the documents and save, email or upload to the cloud. All you need is an internet connection to log in to your member homepage.
Definitely not! The Member Hub has a play-based learning focus and although there are more structured factsheets and tools for educators to use for your own professional development the printables, activity guides and plans have been created to ensure children become active and engaged participants in their own learning.
Think of the printables as simply tools to invite learning and play - not 'how they must play' or boxes to check off! My aim is to help you find ways to encourage learning through play - whether that is in an outdoor or indoor environment, a centre or home-based environment.
No! That would go against everything I want the Member Hub to be for educators. The idea is you take what you need each week - that might be a plan or an activity idea, perhaps a 15-minute training video on something you are struggling with or maybe it's a checklist to print with aim of helping you organise your observations. There is absolutely no need to login everyday and do everything all of the time. You can combine the resources in the hub with what you are already using - whether that is in paper form or online with an app to make everything less time consuming for you.
Because there will be new training videos, webinars, weekly plans, activity guides, ebooks and printables added to the hub every single month! What other educators have to pay separately for which can quickly add up - you will have access to anytime for just one low payment each month! You will also have access to training not available outside of the hub.
You could definitely try and that is certainly an option if you feel you are getting all that you need from surfing educational websites, reading books and interacting in huge Facebook groups to download bits and pieces of free stuff you then have to figure out how to use. I certainly don't want you to purchase something you don't need -that is just wasting my time and yours so I want to make sure you make an informed decision.
But going on the emails and private messages I receive everyday, the majority of early years educators have very little time to spare and are already feeling overstretched with a work/life balance that is just not sustainable anymore.
By joining the Member Hub you can forget about endless hours searching for that template, activity idea or answer to your question - it's all there in the one place now and you can simply log in when it suits you, download what you need, ask a question, talk to other educators or watch a training video and download your personalised certificate. I'm confident the hub is worth your time and money because I know I have already helped thousands of educators just like you over the past 8 years online with my resources and back to basics style.
Definitely! I regularly have educators and parents from around the world buy my resources, attend my webinars, watch my online course videos and join my Facebook community so no matter where you work you will find value and help for your role in the Member Hub. There are references, links and resources for Australian educators to make working with the Early Years Learning Framework easier but I have made sure to link all activities, plans and videos to general learning areas and current approaches common to all early childhood professionals.
I’ve been sharing play-based activities, programming strategies, tips for family day care educators, ideas for outdoor play & environments and more on my website since 2010 so I know a little bit about connecting with early years educators and leaders.
I've also been developing and selling resources that save educators time and help them understand the basics for the past 6 years so I'm confident my work connects with educators just like you. The Member Hub includes the same type of content and the down to earth approach I have been sharing for many years online. My ideas, tips and tools have been used by educators around the world - for many different early childhood roles.
I value the level of trust and reputation for helpful resources and advice I have built with fellow educators through my website and social media pages so I am definitely not about making over the top promises to you that I can't keep just to make money.
If you need to know more about me though before you decide if Member Hub is for you why not visit my website, my Facebook page with over 45,000 followers, my Empowered Ed community group with over 18,000 members, my Pinterest page with over 65,000 followers. I'm pretty sure that many people can't be wrong about my support, ideas and reputation.
The wonderful part about becoming a member is that you’ll be learning not only from me, but from other empowered ed's who’ve already simplified their programming, become more organised, developed systems that allow them to now spend more time with the children in their care and ultimately know firsthand that there IS a way to get their mojo back and love their work again. I can't wait for you to get there with us.
What are other educators saying
about their time with the Academy?
Hi Empowered Ed's...
I'm Jodie and I have had 30 years hands on experience in the early childhood profession and already supported and mentored thousands of educators with their work through my popular website The Empowered Educator and practical blog posts, activity ideas, factsheets, free e-guides, online training, Facebook Community, webinars and e-books.
I have worked in many different roles across the family services and early childhood professions including Case Manager, Project Officer, FDC Coordinator and educator, Occasional Care, Outside School Hours Care, Family Support Manager, IHC Coordinator, Room Leader, Director, Assistant in centre based care and training facilitator to name just a few so it's likely I have already walked in similar shoes to your own.
I know what is helpful to educators because I am one too. I hope to meet you soon...
Have you spent money on expensive consultants, training sessions, apps, books and more over the years as you try to get your enthusiasm back and wrap your head around all the paperwork requirements?
Yes? Me too, but it was truly a lightbulb moment when I realised that those things provided ‘some’ of the answers but what I really needed was structure, peer support, simplified planning options, empowerment and to lose the feeling of guilt and judgement that always seemed to be present because I dared to look for easier ways of doing the essentials.
The Academy will work for you even if:
What are other educators saying?
If I Can Do This So Can You.
I want to let you know something Empowered Ed's…
I’m not extra special.
Not better than you.
I’ve never had access to exclusive consultants, ‘easy’ groups of children, unlimited time or fancy resources.
Through trial and error I created simple tools and systems that made work easier for me based on over 30 years practical, hands-on (often tearful) experiences in early childhood across a variety of roles.
Here’s the thing. You don’t need to be an expert or love paperwork – that’s not me either... so if I can do this, so can you.
You just need a pathway to follow and the tools Member Hub gives you... and let’s not forget the importance of a little personalised support without fear of judgement.
Look, you work really hard and this was your calling, if something for less than the cost of a dinner out per month can make you finally fall back in love with your job again and actually get you back spending time with your own family outside of work hours...isn’t it all worth it?
See you in there….
What are other educators saying
about their time with the Academy?
