The Direction of 2025 for BHE
Welcome to Season 4 of the Big Hearted Podcast and the beginning of an inspiring 2025!
In this first episode of the year, we take a reflective look through what’s to come for Big Hearted Education, with an overarching focus on slowing down and swinging the pendulum back to a simpler, more intentional way of working and living.
What You’ll Hear in This Episode Slowing Down for 2025 Exploring the concept of "swinging the pendulum back" and simplifying our work with children. Why less is more: prioritising presence and connection over busyness and comparison. How stress impacts relationships—especially with the children we work with—and how to create calm, joyful spaces.
A Journey of Connection and Inspiration as I briefly touch on my solo travel adventure across Canada, the US, and Mexico, meeting inspiring educators, attending workshops, and connecting with like-minded professionals. Highlights include visiting outdoor forest schools, attending ECE conferences, and bringing incredible ideas back to Australia!
Exciting Plans for 2025 Professional Development Programs: Helicopter to Hands-Off opens the doors to The Essential Elements in March with fresh perspectives and bonuses! Revisiting this course? Learn how to deepen your understanding and celebrate your progress.
Big Hearted Summit – May 7-9, 2025: Theme: How to Swing the Pendulum – practical tools and reflective sessions to help educators slow down and simplify. Incredible speakers, including Kristin Day, Ade Hoffman, and more. New format: Q&A sessions the week after to allow for more thoughtful engagement.
Inaugural Big Hearted Conference – June 5-7, 2025: A unique two-day conference on the Gold Coast, designed for both service staff and educators. Speakers will address challenges specific to family day care, such as remote leadership, child protection, and professional boundaries. VIP opportunities for in-depth learning, connection, and celebration.
Seasonal Planning Days & Intentional 2026 Planning session: Quarterly planning sessions to align your work with your values. Then, in November, the chance to map out your non-negotiables and create a balanced, intentional year for 2026.
Reflection & Intentionality in Practice The push for 2025 is not about doing more—it’s about finding joy, embracing simplicity, and focusing on the "why" behind your work. An exploration into slow pedagogy, reducing overwhelm, and reclaiming child-led play.
Key Takeaways
I share a personal look at the challenges faced in recent years—from bushfires to COVID to personal hardships—and how these experiences have shaped my vision for Big Hearted Education. This year is all about slowing down, simplifying, and finding alignment. If you’re ready to step back, reflect, and make space for what truly matters, this is the year to join the Big Hearted community!
Links & Resources
Join the Essential Elements Waitlist (March launch): https://www.bigheartededucation.com/waitlist
Big Hearted Summit (May 7-9)
Get Early Bird Tickets for the Big Hearted Conference (June 5-7): www.bigheartededucation.com/conference
Access Seasonal Planning Sessions: https://www.bigheartededucation.com/autumn-planning-2025
If you have ideas for future podcast episodes or topics you'd like explored, feel free to reach out via DM or email. Thank you for being part of this incredible journey—here’s to a big-hearted and intentional 2025! 💜 Big Love, V xxx
