Where passion meets practice
Deepen your play-based approach & gain
designation as a Wunderled Educator
Your passion counts for more than you think it does. In fact, it’s the foundation of everything
The path to becoming a play-based educator is anything but clear.
You’ve waded through mountains of information, countless ideas, resistance from your peers and academic pushdown.
You’ve tried so many things in your classroom. Some of them worked… many have not.
Through it all, new possibilities have emerged. You’ve seen what’s possible with a play-first approach — and you’re hungry to go deeper.
From here, deepening your expertise as a play-based practitioner offers you two paths:
01
SHRINKING
- Keep piecing together information from dozens of blogs, courses and workshops.
- Listen to other experts, diligently follow their advice and try to do it all the “right” way.
- Tolerate the frustration of academic pushdown and a lack of understanding from your peers.
- Try to “make do” and settle for what little support and resources you are given.
- Lose sight of yourself and why you started, as your confidence to make change shrinks with each passing year.
02
FLOURISHING
- Steady yourself by turning inward, toward the truth of who you are and what it means for your work.
- Become adept at discovering and amplifying wonder, in any circumstance.
- Develop your personal pedagogy for play — one that gives structure to your work and ensures progress is visible to others.
- Grow into a confident, effective advocate for your needs and the children in your care.
- Blaze a new path of possibility for yourself, your students, and your community.
Most educators will walk down the “shrinking” path until they reach a dead end, unaware that there is another option available to them. We developed the Wunderled Certification to help you walk your “flourishing” path. We provide the map, and the fuel is your passion.
Along the way, you’ll discover an entirely new kind of confidence… the kind that will propel your skillset and professional path forward in a radical new direction.
So if you have a sense that the next step in your journey involves less lesson ideas and more of a deep grounding in who you are and why you do this work, keep reading. The Wunderled Certification may be the perfect next step for you.
The Wunderled™ Certification is
a program unlike any other.
It’s deeper than an online course, and far more interactive than a workshop.
You’ll spend 12 months digging deep into who you are as an educator, and the unique perspectives and skills that you will use to infuse your work with wonder at every turn.
The educators who take the Wunderled Certification emerge from this process feeling more energized, passionate and clear about their teaching path.
They walk away with a sharper perspective on who they need to be in order to succeed and ensure their students thrive.
They develop the skills, confidence and assertiveness to stand firmly in their beliefs and advocate for the importance of play.
They advance their career. Build powerful new relationships. Discover the power of real community.
And, together,
they change the face
of early childhood education.
“The spark that was hiding in the dark is now a giant bonfire.”
I had found myself questioning who I was as a teacher. I had lost what was truly “me” — and I didn’t know if I could make it back to the teacher I was before the pandemic.
But this has been a journey beyond what I could have imagined. The Wunderled Certification helps you peel away all the layers of what you think is important, see the inner core, and find the passion to rebuild each of those layers with strength, purpose and commitment. My passion now has much deeper meaning and value to me. It’s fierce and powerful now. The spark that was hiding in the dark is now a giant bonfire.
I’ve learned how to put my rambling thoughts into substantial words. I am no longer scared to say what I believe is right and just. I feel peace and resolve. I am braver, confident, and more empowered in what I do each day with my students.
This is the best thing I have done for myself in a long time.
ADRIENNE WOLF
What does it mean to be certified in The Wunderled™ Approach?
The Wunderled Approach Certification is a 12-month program that guides you on a journey through the Wunderled Approach. Much more than a training program, it is a deep-dive into the heart of your authentic teaching self.
The Wunderled Certification will dramatically accelerate your personal and professional growth as an early childhood educator. Expect to unearth new insights that will influence your practice in profound and exciting ways.
Wunderled™ Certification offers you:
01
Mastery
Certification provides independent verification of your expertise in the Wunderled Approach. It is our endorsement of your capabilities, and a credential that you carry with you throughout your career to indicate that you have specific skills and knowledge.
In this case, you will gain a high-level knowledge of play-based, intentional education — and a framework for piecing it together into a practice that makes sense for your unique setting.
02
A Credential
The certification trains you in the common body of knowledge of the Wunderled Approach. Being certified earns you an official designation as a Wunderled Educator with the Fairy Dust Teaching name and reputation
behind it.
Our training is designed to help you achieve mastery of the Wunderled approach to teaching. As such, this important credential indicates your expertise to employers and/or clients, and enhances your professional profile.
03
Clear Direction
Certification will unlock new possibilities for your work, both immediately and in the years to come. From Day 1, our goal is to help you make room for creativity and spontaneity, with just the right amount of structure to help you stay on track.
More than a robust framework for Wonder, this is a certification that will give you a new lens for solving problems and generating solutions throughout the rest of your career.
04
A New Lens
Certification will bring new energy to your work, your life, and how you spend your time — both in and out of the classroom. It’s the reason why so many educators say that Wunderled didn’t just shift their work; it changed their life.
Our mission inside Wunderled Certification is to uplift you — the whole teacher and person — and give you the structure, support and skill set you need to cultivate a career that enables you to thrive, every bit as much as your students.
You will finish this program with a deep understanding of your own teaching perspectives on a level that gives you confidence in your ability and expertise as an educator, and peace about your decision to lead your teaching practice with wonder and heart.
“Empowered. Encouraged. And ready for the year ahead.”
When I heard about Wunderled Certification, I was looking for sources to help me become an advocate for children’s right to play. I had already started gaining trust with my employer, colleagues and parents, and I needed to know more to keep growing as a professional.
I was concerned about time and whether I could keep up because English is not my first language. But the material is well-prepared. I was provided with personalized support. And the monthly meetings were amazing opportunities to learn from the community and keep up with our tasks for the month.
I believe I gained years of teaching experience from this program. I have developed a personal pedagogy that has helped me make my teaching student-friendly and experiential. Finally, the activities in the program that asked us to think, receive and give feedback have given me the insight I need to feel encouraged in my professional role.
I feel empowered and ready for the year ahead. This is a life-changing program.
FOTEINI KARAGRIGORI
The Wunderled Approach Certification is currently in session.
The next Wunderled Certification Cohort
Starts in Summer, 2023.
Enter your name and email below to be the first to know:
You might be Wunder-ing…
What kind of educators choose
Wunderled Certification as their next step?
The Learner
You have an innate drive to become a master in what you do. You consider yourself to be a lifelong researcher, always on the lookout for the latest insight or know-how that will strengthen your work.
You want to build a deep level of confidence in your skillset, and turn everything you have learned (and experienced) so far into a framework that will help you approach your work with total confidence.
The Seeker
You have a strong inner compass that you (sometimes) lose sight of. You desire to lead from the heart and tap into your truest self — because this work isn't just what you do, it's who you are.
You want to work from a place of passion and inner truth, instead of following someone else's rules. It's time to shine a light on your own ideas, so you can help your students do the same.
The Trail-Blazer
You've been teaching through wonder and "play" before you knew it was even a thing. Giving children space to explore feels natural and intuitive to you, but others may not understand what you're doing or why.
While you're already marching to the beat of your own drum, you want to bring more organization, structure and scientific grounding to your approach (and fill in any gaps) so you can rally others around your approach and create waves of change.
The Connector
You're energized by creating connections and bringing people together. Being immersed in new ideas and sharing experiences with like-minded people gives you the fuel you need to show up for what matters to you.
If you are feeling lonely, unseen or that you're the only one who sees the world like you do...it's time to meet your new community of educators and build a robust circle of support — the kind that sees you, uplifts you, and stands with you.
“I want everyone on my team to take this certification.”
Sometimes, we lose sight of what we know in our hearts to be right for the children in our classrooms. It was an honor to be part of this world-wide group of educators. After every call I walked away feeling inspired and uplifted. The ability to share and gather knowledge, wins and struggles from like-minded educators was invaluable.
Wunderled Certification has helped me focus on me: what my inner teacher/student is, was, and what they need. The self-reflection is huge. I have always had a hard time with confidence as a teacher — but now I feel myself speaking with parents and my reaching team with more confidence and conviction.
This certification has been a source of strength for me. I know now in my heart that this work is my passion and mission in life. I want everyone on my team to take this certification! It has been an amazing journey.
LYNNE GUITERREZ
Play is the richest, most profound
curriculum we can offer to children
In turn, we believe that The Wunderled Approach Certification is the most impactful experience available to early childhood educators today.
Honoring children requires that you honor yourself, your ideas, where you are today, and where you want to go.
It’s not about whether you eliminate plastic from your classroom.
It’s not about creating a Pinterest-worthy atelier.
But it is about the children in your classroom being co-constructors in their own education.
And making this happen has everything to do with you — your story, your passion, your skills and strengths.
This is about resisting the pressure from academic pushdown, teaching to the test and introducing instruction that is not serving the true needs of the children in our care.
You have something so much more powerful within you.
Let us show you how to lead with that —
- So you can become a force for change.
- An advocate of wonder of play.
- And a trusted, confident professional who leads with their true passion, every day.
We will give you the structure, skillset and depth of understanding you need to make waves.
If you’re ready for the next step, it’s time:
Click the button below to apply.
Yours in Wonder,
Sally Haughey
Founder of Fairy Dust Teaching & The Wunderled Approach Certification
The Wunderled Approach Certification is currently in session.
The next Wunderled Certification Cohort
Starts in Summer, 2023.
Enter your name and email below to be the first to know:
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