Napcast is a podcast designed to help you learn on the go, hear another perspective, spark debate, agree incessantly, and honestly, remind you that you’re not alone. We live in a complex world, so allow us to challenge your orientation with words, thoughts, advice, and the perspective of two male early childhood educators of color.
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Most of us know Stinging Nettle for one thing: the sting. The moment of discomfort. The instinct to pull away. The warning to stay back. But what if the sting isn't the whole story? In this episode of #Napcast, Nick and Mike explore the wisdom of Stinging Nettle...a plant that protects, nourishes, and heals. Through its lessons, we ask a deeper question: What if the behaviors that challenge us…
Some plants demand attention. Yerba Buena isn't one of them. You might walk past it without noticing. You might smell it before you see it. You might overlook it entirely if you're moving too fast. And maybe that's exactly what it has to teach us. In this episode of #Napcast, Nick and Mike explore the quiet influence of Yerba Buena and what it can teach us about the people, practices, and…
They call dandelions weeds. Plants that show up uninvited. Grow where they’re not supposed to. Crack through concrete. Return no matter how many times they’re pulled. And maybe that’s exactly why we needed to talk about them. In this episode of #Napcast, Nick and Mike turn toward the dandelion as teacher, mirror, and metaphor—asking what it means to grow in systems that were never designed to hold…
Some may steam it. Some may make it into tea. Some may simply sit with it and marvel. California poppy is known as an herb of relaxation—supporting the nervous system, inviting rest, and helping both children and adults settle into sleep. So we started wondering: what might this plant teach us about how we hold stress… and how we let it go? In this episode of #Napcast, Nick and Mike turn toward…
What do strawberries and toddlers have in common?More than you think.In this episode of #Napcast, Nick and Mike head to the strawberry patch and come back with more than just fruit.Listening to the farmers talk about sun, soil, timing, and patience sparked a bigger question for us: What if children, like strawberries, can’t be rushed into ripeness?Using plant wisdom as a guide, we unpack the…
Season 5 opens with a return to the land. In this debut episode of our Guided by Plants series, early childhood educators Nick (he/him) and Mike (he/him) center alder and big leaf maple as living teachers of nourishment, protection, and interdependence in early childhood spaces. Through shared reflection and conversation, we explore how these plants sustain the ecosystems around them and what that…
What happens when a learning story isn’t written about a child — but for another educator? In this conversation, Nick (he/him) and Mike (he/him) explore what it means to write across difference and through relationship. We talk about the power of story as a way of seeing, the tension between objectivity and subjectivity, and the shift from checking boxes to telling truths. Anchored in a learning…
Is artificial intelligence reshaping childhood — for better or worse? Hosted by two passionate male educators of color, Nick Terrones (he/him) and Mike Browne (he/him), today's episode " AI and the ABCs " dives into the crossroads of artificial intelligence and early learning through a culturally conscious lens. In this episode, we unpack three key questions: What does AI mean to you? What…
Nick Terrones (he/him) and Mike Browne (he/him) are joined once again by special guest Toi Sing-Woo (she/her) for a conversation about what it means to plant seeds of liberation in the earliest years of learning. We talk about the daily work of unlearning white comfort in the classroom, the survival strategies BIPOC educators carry, and how we can reclaim the play we were meant to have—in our…
In the final episode of this 4 part micro-learning series, we’re rejoined by Napcast co-host, educator, and author Nick Terrones to reflect on what it truly means to move beyond white supremacy culture in early learning and nonprofit spaces. Building on the conversations from earlier episodes, Nick helps us explore the emotional, relational, and embodied aspects of organizational change. Together,…
