Culture is more than a checklist with Jessica Staines

Culture Is More Than a Checklist with Jessica Staines In this week’s episode of the Everything Early Childhood Podcast, I sit down with the incredible Jessica Staines from Koori Curriculum for a deeply important conversation about what it really means to embed Aboriginal perspectives meaningfully in early childhood. This isn’t a conversation about ticking boxes, adding a few cultural experiences during NAIDOC Week, or “getting it perfect.” It’s a conversation about relationships, curiosity, identity, belonging, and moving beyond tokenistic practice to create environments where culture is genuinely lived, reflected, respected, and celebrated every single day. Together, we unpack: Why many educators feel nervous or unsure about where to begin The fear of “getting it wrong” and how that creates paralysis in practice The difference between performing culture vs embedding it meaningfully How culture extends far beyond ethnicity and exists within our communities, environments, stories, values, interests and everyday life The powerful concept of “windows and mirrors” in early childhood environments Why slowing pedagogy down creates deeper and more meaningful learning How educators can start their journey with confidence, curiosity and humility The role of relationships, mentoring and community in meaningful cultural learning Why anti-bias approaches matter more than ever How we can create environments where every child, family and educator feels seen, valued and reflected Jess shares practical examples, powerful reflections, and honest insights from over 20 years of experience supporting educators to move beyond surface-level inclusion and into truly embedded practice. This episode is reflective, practical, honest, and incredibly grounding for any educator or leader wanting to create more culturally responsive environments without fear, overwhelm or perfectionism. Because culture is not a checklist. It’s a way of being. About Jessica Staines Jessica Staines is a Wiradjuri woman, early childhood teacher, and the founder of Koori Curriculum. Jess is passionate about supporting educators to embed Aboriginal perspectives authentically within early childhood environments through mentoring, professional development, resources and community connection. You can connect with Jess here: Website: https://kooricurriculum.com Instagram: @kooricurriculum Facebook: Koori Curriculum Loved this episode? If this conversation resonated with you, please share it with your team, community or another educator who needs to hear it. And if you haven’t already, make sure you subscribe to the Everything Early Childhood Podcast so you never miss an episode. Keep making every moment count