The Child-Led Mastery Academy
Fall Back in love
with Teaching
Make this the year you rediscover the magic of child-led learning — and feel empowered every step of the way.
From materials, to planning, curriculum, behavior guidance and so much more — join the Academy when you want to feel supported in every aspect of your role as an early childhood educator.
JOIN THE waitlist
1400+ Educators Have Already Said Yes to:
40+ On-Demand Trainings
Live Support Every Month
Real Strategies for Real Classrooms
Downloadable, Ready-to-Use Resources
“This approach is so relatable and easy to put into action.
I also feel less pressure to “teach” — I listen and hear so much more. I discover, investigate and PLAY! There is a wealth of information just a click away.”
Heidi
What Is the Child-Led Mastery Academy?
It’s a monthly membership for early childhood educators who want to reconnect with joy, trust children’s curiosity, guide with confidence, and make play the greatest teaching tool.
Grounded in science
Infused with wonder
Designed to work in real classrooms with real children
Who This Is For
Educators who believe in children’s brilliance — and want the tools to bring that belief to life.
Teachers who crave structure — but refuse to rely on rigid routines and reward charts.
Those who feel the spark fading — and need real support, not just inspiration.
Leaders who want to guide with confidence — not control.
Curious minds who want to say yes to more play — without the chaos.
You don’t need a Pinterest-perfect classroom.
You just need a spark and the right tools to turn it into everyday magic.
A Year of Transformation for You and Your Classroom
The Child-Led Mastery Academy isn’t just another resource — it’s a year-long journey designed to support you every step of the way.
Over the course of four seasons, each lasting three months, you’ll focus on a different area of child-led education.
The What
Curriculum & Conversations
(Your “guiding light” for your year)
The why
Art & Practice of Making Your Work Visible
(Rally peers, parents & community around your work)
The who
Child-Led Behavior Guidance
(Help children regulate & engage)
The how
Materials, Invitations & More
(The day-to-day of teaching!)
Each season builds on the last, so you can make small, meaningful changes month by month — without feeling overwhelmed.
You can join for a month, for a quarter (3 months) or for the entire year.
What are the Meaningful Changes
Each month, we’ll guide you to make One Meaningful Change that transforms your classroom and your teaching practice.
Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll experience as you move through the seasons of The Child-Led Mastery Academy:
Learn how to create engaging, child-centered conversations that inspire deeper learning.
Learn how to confidently communicate the value of a child-led approach to parents, peers, and admin.
Learn how to respond with empathy and trust, seeing behavior as communication.
Learn how to design learning invitations that encourage children to explore and engage with the materials you offer.
And much more! These small shifts become your new rhythm – until teaching feels like home again.
PLUS, ALL MEMBERS RECEIVE ACCESS TO
The Child-Led Mastery Library
Over 100 hours of PD at your fingertips!
All members receive instant & on-demand access to our signature early childhood resources, trainings and tools!
Virtual Excursions
Join Sally for a 10 minute documentary-style Virtual Excursion at the start of each month.
Peek over her shoulder as she takes you on tours of museums, gardens, art studios, iconic centers and more from around the world — sharing ideas from different fields to spark your work, and breaking them down into meaningful actions anyone can complete with their class each month.
Field Guides
As beautiful as a magazine but with even more substance, your monthly field guide brings more detail to the monthly theme and provides a convenient walkthrough of the meaningful change you’ll make in your classroom each month.
Rich with stories, complete with visual instructions and made simple by step-by-step guides, you’ll know exactly how to create meaningful change in your classroom — just 30 days at a time.
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Planning Guides
A practical, supportive tool to help you turn everyday moments of play into meaningful learning. It starts with something real you’ve noticed —like children stacking blocks, pretending to be superheros, or playing hide and seek — and offers simple, thoughtful ways to build on that interest.
Each month you get a new guide with big ideas to explore, playful invitations to offer, and gentle ways to reflect on learning — without checklists or pressure. It’s there to help you trust what you see, respond with intention, and feel confident supporting the learning that’s already unfolding through play.
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Over 2 Years of 100% Done-For-You Emergent Curriculums & Lesson Plans
Imagine having over two years of thoughtfully prepared, play-centered curriculum at your fingertips — ready when you are.
These 100% done-for-you emergent curriculum resources are built around open-ended play, and big ideas that matter to children. They’re not rigid scripts or one-size-fits-all plans—they’re flexible, inspiring guides that help you follow children’s curiosity with confidence.
Each resource offers everything you need without turning play into a checklist. Whether you’re planning ahead or responding in the moment, you’ll have a trusted resource that meets you where you are and helps you keep the focus on what matters most: children, play, and connection.
40+ Bite-sized, on-demand and practical courses
Totaling more than 120 hours of professional development these aren’t dry, sit-and-get trainings.
They’re real conversations and hands-on guidance designed for real classrooms, led by educators who understand the beauty and the mess of early childhood.
You’ll explore powerful topics like:
- Mastering Play Invitations
- Playing with Loose Parts
- Deep Play: The Brain Science Behind Play
Each offering fresh ideas you can use right away.
Whether you have 15 minutes during nap time or an hour after class, these on-demand trainings fit your life — and fuel your teaching with encouragement, insight, and renewed purpose.
Bonus 1
Monthly Fireside Chats
Every month we gather for a virtual Fireside Chat to explore the month’s focus in more detail. Bring your questions, your experiences, your insights and more — and get ready to be inspired by what your fellow educators bring to the table!
See how an educator in Stockholm is implementing this month’s idea, or how a member from Sydney is sparking inspiration in her center. Our community is truly global. You’ll leave these monthly calls more connected, more inspired and with your most pressing professional questions answered.
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Bonus 2
Monthly Planning Sessions
Each month, you'll be invited into a live planning session with fellow members —a space to slow down, reflect, and turn your daily observations into meaningful curriculum.
These sessions aren’t about filling out rigid templates — they’re about honoring what you see in your classroom and learning how to move through the planning cycle of observation, reflection, and projection with confidence.
Together, we’ll explore children’s intentions, identify Big Ideas, and co-create webs of possibility that keep learning rooted in play, curiosity, and connection. Whether you’re new to emergent planning or deepening your practice, you’ll leave each session feeling supported, inspired, and ready to trust the journey.
Bonus 3
Private Members-Only Community
Your member experience is supported by a vibrant, members-only community that will be walking this journey right alongside you. As soon as you join, you’ll be welcomed into our private group — and we’re pretty sure you’ll love the ideas, conversations, and encouragement waiting for you inside.
Put simply? This is the space you’ve been searching for!
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Bonus 4
Child-led Practitioner Foundations Course
Learn how to practice the four core principles that make child-led learning work in real-world classrooms: choice, voice, repetition, and permission.
It’s the perfect starting point (or reset) for any educator wanting to deepen their child-led practice, without overhauling everything or adding to your workload.
Whether you’re new to child-led learning or returning to the roots of why you teach this way, this is where it all begins.
“The live sessions are super dynamic and help me build my confidence as an educator. I feel connected and empowered.
I have a place where I feel I can belong and be myself.”
Vania
Join the waitlistMay through July is the season of…
The Art & Practice of Making
Your Work Visible
Here’s how your next 90 days inside The Academy will unfold…
May
This month is all about finding your voice. You already notice. You already know. Now let’s begin saying it out loud — even the voice you don’t want to hear, the inner critic's voice. The minute you let that out it gives you freedom.
June
This month is about building the communication skills that help you lead calm, respectful conversations with parents, peers and admin — even when the topic is sensitive or there’s a difference of opinion.
July
This month is about creating habits and systems that turn everyday moments into advocacy, and sharing what matters in ways that feel authentic, sustainable, and meaningful.
The wins you’ll celebrate in the next 90 days inside The Academy look like…
You’ll stop second-guessing how to talk about your teaching approach, or dreading difficult conversations with families.
You’ll stop feeling like you're carrying the full responsibility for a child’s development, and start building real support around your work.
And you’ll start noticing how much easier things feel when families are truly on board — asking better questions, backing your decisions, and seeing the growth happening every day.
Go deeper with an industry-first micro-certification that will change the way you teach forever.
When you join The Child-Led Mastery Academy, you can join us at the “Essentials” level or the “Certification” level, depending on your professional needs.
When you choose the “Certification” path, you’ll unlock an exclusive micro-certification curriculum that will expand your knowledge and practice for each season.
That means you’ll have access to up to four micro-certifications over the next 12 months — potent, bite-sized, and completely at your own pace!
Here’s the key info you need to know about what makes this micro-certification different:
- TINY time commitment, BIG value: each micro-certification requires less than 3 hours of TOTAL learning time (over 90 days).
- Designed for busy educators, micro-certification is 100% virtual and self-paced. No matter your schedule, this will fit into your life.
Want to know what’s included in each Micro-Certification? Check out the complete curriculum below:
“I’ve gained confidence as a leader. Now I know who I am and my reasons for being in this field.
I found a community to learn and grow with… I was able to be me, and that is so precious.”
Maya
The Child-Led Mastery Academy will open for enrollment again soon.
Enter your name and email below to be the first to know:
You’re invited!
To step into the classroom with fresh eyes.
To fall back in love with your work. To trust the play.
Take a peek inside the magic:
Join the waitlist
A Letter from Sally
I built this Academy as a place for brave educators who trust children. Who wonder. Who lead with their hearts.
You don’t have to prove anything to be here. You just have to show up with curiosity.
I can’t wait to walk beside you.
With heart,
“I am now thoroughly inspired, motivated, challenged and enthusiastic. Not only do children pick up on my enthusiasm, my co-teachers do as well.
My colleagues have already noticed changes in how I am so lively, more motivated and enjoy being with the kids. They are also asking for thoughts and offering praise for my skills.”
Jasmeen
Ready to start your transformation?
This is your chance to become the educator you’ve always dreamed of.
let’s do this together.
Join the waitlistTrusted by over 1400 educators worldwide.
Made with love. Rooted in play.
Frequently Asked
Is the Child-Led Mastery Academy a good fit for me?
Do you believe every child has the innate capacity to be brilliant? To follow their passions, interests, and curiosities. To be a child who is a thinker, a learner, courageous and kind.
Inside the Child-Led Mastery Academy we believe the best way to nurture this kind of brilliance is with a play-based, child-led approach that is designed for the 21st-century classroom.
This Academy is more than just another professional development program—it's a transformative journey toward impactful, manageable change. Each month, you will make one significant, meaningful adjustment to enhance your teaching skills in a community that values and understands early childhood education. Together, we tackle teaching challenges and celebrate triumphs while learning how to nurture each child's innate brilliance.
If you're ready to make a real difference in your teaching and help each child shine, the Child-Led Mastery Academy could be the perfect fit for you.
What level of memberships do you offer?
We offer two membership tiers in the Academy:
Tier 1: Child-Led Mastery Essentials Path
- Includes Monthly Virtual Field trips, Field Guides, Instant on-demand access to the Child-Led Mastery Training Library ( offers over 90 hours of PD trainings), and, 2 + years of emergent done-for-you Curriculum, & Lesson Plans.
- Bonus features include monthly fireside chats, planning sessions and a members-only community.
Tier 2: Child-Led Mastery Certification Path
- Includes everything in Tier 1 plus an in-depth certification path with exclusive curriculum.
- Complete micro-certification training every three months, flexible and self-paced.
Can you tell me more about the Tier 2: Certification Path? How do I upgrade?
A micro-certification course opens every 3 months. This design ensures you can start with the course that is active when you join, and then continue seamlessly as new courses unlock throughout the year.
Here’s how the courses are scheduled:
- August - October Session: Focuses on understanding and guiding children’s behavior.
- November - January Session: Emphasizes materials and play invitations and the brain science behind it.
- February - April Session: Focuses on creating an emergent curriculum and cultivate conversations.
- May - July Session: Focuses on finding your voice and making your work visible.
For more details about our Certification program, please click here. To upgrade and join in with our current course being offered, please reach out to asksally@fairydustteaching.com
How do I cancel my membership?
Canceling is very straightforward. Simply contact our customer service team at asksally@fairydustteaching.com, at anytime you wish to cancel your membership, and we will take care of the rest!
How long do I have access to these resources?
Similar to a gym or Netflix membership, as long as your subscription is active, you'll have access to all academy resources. Our annual membership offers the best value, providing two months free compared to monthly subscriptions, which can be canceled at any time.
I want to use this membership for my team. Do you offer special pricing?
Each membership grants access to one person. However, we do offer discounted rates for groups and schools when three or more team members sign up together. For details and pricing, please contact asksally@fairydustteaching.com.
Certificates and Professional Development Offerings
Each of our trainings inside the Academy comes with Professional Development Certificates. We offer over 120 hours of Professional Development trainings inside the Academy! For more information on our professional development offerings, including pricing details, please contact asksally@fairydustteaching.com