You become a force.
An agent of change.
The one with a reputation… for making magic happen.
You fall back in love with your work.
(Other people start noticing, too.)
And children start engaging, learning & progressing… in ways that will blow your mind.
Skills the school system never gave you.
Skills the previous generation of educators didn’t need to use.
Skills you won’t pick up in another online workshop or scrolling teacher groups for ideas…
Because when you peel away all the loose parts, curriculums, documentation and more?
What our mentors taught us was for a different time… a different world.
When you’re dealing with:
Parents questioning why their child isn’t coming home with worksheets like their friends (or learning the ABCs)
Classroom transitions turning into an absolute nightmare… every single day
Wanting to explore loose parts and child-led learning… but not-so-secretlyfearing it’ll turn your classroom into chaos
Working with assistantswho aren’t play-based or child-led — and dealing with the headaches and extra work this creates
Feeling misunderstood or judged for the approach you want to take in your classroom (and wondering if you’re doing it right anyway)
One thing is true...
To bridge the gap between your vision for your classroom…
& the reality of working with young children in 2024 (and beyond).
It may seem insignificant. You might wonder if it will really make a difference.
And you’re probably thinking —
Can one small but intentional shift actually make it easier?
The answer is a whole-hearted yes.
Makes childrens’ eyes light up when they enter the room.
Helps children to regulate their emotions& become more resilient — appropriate for their age.
Shows children how to navigate conflict and build healthy relationships with their peers.
Creates truly magical learning experiences (whether you teach in a traditional setting, in a play-based or Reggio-style learning center… or anywhere in between).
Working with assistantswho aren’t play-based or child-led — and dealing with the headaches and extra work this creates
Is never at a loss for how to plan your day, your week, or even an entire curriculum to guide your entire year.
Effortlessly communicates the wins children are having in your classroom with their parents and your supervisor.
Stops wasting time on endless prep and planning, so you can put your energy where it really matters… and more.
Children will begin responding to you differently.
And you’ll finally stop worrying whether you’re doing everything you should (or could) be doing to prepare young children for success — in learning and in life.
Less time planning (and prepping).
More time being present with children.
And, if we have anything to do with it?
You’ll also walk away with a robust early childhood credential that cements your expertise… and changes the way you work with children forever.
(More on that below!)
The Child-Led Mastery Academy is a monthly membership designed around four unique seasons, each 3 months long.
Together, they make up the heart of your work as an early childhood educator:
Each month, we’ll explore a different side of the season and how to make ONE meaningful change in your classroom that supports it.
You can join for a month, for a quarter (3 months) or for the entire year.
On the first day of the month, all members receive their monthly virtual excursion and accompanying field-guide.
Watch the excursion (maybe during a lunch break!) and get inspired. Follow along with the field-guide and discover the one meaningful change we recommend this month… and how to do it!
Share your progress, your ideas and your questions while you take action this month. Dip into the community and join us for the monthly Fireside Chat for feedback and inspiration along the way.
In the second half of the month, members in our certification receive their exclusive micro-curriculum that builds on the monthly theme. Short but mighty, this credential packs a punch!
Keep reading for all the details on what you’ll receive as a member each month. We can’t wait to share this with you!
Designed to bring real-world detail and inspiration to the monthly theme, you’ll walk away with new ideas to apply to your work, from some of the most exciting spaces in the world.
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Join Sally for a 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 this month.
Virtual excursions are 20-30 minutes long… and are so much fun that you’ll want to watch it on your TV with your favorite snack.
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.
Relationships and connections are the foundation for everything we do as educators, but if you feel disconnected from your class at times, this season will help you bring back the spark.
Join us for a deep-dive into the what, how and why of child-guidance, challenging behaviors and the skill of self-regulation — with plenty of inspiration and ideas to spark magic in your classroom.
Nasher Sculpture Center in Dallas, Texas. As you wander with Sally through the incredible art installations of this iconic building, you’ll discover a new possibility:
How to create a sense of belonging with a community portrait.
Step-by-step, Sally will show you how to create a collaborative piece of art with your class — one that represents you and your classroom identity. Helping children build a sense of connection to their class and their shared space can help bring even the toughest nuts out of their shells!Join Sally for a virtual excursion to the
In this excursion, Sally will be taking you on a virtual trip to the Gathering Place in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Experience one of the world’s top public parks for young families and discover:
How to create a designated place for children to calm down and self-regulate.
Piece by piece, Sally will show you what really matters in creating a special space and how it can be simple and NOT take up much space.
Roll up your sleeves as we travel to a family farm! In this outing, you will meet a young family who grow produce to sell and how resilience is a key factor in their daily lives. Back at the Hummingbird Cottage, you will learn:
How to harness children’s energy and upset and channel it through Sally’s favorite community-building activities. Watch Sally in action!
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” track, 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:
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with Sally Haughey
Exclusively for members on the certification track, get weekly audio coaching notes in your inbox from Sally Haughey. Pop these into your earbuds on your way to work for the perfect start to your week!
Less than 10 minutes long, each weekly audio will give you a new perspective on your certification journey and bring a rich perspective to the topic of the month.
Expect stories that inspire you, questions that spark a new insight, and mantras to carry into the week ahead — so you can bring out the brilliance in every child (and remember to celebrate your own).
The first audio will be released in September, accessible from your member dashboard — plus, a private link to listen on the go with your podcast app of choice.
All members receive instant & on-demand access to our signature early childhood resources, trainings and tools!
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Think of this as a complete done-for-you library when you need something quick to fill a gap — packed with resources you can take to the classroom IMMEDIATELY.
Plus… newsletter templates to share with parents and your community, printable labels to help you stay organized and so much more!
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We call them Wonder Boxes, and they’ll help you plan your lessons or even a full year of curriculum one month at a time. Say YES to no more starting from scratch!
Inside each “Wonder Box”, you’ll find:
There are over 24 boxes inside the Child-Led Mastery Academy (that’s up to 2 years of curriculum done for you!) and they’re all yours from the moment you join.
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Early Childhood Educators have been begging us for a “Play 101 Training” that provides a firm grounding in the theory and practice of play-based education.
In less than 60 minutes, you’ll learn:
All yours, instantly and on-demand as soon as you join!
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Every month we gather for a virtual Fireside Chat to explore this month’s topic 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.
Your member experience is supported by a vibrant members-only community. You’ll receive an invite to our private group as soon as you join (and we know you’ll love the ideas, conversations and support you’ll find inside).
Put simply? This is the space you’ve been searching for!
Enter your name and email below to be the first to know:
I’m Sally Haughey, the Founder of The Child-Led Mastery Academy and Wunderled Education (formerly known as Fairy Dust Teaching).
I taught young children for over 20 years, in almost every setting you could imagine: traditional school settings, in disadvantaged areas, in reggio-style play centers, and more.
Since 2010, I’ve trained, taught and mentored over 200,000 educators and parents.
I speak with educators every single day who tell me:
“I love working with children. I have a vision for what’s possible. I want to go even further with free play, loose parts, and give children more CHOICE…
If you’re reading this page and thinking about joining us, it’s because you practice (or want to!) a play-based approach to working with children.
The reality of navigating play, choice and exploration can be tricky. It’s even harder when you add in the challenges young children have with self-regulation and behavior.
But giving children more freedom doesn’t mean you have to become a doormat.
It doesn’t mean you have to settle for a chaotic classroom. (In fact, you shouldn’t.)
Help young children become active participants in their own learning journey.
Champion the rights of children and help them understand that with those rights, come responsibilities!
Teach children the skills to self-regulate and set up your lessons, your teaching space and more to support these skills.
Use exploration and play as a pathway to prepare children for success, in learning and life
Confidently develop lesson plans and curriculums that lead with play (or even use ours as a starting point if you’re short on time)
Always know what to say when someone questions your approach, because you’ll have the language and the science to explain it, and...
Become the educator who knows how to connect with and guide any child — so their innate brilliance can shine.
You want to turn your play-based practice from haphazard and messy into a plan that works with young children in 2024.
You’re curious about a play-based approach and how it could work in your classroom (without the chaos).
Children’s behavior and engagement is becoming a challenge, and you want new ways to navigate it effectively.
You want to gain access to an exclusive mini-certification that will improve your professional standing and give you the tools you need to thrive in imperfect conditions.
You love working with children but lately, the magic seems to have disappeared… and you want to get it back.
You want to be recognized for your work by your supervisors and childrens’ parents.
You want to be part of a community of educators who share your values and will support you on your professional path.
You’re ready to make ONE small but mighty change to your classroom each month, instead of doing all the things but not getting anywhere.
If you want access to fresh ideas, practical strategies that will elevate the way you teach, and to reconnect with why you do this work in the first place, the Child-Led Mastery Academy will give you all of this and more.
We want to help you create more wins, make more memories (the good kind) and experience just how powerful your work can be… without having to sacrifice your time and energy to make it happen.
If you’re ready, so are we. Let’s begin!
Enter your name and email below to be the first to know: