“Teacher Tom” is an early childhood educator, international speaker, education consultant, teacher of teachers, parent educator, podcaster, and author. He is best known, however, for his namesake blog, Teacher Tom’s Blog, where he has posted daily for over a decade.
Today, Teacher Tom shares his play-based pedagogy through online courses for early childhood educators; produces online early childhood conferences; consults with organizations about his "Family Schools" program; and inspires early years audiences around the world (Greece, UK, Iceland, Australia, China, Vietnam, New Zealand, Canada, and across the US) both virtually and in-person with his engaging views on early childhood education, play, and pedagogy; hosts Teacher Tom's Podcast.
Teacher Tom shares insights into the purpose of education in a modern society and how and why we have managed to veer so far from the original intent, which is to educate citizens capable of contributing, joyfully, to the wider society. In his play-based education, he details through his illustrative classroom stories and examples exactly how this kind of child-led curriculum works to foster curiosity, self-motivation, community, empathy, and purpose.