Welcome to a special episode of Early Childhood Chapters, brought to you by Gryphon House Books. This week, we take you to the 98th Annual NAEYC Conference, the largest gathering of early childhood education professionals in the United States. Hosted in Anaheim, this year’s conference brought together educators, authors, and passionate advocates for young children from across the world.
In this episode, we sit down with Gryphon House authors and attendees to explore how their books have inspired careers in early childhood education. Hear moving stories from educators whose lives and teaching practices were transformed by Gryphon House books and meaningful conversations with authors whose work continues to shape the field. This episode is a celebration of the lasting impact of books, mentors, and community connections.
Interview Transcript
Emily Garman: Hello and welcome to a special episode of Early Childhood Chapters, brought to you by Gryphon House Books. I'm Emily Garman, and I'm here at the 98th Annual NAEYC Conference. That's the National Association for the Education of Young Children, the largest gathering of early childhood professionals in the country, and a truly powerful event for anyone passionate about this field.
Since 1926, this conference has been inspiring educators from all over the world, offering a unique opportunity to connect, to share ideas, to have fun, and learn the latest in early childhood best practices. This week has been especially exciting, as I've had the chance to talk with so many people about the Gryphon House books and authors that have played a role in shaping their journeys as educators.
It's been moving to hear these stories, and you'll hear some of them in our episode today. These encounters remind us why this work matters, and why the connections we make at conferences like this one are so powerful.
In today's episode, we'll hear from educators, students, and longtime professionals who have come together here in Anaheim and have taken the time to share the knowledge and inspiration they've gained from our authors and their books.
Thank you for joining us. And let's dive right into the voices of NAEYC.
Angela Searcy: My name is Angela Searcy, and I'm from Frankfort, Illinois. And I'm just loving being here, at NAEYC. The name of my books—I have two--one is Push Past It: A Positive Approach to Challenging Classroom Behaviors. And then my second book is Elevating Equity, navigating those challenging conversations in early childhood.
Emily Garman: So you just gave a talk here at NAEYC. How did it go?
Angela Searcy: Oh my goodness. What?! So what my room was like when I walked in, I was like, are you guys here for me? There were people there. I couldn't believe it. The room was, I mean, they were there. I love teachers, they were there early, like teachers. They don't mess around. My talk is at ten, right? They’re like, yeah, we're here early.
So we just listened to music, some Donna Summer, we talked and then, it was just fun. It was just fun to just meet with teachers and connect with educators, really. There are people from all over doing many different roles. And it was it was good, I enjoyed it.
Emily Garman: So what is your highlight from NAEYC so far?
Angela Searcy: I think everything's good. Everything's good. But I just have to say, connecting with people, like I'm making new friends, and we're talking, and we're, like, connecting over even ideas, like, ‘you had that happen at your program? Well, let me tell you what's happening…’ And it's the same. We have a common, it makes you feel like, okay, we're having common experiences. It's not just me. Like the challenging behavior was a topic. It's happening, you know, in Illinois, it's happening in California. It's happening in Michigan. Canada's not just maple syrup. It's happening in Canada. You know what I mean? So, it's affirming to know that we can connect around those challenges and support each other.
Emily Garman: Is this your first NAEYC?
Angela Searcy: No no no no. Yeah, I've been to NAEYC before, and I presented for the first time in 2019. And in 2019, there were like, I think it was like, 20 people at my session. But the right person was there, because that's where I met Gryphon House! My editor. Yeah. Right. So yes, Gryphon House, Gryphon House!
Emily Garman: Do you have a memory from your life of a teacher who had an impact on you growing up?
Angela Searcy: Ohhhh, gosh. Yeah, it's so many. Yeah, I can think of, like, actually my college teacher, you know what I mean? For my master's degree. Like, we're friends. We're best friends. We talk, we're like, teacher to peer, right? Like, first you start and they're guiding you, and then they're your peers, and they're still guiding you.
But, and you just keep that connection going for years and years and years, and it's someone you can count on. And so, one of my teachers is Gillian McNamee. And, if Jillian ever hears this, she's going to just giggle, and she just has a wonderful way… Yeah. So just a good feeling.
Someone who makes you feel good inside. Someone who makes you feel like you are five years old and you are sitting there at your best, your best preschool or kindergarten teacher, it’s a good feeling. It's a good feeling. Yeah.
Emily Garman: So tell me, who are you? Tell me where you're from.
Thomasa Bond: So I'm Dr. Thomasa Bond, and I am from Michigan. And I have authored two books with Gryphon House. I have my own training company that I started last year, so I do conferences, and I have held my very first early childhood conference last year. My second one is scheduled for 2025, in April of next year.
Edgar Aguilar Cazares: I am Edgar Aguilar Cazares. I am from here, local, five hours away, from Winton. And I came representing Merced College. And she helped with her books; I was able to gain a lot of experience. Without her books, I would not have been able to become a behavior support specialist.
I wouldn't be where I am now, in my second year of preschool, with [students with] with intensive behaviors, and I learned a lot from her. And now meeting her in person is very exciting! I had no idea when I purchased the book, I'm like, no way! And then they told me she's the author. I'm like, oh, I didn't know that!
Emily Garman: So you didn't come here knowing you would get to meet her. You just showed up.
Edgar Aguilar Cazares: I just showed up.
Emily Garman: And you happened to be in the booth at the same time?
Edgar Aguilar Cazares: Yes. Yeah.
Emily Garman: Wow! So, Edgar, tell me about a little bit more about what you're training to be. What is your career goal?
Edgar Aguilar Cazares: My career goal is to not stop. Not stop studying. I want to become a clinical psychologist for children and adolescents. And when I get my masters, it's going to be in social work.
But I want to be a psychotherapist with children and adolescents and get a doctorate as well [to work] with children and adolescents, and finishing up my masters, I want to be an adjunct part time professor, and then soon become a full time [professor] and then have my own private practice.
Thomasa Bond: He’s dreaming big! Go big or go home! Good for you!
Edgar Aguilar Cazares: Yes. And when I get my bachelors, that is going to be in child development. And soon I'll be in that bachelor's program, and it’s actually going to be from Stanislaus State here in Turlock. It's like another five hours away from here, from Anaheim. And that's where I will soon be at. But right now I'm at Merced College, and I'm a double major for my associate's degree, and that's in child development and psychology, with the focus on trauma informed care and special ed.
Emily Garman: So your professor used Dr. Bond’s books in the class?
Edgar Aguilar Cazares: Yes. All my professors have used one of the books.
Thomasa Bond: Which is awesome. I didn’t even know that!
Edgar Aguilar Cazares: In the classes that I happen to be taking, it's required to either have 1 or 2 textbooks. And the second textbook, it's sometimes hers.
Emily Garman: did reading her books help you sort of distill what you wanted to do?
Edgar Aguilar Cazares: Yes, they helped me. They help me in my class, coaching the other teachers, knowing what to do, how to be a good supervisor, how to be a good director, because it’s not for everyone. It’s not it's not for everyone to be a supervisor. And it's not for everyone to be a director. You need the experience. You need the knowledge. And being a specialist and not trying to pursue anything in administration helped me. Because I can coach, I can better supervise. I can better know how to help.
Thomasa Bond: That is awesome.
Emily Garman: Yeah. Yeah. Did you see this kind of career path spelled out in these books in a way that you hadn't seen before, and you kind of went, ‘that's it. That's what I want to do?’
Edgar Aguilar Cazares: Yes.
Thomasa Bond: Words cannot express how I'm feeling right now. They really can't. Because one of the reasons why I wrote the books were for people like you, because early childhood is such a phenomenal field. But the one thing that we don't have a lot of our leadership books. Every other profession teaches you how to be a strong leader, right?
And I didn't want a textbook that was going to be out of the realms of the average person. I wanted something that individuals could pick up day one and implement. That meant the most to me.
Edgar Aguilar Cazares: And when she writes in the books, it's like she's like talking. When I'm reading her book, it's like she's talking to me, I'm like, wow.
And then I'm just highlighting…I'm that person that writes in my books, small note on the side, and I actually write on my book on the inside.
Emily Garman: So it's not like what we typically think of when we think of a textbook, right? Especially a psychology textbook, we might think that would be really dry and boring.
Edgar Aguilar Cazares: She’s talking to you. And it’s like, Wow.
Thomasa Bond: It's like double WOW for me, because that's really what I wanted. I wanted people to understand they could be leaders.
Edgar Aguilar Cazares: And it's clear, and it’s easy to understand, I'm not confused. I'm not like, still the same. You know, I get that message that it does matter what I do, and I feel valued for it.
Emily Garman: So what is the next book you want to see from Dr. Bond?
Edgar Aguilar Cazares: Something of trauma.
Thomasa Bond: Okay.
Edgar Aguilar Cazares: Psychology. Psychology maybe. Yeah.
Emily Garman: I think maybe as you rise up in your career, you might be doing some studying… Right? Maybe a graduate assistant.
Edgar Aguilar Cazares: That would be great.
Thomasa Bond: You know, you never know. It's endless.
Emily Garman: Are you so glad you came to NAEYC??
Edgar Aguilar Cazares: Yes, and I am actually new to NAEYC. I had the opportunity a year ago, but I couldn't come. But now that it's local and it's here in California, I'm like, okay, yeah, let's make it happen. And the professor that that I happen to be here with, and I'll mention his name, His name is Marvin Patton. And if he's around here, he'll probably he'll probably come and stop by. But yeah, he was the one who brought us here and we are excited because it's our first time that we're here.
Emily Garman: So you're with a group of students?
Edgar Aguilar Cazares: Yes, I am with a group of college students. I did not come representing my school district. But I came representing the college. I'm at Merced College.
Emily Garman: Does he remind you of yourself?
Thomasa Bond: Oh absolutely. Absolutely. I remember my very first NAEYC conference that I went to, like to this day. It was in Florida. And I was blown away. I'm from Michigan. I had always gone to the local conference as well. But there's just something about your very first national conference that does something to you. You will never be the same after this. It lights a fire in you to make you want to achieve higher, to be better, to understand the field more, to always be learning and reaching for higher heights.
And so that's why I come year after year after year to the conference. And that's why I mean, everything is done for a purpose, right? Like I didn't just have any publisher. I had Gryphon House as my publisher. And that wasn't by mistake; you know, a short story on how I started with the book. I was writing a blog and I loved my blog, and I was like, ‘I want to help program directors.’
So I wanted to write a program directors book. And I reached out to two publishers. Both were accepting, but at one, the individual was very new. And then I met Stephanie. And you know, you don't go back once you meet Stephanie, right? Like there's no going back. I mean, right, isn't she awesome? A little plug for her! But yes, a little plug for her. And it just snowballed from there. And to hear the passion and the knowledge that you've gained from the books, like, I I feel like I gave birth when I did both of my books. Right? Like they literally came from my soul. And so to hear you say that, it speaks to you. That's really what I wanted. I didn't want a book that people picked up and they were like, I'm getting the knowledge from it, but I don't see the passion in it. And that's because I'm so passionate about the field. Like it's in my DNA. I don't know anything else.
Matthew Marceron: Matthew Marceron, president and CEO of Kaplan Early Learning Company, located in Lewisville, North Carolina, the central part of North Carolina.
Emily Garman: So how many NAEYCs have you been to?
Matthew Marceron: Oh my gosh. Okay, I'm dating myself. I bet I've been to at least 20, possibly 25. You lose count!
Emily Garman: So what's been your highlight about NAEYC so far? We're about halfway through.
Matthew Marceron: Oh, wow. My highlight from NAEYC would be, you know, I enjoy seeing so many folks that I've gotten to know personally over the years. And the energy. A phrase I love to use is, ‘people don't care how much you know. They know how much you care.’
And this just reinforces that we have an army of people who care deeply about this space and early education. And so I'm always reinvigorated when I leave. And I'd say that's probably the the key to what I enjoy most about being here for NAEYC.
Emily Garman: Going to catch you off guard here. Do you happen to have a memory of a teacher or something that you experienced as a kid growing up that really sticks with you?
Matthew Marceron: So my sixth grade teacher. And I'm coming back to this fairly fast… gentleman by the name of Mr. Wood. And it was rare to have a male in the elementary environment, and he looked like Popeye with hair up his arms. And he's a really strong, robust man. And his willingness to invest and get down at my level is something I will never forget. He helped me specifically with regards to learning early math. And, again, I still think of him to this day.
Lukas Ritson: my name is Lukas Ritson from the Gold Coast, Australia, and I'm the founder of Wearthy.co. So Wearthy is all about creating authentic childhood experience through creative outdoor environments.
Emily Garman: And is this your first time at NAEYC?
Lukas Ritson: Yeah, first time, and the scale is blowing my mind a bit! In Australia, a good conference would be about 2,000. So the fact that this is like 8,000 plus? And just the scale of this room alone… and also the diversity in all of the different people from all the different parts of the country is awesome.
Emily Garman: I think there are people here from all over the world. I mean, I've heard people speaking lots of different languages here. So that's really cool, to get that perspective.
Emily Garman: What are some of the highlights of the NAEYC experience for you so far?
Lukas Ritson: I think you just skimmed on it right then. It's that perspective difference, but also different perspectives. But a unity in common cause, a common impact. Everyone's got such a heart for what they do. Everyone's so collaborative here, which I absolutely love, and supportive.
It doesn't feel like there’s a secret recipe that anyone wants to keep for themselves. And just like the authors here, I’m asking authors about their books, because I've got two books coming up and just wanting to share, and that's been cool to see. Also like that sharing of your mentality and heart.
Emily Garman: can you think of any memories you have from your childhood, or something about a teacher who made an impact on you growing up?
Lukas Ritson: I just got, when you asked earlier, like such a clear image. And it wasn't so much--there weren’t any grand gestures, but it was just the presence of one of my teachers. And I love that we can all think of a person. And as teachers, I want to encourage the listeners to be like, how can I be that person that my children reflect back on?
And I just felt seen by this teacher. I had a lot of learning difficulties growing up. And he saw through that, and saw me, and was so encouraging, and he would just sit on the desk and talk. And I had a lot of literacy possessing challenges, so for someone to just talk, and then be like, ‘you're a really good thinker,’ and just support that and see me for who I was, it was just great.
Emily Garman: Tell me a little bit about your podcast.
Lukas Ritson: It’s called Play It Forward. We’ve got 52 episodes. We get to talk to some of the best people in the field, which has been such a blessing. So Richard Louv has been on, the author of The Last Child in the Woods. Peter Gray, he's famous for his Ted talks. Ellen Sandseter, who's an expert in risky play; Sandra Duncan has been on; Jennifer [Kesselring], who's a part of the Curated Moments group, she'll be a guest soon as well.
And it's just a heart for those educators out there. So a lot of the time, I'll start by asking, ‘how did you play as a child?’ to our guests, which sets us up beautifully to say, yeah, we have a common experience of childhood, yet the current childhood condition, it's like no other in history.
So then specializing in their field, how do we best support the current generation where they’re at, without saying, ‘back in my day…’ like going into the data, and throwing in questions along the lines of like, ‘if an educator has 30 minutes a day, how do they support what you talk about?’ So yeah, it's just I feel so blessed to be able to talk to so many people and glean once again with the reading books, but then I get to talk to the people who write the book, so it’s kind of cheating!
Ashley Coleman: My name is Ashley Coleman, and I am actually from Las Vegas, Nevada. I work at a school called Coral Academy of Sciences, a STEM school, and I'm the pre-K coordinator there. I've been in education for 22 years now, on and off. And I absolutely love it. Everything has brought me back to it. So, a couple of years ago, I pursued my CDA. And actually with that CDA, I was able to be in classes with these wonderful people that were Teresa Byington, Cathy Peshlakai, Robin Marx-Mackerley, and Sarah Wright. And those four people inspired me in many ways, as they were actually authoring a book at that moment. The book that we were working on was a maker space book about how children should be able to work with all kinds of different materials and to build on their own, based on their interpretation and what they want to do.
And we kind of looked at them like they were crazy because in preschool, you know, you don't give children the whole role of tape! You know what they're going to do with it. But their interpretation and their understanding in the CDA program, they helped to guide people like me who were like, ‘no, not the whole role of tape!’ to understand that it's really beneficial for children to be able to spread their knowledge and their knowledge base by experiencing things themselves without guidance, without a teacher telling them ‘this is how you do it.’ And that changed it for me. That really helped. And those four people have inspired me. I've seen them in my entire career throughout, I see them at conventions and I always bring it up, because it really helped me to understand that children need to experience play and life for themselves. I'm there to guide. I'm not there to teach them everything about it, because that's not how we learn. So I just wanted to thank them, and I wanted to bring it up to you, because it was really great seeing their book here at the convention.
Emily Garman: That's so meaningful for us to hear. And I know for the authors as well. So how many times have you been to NAEYC?
Ashley Coleman: This is actually my first time coming to NAEYC. Yes. And all the education years, I just never made it because it was always a trip. There usually wasn't funding present; there was this year, and I couldn't be happier. So there's 14 of us that came from our school and we're having a great time, just soaking it all in.
