Emily has worked in long day care for the past seven years. “Not one day is the same,” said Emily, “Each day is so varied, with different children, and I enjoy seeing the group dynamics change daily.”
As an early educator, Emily focuses on building basic learning skills for each child. “I enjoy seeing children develop foundations and stepping stones, setting them up for further learning later in life.”
One part of building basic learning skills includes dramatic play, or role play, where the children use their imagination to take on roles such as an occupation or different activities they see in the community or in the home. “Watching the children come up with the ideas and even if they don’t know what they’re talking about, they make it work, they just run with something and make sense of it. To an adult, at first, that’s not what we’re trying to say here, but they know where they’re trying to lead it and they get there in the end,” said Emily.
Emily loves working at the newly refurbished Newcastle West centre, and also sees value in working for a relatively new early education organisation. “St Nicholas has a fresh perspective on child care and takes a lot of pride in the people they employ and ensuring the people they do employ are dedicated to working not only with the children, but the families as well,” said Emily.
Emily is also keen to keep her skills up-to-date and regularly participates in professional development opportunities at St Nicholas. “We have another professional development day coming up in May, with Reggio Emilia, we’re all looking forward to,” said Emily, “We’re always looking at bettering the service we provide.” Reggio Emilia is an approach focused on educational philosophy that constantly facilitates new ways of learning.
If you’re interested in enrolling your child at St Nicholas Newcastle West or St Nicholas Singleton, you can apply now at the St Nicholas website. St Nicholas is also opening two brand new centres in 2017, at Chisholm and Cardiff. Waitlist applications are also open for those new centres, apply today!
Watch a video below of Emily sharing why she loves being a teacher at St Nicholas.