Buttercups Highgate

My personal philosophy has been shaped during my 25 plus years in the Early Education and Care sector, complemented by the evolution and implementation of the NQS and EYLF and alongside my own personal experiences of being a mum. During my time in the sector, I have had many opportunities to grow and upskill as an educator and in turn work with some amazing educators as a peer and mentor. Research shows that the first five years of a child’s life is the most crucial for brain development. It’s based on this evidence that I value the importance of my role of ensuring that every individual child that enters our centre will be met with an opportunity to learn and grow to their fullest potential before embarking on their school journey. All children should be recognised as partners and collaborators in their learning. As our children are our future leaders, I aim to be a role model encouraging sustainable practices through reusing, recycling, rethinking, and repurposing of resources, encouraging the children to become socially aware, show respect for the environment and be environmentally responsible. As an Early Childhood Educator, I recognise “Environment as The Third Teacher,” Based on this theory, I consider it’s extremely important to create a stimulating environment that provides opportunities to engage and foster a sense of ownership and respect along with opportunities for open-ended play, allowing educators to scaffold the children’s learning guided by each child’s individual interests, needs and uniqueness. I value and respect partnerships with families and recognise that they are the first significant and constant caregivers in children’s lives as the saying goes “It takes a village to raise a child,” valuing family to educator relationships will allow us to collaboratively work together.