Written by Emily Press
International Day of Education is the 24th of January!
I chose to complete a Bachelor of Education, Early Childhood and Primary through Charles Sturt University as I knew I wanted to work alongside children. Prior to commencing my degree, I worked in out-of-school-hours-care and loved the interactions I had there.
I also have three younger siblings and growing up I was always encouraged to be involved and loved playing teachers with them, but working at an out-of-school-hours-care service was where I first seriously considered that I could become a teacher.
In my experience life as an Early Childhood Teacher is never dull, and studying through Charles Sturt, I found my lecturers to be inspiring, knowledgeable, and supportive throughout the whole process. So here are 3 reasons you should consider an early childhood teaching career!
1. Teaching is an incredibly rewarding career
Like many careers, teaching is a job where you only get out what you put in. I have found that letting myself be playful, creative and a little bit silly has allowed me to develop the best connections with the children in my care.
By joining in children’s play, it is incredible to see them interact with each other, build upon their prior knowledge and converse with their peers about the world around them. Helping children to thrive in their early childhood is also considered a critical part of education as it lays the foundation for all future learning.
2. You could be having more fun!
As an Early Childhood Teacher, I feel like this industry is so slept on, whilst teachers educate and empower, we are having so much fun doing it. While there is plenty of nitty gritty, there are also many playful moments which pass the days by so quickly and with a whole lot of laughter. As the old saying goes “children say the darnedest things”, and I find myself spending plenty of time in awe of some comical geniuses, trapped in the bodies of children.
While we are teaching children to develop a love for learning, we read shelves full of the most outrageous, entertaining and “silly” books, and sing and dance to crazy, fabulous and very niche songs. All I’m saying is that if you aren’t dressing up for Book Week and the A-Z vehicle song isn’t part of your repertoire, you could be having more fun!
3. Children are incredibly bright and know more than you think
One thing I have learnt from completing hands-on workplace learning placements through Charles Sturt is to have high expectations of student’s capabilities. By joining in their play and conversations, I am constantly blown away by children’s knowledge and perspectives of the world around them. Not only are they interesting, they also are genuinely curious about the world around them, unapologetically themselves and a refreshing source of positive company.
Charlie Blog is a SSAF funded initiative
