Carrie Harding answering ‘Why am I so passionate about working in the early years ?’

When I was completing my Level 3 I was on a placement and my mentor told me the most valuable lesson I still hold close to my heart today she said:

‘These children may only be a part of your day or job, but to them, you are their childhood, you are their attitude to education, you will be remembered in 30/40 years’ time’

At first I never understood, I questioned into how I (a small timid student) could be remembered in 40 years’ time. But now I am teaching practitioners into how to make an impact on a child’s early life and how they will be remembered. Learning is fun and children inherit curiosity.  The brain is programed to absorb more information when they are at a high level of emotion, this is why children always remember the fun things or ‘unplanned moments’. I aim in guiding my staff in every setting into delivering a fun filled day where everything they do and provide is delivered with positivity and enlightenment, the children should be going home at the end of the day absolutely exhausted! That is when you know you have done a good job!

Today in the early years we are preparing these children for an ever so changing world, and we are preparing our children for jobs that do not even exist yet. We want them to remember the fun learning choices they made so they can become resilient critical thinkers. Every child deserves the opportunity and best start in life, so all the late nights and all the hours spent on paperwork and training makes it all worthwhile when you see that child achieving.

So you ask ‘why are you so passionate’ and I will say, ‘I was a part of a child’s first steps today’ or ‘I was there when a child rode a bike for the first time that they had been practicing so hard to achieve’. It’s the little things to me, but the life milestones for the children.