Glen Education St Patrick's
Joyful Moments
Carol Vassiliou, Early Childhood Teacher
Liz Polymeropoulos, Early Childhood Educator
Yuliati Susilo, Early Childhood Educator
As a service we have shared various moments of ways we have experienced, defined, and found joy in our careers as early childhood educators. Collectively as a team we have shared moments that have defined JOY, which has sustained us, has made our work worthwhile and of inestimable professionalism and personal value. Joy is an occupational hazard.
There are a lot of moments of ‘joy’ in early childhood education; if you have been in the field for long enough, you have experienced ‘joy’ regularly. Like most occupations, in a way ‘joy’ sustains you and fulfills you in your role. It presents itself when working with children when you lose yourself in ‘being in the moment with them’ and enjoy this time without the intention of documenting, recording, taking a photo and those aspects that can interfere with ‘being in the moment’ and as an educator, you are attuned to a lot that is occurring in your environment.
When an educator is naturally in the moment with a child or children, it also allows the child to engage in life’s joys and experience ‘Being’, ‘Becoming’ and ‘Belonging’ with a sense of ease and how it should be.
Recently, I experienced ‘joy’ when the children were participating in a Yoga experience. I asked the children if I could join in. The children were keen for me to be involved and a child made room for me to have my own space near them. I took a different role in the play where instead of facilitating it I purposefully was a part of it. The children respond positively to my engagement and there was a sense of serenity, where I could just ‘Be’ with the children. This moment, although brief, gave me fulfillment and peace and it’s a reminder of why you do what you do.
As an educator at Glen St. Patrick's kindergarten, I have observed beautiful moments of JOY with the children, when arriving in the morning feeling happy, smiling and their parents expressing how their child looks forward to coming to kinder, wishing they could attend the same kinder every day, hearing this puts a smile on my face too. Joy boosts learning in children’s ability especially when they are calm and happy this allows them to absorb new information/experiences.
It’s a joy to give children encouragement and support when children are faced with a new challenge whether it be to complete a puzzle or participate in a game with a group of children.
On the same premises as St. Patrick's School, Glen St. Patrick's Kindergarten is a new service. Observing the children as they transition from Glen Murrumbeena Kindergarten, has given them a sense of safety and security knowing their siblings are at the primary school. Siblings from the school would regular ask their educators to take their brother or sister outside to say hello during outdoor play. As the children talked and hugged through the fence, hey felt happy. On many occasions its being a Joy for me as an educator to hear the children’s voices with their siblings saying “I love you; I will see you after school”, “I feel happy to know and see my sister through the fence”, “I feel happy I get to see my sister at school from my kinder”, “I feel good and I love my brother, outside the kinder room, my brother makes me feel special”.
Positive attention and responding to children with warmth helps children feel secure and valued. This is important for children’s development and gives confidence to the children as they explore their world.
As an educator, my heart fills with joy as I spend time with children. Simple morning greetings accompanied by their bright smiles never fail to uplift my day. It touched my heart when a child unexpectedly said, "I love you". It reminded me of how fortunate, I am to work with caring and affectionate children, making me feel grateful.
Another source of joy in my work is witnessing the children's accomplishments. Seeing them master small tasks, like tying up their own hair, writing their names, or zipping up their jackets, fills me with immense pride and satisfaction. These moments are a testament to their growth and development, and they reinforce the meaningful impact we have as educators.
Watching the children actively engage and enjoy the activities we've set up brings an incredible sense of fulfillment. Knowing I am helping children’s learning and development brings me Joy, knowing they are being well prepared for school and their future.
Fostering an environment where laughter and fun are encouraged is essential. Children naturally gravitate towards JOY, and I wholeheartedly embrace that spirit. When I make a silly mistake or misunderstand something, I join in their laughter and show them that it's okay to make errors, as long as we learn from them. This builds a positive and supportive atmosphere where children feel comfortable exploring and taking risks in their learning journey.