GEKA McKinnon

Feeling a Sense of Community and Connection

Megan Wiwatowski, Early Childhood Educator

Starting a new job can be a challenging time. There are many new processes to learn and getting used to a new environment can take a while. But when you enter a workplace that is filled with supportive people, the process of settling in becomes much easier.  

I am the new three-year-old teacher at GEKA McKinnon Kindergarten, and I have been in this role now for one term. I felt a little nervous driving to work on my first day, as I was yet to meet any of the GEKA McKinnon team. But after meeting everyone on that first day, I immediately began to feel a sense of community and connection.  

The GEKA McKinnon team are approachable, willing to share their knowledge, and inclusive in their decision-making processes. They are open to new ideas and they are passionate about the work they do in early childhood. They have happily answered all of my questions thus far, and I sincerely thank them for this, as some days I ask a lot of questions!  

Not only have I felt supported by the team at GEKA McKinnon, but I have also felt supported by the wider GEKA community. One of the best things about working within a larger network of kindergartens is that there is a greater wealth of knowledge to draw from. I am thankful to work for an organisation that encourages me to ask for guidance when needed, and to grow as an early childhood professional by connecting with the people around me.  If someone at GEKA doesn't know the answer to a question, they are always able to point me in the direction of someone who does. Because of the support offered to me at GEKA, those first day jitters have long gone, and I am very much looking forward to the year ahead.