Open letter from Dr Lesley Jones, Head of Pedagogy and Practice
To our early childhood teachers in our Affinity Education Group community and across Australia,
Today is a day to recognise who you are, and to acknowledge the important role you have in the lives of young children who will shape Australia’s future.
On World Teachers Day, there is understandably a focus on discussing the very real challenges that our ECEC profession face, and recognition are valid for myself, and within Affinity Education Group, we are working hard to provide the support you deserve and to remove obstacles that may be in your way.
However, today is also an opportunity to acknowledge the positive impact you are having as an early childhood teacher and the value you have to our organization and profession at large.
I am inspired when I enter an early learning classroom and see the amazing evidence of the work that you are leading with children to ensure that they develop foundational learning skills such as numeracy and literacy and are socially competent and emotionally resilient and well-rounded children.
In our School Readiness Kindergartens and Preschools, every day is an opportunity for fun and learning, and you capture these moments in creative and meaningful ways. I am delighted as I travel Australia and see the impact of our Lifelong Learning Curriculum, incorporating child-led investigations, and the richness of the intentional teaching including Big Thinkers STEM, foundational learning and the integration of meaningful technology to support children's learning.
We see them graduate as capable, confident learners, ready to graduate to ‘Big School’ and set up with a genuine love of learning which will benefit them for their entire lives.
Please know you are valued, and deeply loved by families and children. Your opportunity to inspire and be inspired is meaningful to us all. After more than 30 years in the early education and care sector, I will never tire of saying, thank you to our teachers.