Child care professionals share a commitment to improving society by creating dynamic and nurturing care environments for Australia's youngest learners.
This month's Child Care Person in the spotlight Ms Rebecca Hogan is well aware of the significant role she and other child care professionals have in moulding our future generations.
Her objective in setting up Gumleaf Gully was to create a home away from home where children and their families are welcome as part of the child care service but also as members of a tight knit and supportive community.
With her strong ideas about curriculum and a commitment to ongoing professional development Rebecca's story is a great example of what can be achieved by people willing to stick with their vision.
Gumleaf Gully Childcare - Burleigh Heads QLD
C4K: What is your full name?
RH: Rebecca Hogan
C4K: Which centre do you work in?
RH: I am the Owner/Licensee of Gumleaf Gully Childcare and Early Education Centre in Burleigh Heads on the Gold Coast.
C4K: How many staff and children are in the centre?
RH: I have an exceptional Director called Summer and we have a team of up to eighteen great teachers. We have 74 Children a day aged from six weeks -six years.
C4K: What is your professional background and career experience?
RH: I have a four year degree in Education/Teaching and a Diploma in Children's Services. For ten years I have taught in Queensland, New South Wales and in the United Kingdom, teaching Early Childhood Children, Primary School Children and High School Children.
C4K: What attracted you to a career in child care?
RH: I always wanted to be a teacher and to be involved with education. I am really passionate about educating children as I believe education is the key to success.
I believe Early Education is where it all begins so I felt the urge to go down this path along with the fact that I wanted to create my own haven which was nurturing, educational and fun, "a home away from home" for my own two children and for all the other families.
Being a mum and an Educator I knew what I wanted for my own children so now we have created an Early Education Centre with lots of love, learning, laughter, language and literacy for everyone.
C4K: What does a "normal" day look like for you?
RH: Every day is a crazy day balancing motherhood with a career as I"m sure all mums will understand! Being a hands on Licensee I wear many hats, my Director and I have a great partnership and work very closely together so we share many of the responsibilities and balance each other.
I endeavour to continuously lead by example by getting to know all my staff, children and their families, as this helps me understand what the centre needs and how we can provide it.
I am continuously updating, revising and creating educational programs, philosophies, procedures, policies, training and staff appraisals. My dream and goal is to have the best Early Education Centre in the country so I am always looking for innovative ways to do things and ways to lighten the paperwork load of my staff to enable them to spend more time with our children.
C4K: What makes your centre unique?
RH: Gumleaf Gully is a unique place and when people walk in for the first time they usually always say, "it just has a good feeling, a real homely feeling".
We have implemented an emergent style curriculum while adopting many Montessori principles into our everyday teaching. We endeavour to keep our centre as natural as possible by having timber furniture, lots of trees and plants, a vegie garden and by teaching our children to respect and appreciate our environment.
We have created our own "pre-prep" preschool program. After many years of teaching the first year of school I became very aware of the skills which children would benefit from before they started school. Our program focuses on developing these skills and helping children form and maintain relationships with their peers.
We have a great family network within the centre. For example at the moment one of our mums is undergoing chemotherapy so all the other mums at the centre have cooked for this family every night for the last three months – I think this speaks volumes about the sort of camaraderie we have at the centre.
C4K: What are some of the advantages of working in the child care sector?
RH: It really is a privilege to have such an impact on a child and the shaping of them. It's wonderful to watch the journey as our children grow and learn.
Another great advantage is the relationships with our parents who have now become part of our daily lives. Most of all I love the fact that I have contributed to the education of our next generation.
C4K: What are some of the biggest challenges facing the child care sector?
RH: Staff Retention and keeping up to date with changing curriculum, regulations and Government Legislations (CCMS) etc.
C4K: How has your centre changed to deal with these challenges?
RH: Within the child care industry it is a challenge to ensure staff retention. We are lucky that a large number of our staff have been at the centre for five-11years.
I think the key is to make sure your staff know you are genuine and value them by acknowledging their efforts and hard work. Keeping up-to-date with changing curriculum, regulations and Government Legislations is vital to ensure your centre runs smoothly and efficiently.
My Director and I are forever researching on the internet and doing professional reading to maintain and improve our leadership and learn new ways of doing things.
C4K: What advice would you offer someone thinking about a career or looking for a promotion in child care?
RH: Go for it!!! It is a wonderful career and a very rewarding one. I cannot stress enough how important it is to be passionate about working with children as early childhood teachers and workers have so much influence over the development of our children.
Enthusiasm and passion for learning is contagious so it is of the upmost importance that it is only enthusiastic and passionate people who are influencing our children. If that is you - enjoy every minute of it!
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