Unknown to many, there is a lot of thought and rigour that goes into designing curriculum for and nurturing young children. There are also many childcare educators and professionals out there who are keen and ready to make a difference.
One such educator who has joined the early childhood education industry very early in her career, is Nurshahilah Bibi Bte Husin Shah. The 25 year-old chose to enter this field upon completing her studies at the Singapore Institute of Management. She had a business degree and had planned for a career in a related field. However, other options soon became available.
“When I graduated, the career options available included jobs in the finance industry. But I didn’t rule out a career in teaching, if the opportunity arose,” says Nurshahilah.
First steps toward a career in early childhood education
Such an opportunity soon came in the form of the WDA’s Singapore Workforce Skills Qualifications System for Early Childhood Care & Education (ECCE WSQ).
Nurshahilah recalls: “I’ve always had an interest in children and believed in the need to inculcate good values in them. When I came across the Professional Diploma in Early Childhood and Care Education (ECCE) during my job search, I realized it was a good opportunity to learn more about the early childhood profession.
Personally, I enjoy being in the company of children and I could see myself as an early childhood educator. I felt I should not wait too long, and through ECCE WSQ, I’d get a head start to plan my career path.
The course equipped me with the skills to nurture young children. After going through the course, I wanted to play a bigger role in impacting the lives of the children in my care. Hence, I took up the Specialist Diploma in ECCE.”
Through the two ECCE WSQ courses at SEED Institute, Nurshahilah went through key modules that resonated with her. She says: “I like the way the course was being conducted. Classes were very interactive with lots of discussions and presentations. I learnt about the importance of play and skills development in early childhood and how to plan, implement, evaluate and design curriculum for my children. There were also a lot of hands-on learning experiences and field trips that were helpful in allowing us to gain a first-hand understanding of the knowledge and concepts taught.”
Care and Nurture
Currently working at PPIS Child Development Centre in Pasir Ris, Nurshahilah feels that the training she receives has helped her understand that every child under her care is unique and has different learning needs, learning styles, dispositions and behavior. As such, Nurshahilah takes the effort to devote individual attention to her students and to divide her time between all the children under her care.
Through the training she received, she has also picked up on how certain common practices that are popular among parents might not be helping their children’s development.
“One common practice I notice is that parents tend to just give their children toys to play on their own. I learnt that simply providing materials and toys will not be meaningful if there is no proper scaffolding and facilitation by adults in their environment. Adults play an important role in allowing children to acquire language, extend their knowledge, develop their creativity and promote their problem solving skills. Hence, parents should find time to play with their children to make the play experience meaningful,” says Nurshahilah.
Another taken-for-granted practice noted by Nurshahilah, is that parents try to overload or “hothouse” their children in the attempt to prepare them for their next stage of development.
“I learnt that this practice is ineffective and may even hamper children’s holistic development. Children should be provided with age-appropriate activities and materials. They should be allowed to play and enjoy their childhood in a non-stressful environment that allows them to thrive so that they can enjoy learning.”
The Right Direction
Having gone through the ECCE WSQ courses, Nurshahilah is certain that such courses can help more early childhood educators to be more equipped and confident in their role to teach and nurture young children.
With more and more of professionals such as Nurshahilah at the forefront, parents can take heart that their children receive quality care, and that our early childhood education industry is indeed headed in the right direction.
Nurshahilah concludes: “With more early childhood educators going for such courses and professionally upgrading themselves, parents will feel secure that their children’s care and education are of a high standard. When they leave their children in the care of professionally-trained and qualified teachers, they know their children are learning and developing holistically and not just being looked after.
Nurshahilah concludes: “With more early childhood educators going for such courses and professionally upgrading themselves, parents will feel secure that their children’s care and education are of a high standard. When they leave their children in the care of professionally-trained and qualified teachers, they know their children are learning and developing holistically and not just being looked after.
One common misconception is that childcare teachers only play the role of babysitters to look after the routines of the children such as napping, toileting, showering and meal times.
While care is one component of a childcare teachers’ responsibility, we also play an important role in shaping the children’s values and learning abilities to equip them for the next stage of their development. How children develop between the ages of two to six, are being nurtured and scaffolded will set the next stage of their lives. I hope parents recognize that early childhood educators play this very important role.”
For more information on training opportunities in the Early Childhood Care & Education,
click here.
Please visit WDA Facebook to leave your suggestion.