My first contact is Ashleigh Smith and here is some information she sent about herself:
My
name is Ashleigh Jade Smith and I was born in Adelaide, Australia in 1993. I
have no brothers or sisters- I moved to Brisbane (Australia) with my mother at
the age of 3 and began my journey into the confident, independent, determined
and passionate person that I am today. My mother was always a hard worker, only
the best was ever enough. Owning and operating her own business as an
independent woman for over 10 years saw my mother become my idol and set the
standards high for where I wanted and needed to be.
I began my first part-time job at the age of
13 working in a local video store- at such a young age, I very quickly matured
and slowly developed my confidence as I was yelled at by unhappy customers and
able to resolve their issues and sometimes even manage a smile from them as I
developed quick thinking, problem
solving and conflict resolution skills. I worked 3-4 shifts during the week
straight from school and then also spent my weekends working hard and
developing the strong work ethics that I have today.
I
always had dreams of being a teacher- I loved helping people and I had a
passion for mentoring from a very young age. Grade 11 presented the opportunity
for me to undertake my certificate 3 in
Children’s services whilst also studying for an OP (Overall Position, a
number from 1-25 of ranks) to allow me to follow my dreams and gain entrance
into University after school to study my Bachelor of Primary Education.
I thought that studying the Cert 3, (Minimum
Australian Qualification requirement to work in an early learning centre) would
further ignite my passion and desire to become a teacher and drive my studies
towards gaining a tertiary qualification. I completed the theoretical component
of the course and began my practical placement in a early learning service for
only 2 days before I was offered a permanent position within the service whilst
completing my studies. During the two most crucial years of schooling, I worked
from 1:30pm until 6pm 5 days a week and very quickly fell in love with my ‘job’
as an Early Childhood Educator.
I finished school with an OP that allowed me direct entry into University to continue my studies and become the ultimate Primary School Teacher that I had always wanted to become. Instead, my path began to change as I became the Lead Educator of a Toddler age group which inspired me to become to best Early Childhood Educator that I could possibly become through further studies of early learning. I attained my Diploma of Children’s services a year later which again re-ignited my growing passion in Early Education and Care. I worked hard... actually no, I worked REALLY hard- Sometimes in excess of 12 hours a today often without a lunch break, without sick days and certainly without long periods of holidays. My family and friends told me to slow down, take a break- but that was never an option for me.
I finished school with an OP that allowed me direct entry into University to continue my studies and become the ultimate Primary School Teacher that I had always wanted to become. Instead, my path began to change as I became the Lead Educator of a Toddler age group which inspired me to become to best Early Childhood Educator that I could possibly become through further studies of early learning. I attained my Diploma of Children’s services a year later which again re-ignited my growing passion in Early Education and Care. I worked hard... actually no, I worked REALLY hard- Sometimes in excess of 12 hours a today often without a lunch break, without sick days and certainly without long periods of holidays. My family and friends told me to slow down, take a break- but that was never an option for me.
At
the age of 18 I bought my first house- something to show for the hard work that
I had put in. It was an amazing feeling although sometimes I wonder if I gave
up my ‘young & fun’ years for ‘hard work and commitment’ too early but then
I remember where I am now and I would never look back. Three years on at the
tender age of 21, I bought my second house, my now beautiful home- another big
achievement which I am so proud of. The commitment of two mortgages isn’t one
to take lightly. I’ve always persevered and when times got tough it was my strong
determination to succeed has helped me through.
Unexpectedly
this year, I finished in the Top 3 in Australia for an Early Education Industry
award called the National Rising Stars of the Early Education and Care industry
which is an annual award for Early Educators under the age of 25, judged by a
series of panellists who read initial submissions from families about the
candidates that they feel are a worthy recipient of the award. I was
shortlisted in to the final 100 and that was a big enough achievement for me- I
was ecstatic to be recognized by the families of the children that I care for
and truly appreciated the recognition that the individual nominations gave me.
I was asked to submit answers to about 10 questions which saw me through to the
next stage of the finals. The judges reviewed my nominations along with my
submission and shortlisted me in the Top 10 Australian finalists, representing
my home state Queensland. I then went on to complete phone interviews with the
panellists who then shortlisted to the final 3 candidates- myself included. I
was for the first time ever speechless! It was an amazing experience and I was
truly grateful for being held in such high regard. I didn’t take out the
overall National Title, but I was strongly advised by the judges to please
submit an application for the title the next year. The recognition of this
award has inspired me and truly pushed me to reach my full potential as an
Early Childhood Educator. I am always learning and reflecting on the amazing
journey that I have had so far and my goals of what I would like to achieve.
In between working full-time as a Lead
Educator and Educational Leader of my current long day care service, fulfilling
my sporting interests and of course a busy family life, I have decided to again
further my studies. I am currently studying my Cert IV in Training and
Assessment which will allow me, once qualified, to pass on my knowledge, my
learning and my passion to others in the Early Education Industry, something
that I am truly excited about.
I
cannot wait for more of the exciting adventures that life will bring me!
My second contact is Leonie Robinson and here is her information:
Hi here is my email i work at outside school hours care Mornington Australia Saint Maccartans primary school I am interested in all aspects of learning about other educators and their education techniques especially how to document children's
learning. also how other countries educate children and their practices. i look forward to following your blogs feel free to email me anytime regards Leonie
Poverty Insights:
More than 14.7 million children in America are poor, but they live in working families. A disproportionate number are Black and Latino. Poor children lag behind their peers in many ways beyond income: They are less healthy, trail in emotional and intellectual development, and are less likely to graduate from high school. Poor children also are likely to become the poor parents of the future. Every year that we keep children in poverty costs our nation half a trillion dollars in lost productivity, poorer health and increased crime (http://www.childrensdefense.org).
Poverty lead to more than just one problem, it builds and adds on to other. As shown above the increase in poverty leads to increase in poor health, crime and debt for our nation.
The latest official data on child poverty released September 16, 2014 shows that while child poverty dropped from 2012 to 2013 for the first time since 2000, nearly one in five children remain poor. While child poverty decreased for Hispanic, White and Asian children, Black children saw no decrease and continue to have the highest child poverty rate (http://www.childrensdefense.org).
One thing I see that we most try to find out why other races poverty rate is dropping and the African American rate saw no decrease and continues to be the highest. What is happing in this community that there is no positive change. How can we as educators help to battle the poverty rate within this community. Being an African American myself I plan to get more involved and try to help battle poverty within my race and community.
I am currently a member of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority Inc. and we do a lot of the community. We have programs that give out book bags with school supplies, every year called Operation Big Book Bag this is on of our national programs. We also have a Youth Symposium that we have ever year and educate children on STEM and we also have added Swim 1922 which educates children on water safety. African American have a high death rate due to water accidents.
I have reached out to my contacts to get their insights on poverty and their country and will add that information as soon as I receive it.
UPDATE:
Here is the my contacts response on poverty:
Poverty Insights:
More than 14.7 million children in America are poor, but they live in working families. A disproportionate number are Black and Latino. Poor children lag behind their peers in many ways beyond income: They are less healthy, trail in emotional and intellectual development, and are less likely to graduate from high school. Poor children also are likely to become the poor parents of the future. Every year that we keep children in poverty costs our nation half a trillion dollars in lost productivity, poorer health and increased crime (http://www.childrensdefense.org).
Poverty lead to more than just one problem, it builds and adds on to other. As shown above the increase in poverty leads to increase in poor health, crime and debt for our nation.
The latest official data on child poverty released September 16, 2014 shows that while child poverty dropped from 2012 to 2013 for the first time since 2000, nearly one in five children remain poor. While child poverty decreased for Hispanic, White and Asian children, Black children saw no decrease and continue to have the highest child poverty rate (http://www.childrensdefense.org).
One thing I see that we most try to find out why other races poverty rate is dropping and the African American rate saw no decrease and continues to be the highest. What is happing in this community that there is no positive change. How can we as educators help to battle the poverty rate within this community. Being an African American myself I plan to get more involved and try to help battle poverty within my race and community.
I am currently a member of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority Inc. and we do a lot of the community. We have programs that give out book bags with school supplies, every year called Operation Big Book Bag this is on of our national programs. We also have a Youth Symposium that we have ever year and educate children on STEM and we also have added Swim 1922 which educates children on water safety. African American have a high death rate due to water accidents.
I have reached out to my contacts to get their insights on poverty and their country and will add that information as soon as I receive it.
UPDATE:
Here is the my contacts response on poverty:
1 in 6 children - nearly 600,000 children - are living in poverty in Australia.
The number of children living in poverty is a growing issue in Australia. While Australia continues to thrive as one of the most established
countries in the world, an increasing number of our families are living 'below the line' of poverty. This socio-economic issue has re-emerged in the past 5-10 years as a major concern due to an increase in child specific poverty during these years. It is
evident that access to a high-quality early education program provides a significant basis from which important foundations of literacy, numeracy, learning, behaviours and future opportunities can be developed.
Most concerning, the most vulnerable children in the poorest communities suffer most. A
number of barriers deny families and young children the benefits of quality early childhood education in Australia. These include costs, transport, lack of places and lack of awareness of services available. The
Federal Government provides Special Child Care Benefits to assist families in meeting the costs of child care where children are at risk of serious abuse, neglect or financial hardship.
I personally have had many children come and go through my service who are living in poverty. Service policies and procedures are working towards closing the gap and providing equitable outcomes for all children although there is still certainly
a divide. Extra curricular activities, excursions, incursions and many community events are simply not affordable for many families- causing the divide and exclusion due to socio-economic status.
Ensuring equitable educational outcomes for each child is always a challenge, especially with the rising costs of early childhood services simply becoming unaffordable for families. Research from Harvard University economists again point to the
"long-term value of early childhood education, and especially the value of quality teaching in boosting learning outcomes and later earning potential," - it’s clear that Australia’s investment in early childhood services for families is a crucial step to
providing the best opportunities for our children of the future.
Kind Regards,
Ashleigh Smith
Ashleigh Smith
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