Miriam’s Journey To Excellence

Miriam pours her heart and soul into her work. She consistently goes above and beyond to deliver exceptional results, pushing herself to achieve new heights and make a meaningful impact.

Today she shares what it means to her to be a finalist for the Excellence Awards and shares her passion for her role as an Educator.

How do you feel about being a finalist?

I feel so privileged to be nominated and be a finalist for the Excellence Awards. It is a huge honour, of which I am very proud.

I have been an early childhood teacher for 29 years, had 2 children in amongst that time, and returned to the job I love. Having been voted by my co-worker peers who know me, see me in my role and the dedication and passion I feel, is particularly heartwarming and significant. Being valued, appreciated and respected is the icing on the cake!

What do you love about your job?

Being an early childhood educator, I think, is the best job in the world! It can be challenging, exhausting and loud, with the need for multi-tasking, eyes in the back of your head, the ability to embody multiple jobs in one (eg educator, nurse, cleaner, IT whiz, etc), creativity and imagination so you can make anything out of a cardboard box at a moment’s notice, plus patience, dedication, quick thinking, conflict resolution skills, the ability to work collaboratively and a sense of fun!

I love coming to work each day, anticipating children sharing anecdotes or important achievements with me, hearing children’s laughter, bouncing ideas off other educators, the sense of accomplishment and pride I feel in my role, plus the acknowledgment of the positive impact that my role represents.

Each day is different no matter how many years of teaching are under your belt, with every day presenting opportunities to inspire, encourage, challenge and make a difference in the lives of children and families.

As an educator I am passionate about setting up inviting and stimulating environments and activities, developing little scientists with inquiring minds, oral storytelling and fostering a love of books, building confidence, independence and resilience and most importantly having fun. When children are settled, engaged, thriving and having fun, I believe I am doing my job well!

Read more about careers with Only About Children:

From Trainee to Early Careers Manager, Meet Rosanne! – Only About Children (oac.edu.au)

Embracing Internal Opportunities At Only About Children – Only About Children (oac.edu.au)

Early Childhood – A Career Path Worth Exploring – Only About Children (oac.edu.au)

Early Childhood Education Careers | OAC