At a time of significant staff shortage and challenges in the early childhood sector, it is worth pausing to recognise the substantial contribution of the Vocational Education and Training (VET) sector. Every day, across Australia, hundreds of students under their trainer and assessor’s guidance are working towards Certificate III and Diploma qualifications. The image was […]
Engaging children in a conversation on active supervision Active supervision of children is an integral part of quality early childhood education and care. Educators fulfil their essential ethical and professional responsibilities to ensure that children are safe, secure and positively included in experiences that maximise their learning and development. Educators are made aware of this […]
In this article, Lennie Barblett, Sandra Cheeseman and Catharine Hydon emphasise children’s right to learn through play no matter the age. Additionally, they suggest that all educators lead and be articulate in their advocacy of play-based pedagogies for children’s learning, development and wellbeing. At the 2021 Early Childhood Australia National Conference, we spoke about leading […]
‘We welcome everyone and respect every person’s right to belong’. Early childhood professionals say this all the time. It’s one of our sector’s dearly held mantras. Every day, through our words and actions, we endorse this sentiment. Pre-service teachers introduce it to their students and assess their competency to enact it. Leaders remind their teams […]
No Jab, no p(l)ay: The ethics of vaccination for early childhood educators Catharine Hydon in Conversation with Trent Moy Over the past 18 months of this global pandemic, early childhood educators have navigated a myriad of ethical challenges. We have seen temperature checks for children replace warm hugs and lingering conversations. Parents were barred from […]
Catharine Hydon speaks to Jean Eden who is retiring after 44 years in the early childhood sector. A chance conversation got me thinking. How does an early childhood professional sum up their career as they prepare to step into retirement? How does the legacy of decades of hard work and dedication to the wellbeing of […]
Catharine Hydon and Kerrie O’Neill share nine compelling reasons why now is the time for students studying early childhood education and care to be in services doing placement. It’s been bubbling for months but do you realise the gravity of the problem? The niggling concern identified by the pre-service sector that many students have not […]
This is the third in a series of blogs by CATHARINE HYDON on the idea of professionalism in times of uncertainty—a conversation worth having. This blog explores how early childhood professionals can tune into families even when there are questions we can’t answer and futures we can’t know drawing on a professional code of ethics. Find […]
What is a professional to do? CATHARINE HYDON asks when events outside of our control upend all our professional certainties and make the present and the future complex and hard to navigate. This blog considers another angle on professionalism in times of uncertainty—a conversation worth having. Scroll down to find other blogs in the series and […]
The role of early childhood education and care in the social and political life of our nation has never been more apparent. As the national conversation about changing the date of Australia Day accelerates—and, at least in some quarters, becomes a topic of lively and respectful debate—early childhood educators are participating and many are pausing […]
