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“I feel confident that the future is bright for us as Early Childhood educators.”
Ms Soe Le Qi, Sheryl ECDA Training Award Recipient
ECDA Training Award Recipient - Soe Le Qi, Sheryl
Ms Soe Le Qi, Sheryl is an ECDA Training Award Recipient. The 20-year-old teacher at Little Skool House International (By-The-Vista) completed her Diploma in Child Psychology and Early Education at Ngee Ann Polytechnic.
Early Childhood Education has always been my calling. Ever since I was young, I would look up to all my teachers and emulate them, bringing home what I learnt in school and even pretending to be a teacher. My teachers inspired me to become a nurturing and dedicated preschool teacher and my love for the early childhood sector continues to grow as I witness the development of my children every day.
As an early childhood educator, my priority will always be the children. My philosophy is that every child is an effective communicator, capable of discovering his/her innate creativity and potential through interactions in a safe environment.
I started my journey to work with children in my Polytechnic days, where I served in the British Petroleum- Ngee Ann Polytechnic (BP-NP) Mentoring for 3 years, mentoring and guiding children. Aside from guiding them in their school work, we were also their confidante, offering a listening ear or crying shoulder whenever they faced challenges. I also volunteered at Fei Yue Service Centre (Yew Tee) as a centre coordinator and oversaw the operations of the tuition programmes to ensure that weekly lessons were conducted smoothly and the children’s needs well taken care of. During this time, I saw how simple words of encouragement could do wonders for their self-esteem. It affirmed my belief that we should empower our children to be confident individuals who can contribute positively to society.
Like many young early childhood educators fresh out of school, I encounter challenges at work too. Applying what we have learnt from school is not as easy as it seemed and there are a lot of trial and error. Some methods worked and some did not as every child is different. We constantly have to adapt and find new ways to improvise. For me, I constantly push myself to learn more, picking up knowledge and skills from my colleagues. I also try to research on new and effective methods to implement my lessons and it gives me great satisfaction when I see my children enjoy the activities planned.
A lot of emphasis is now placed on Early Childhood education. I feel confident that the future is bright for us as Early Childhood educators, be it in terms of career opportunities or greater respect from the public.
