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“Never underestimate the impact an early childhood educator can have on children.”
Ms Kassandra Cher ECDA Training Award recipient
The Impact Of Early Childhood Education
Kassandra Cher is a ECDA Training Award recipient and Early Childhood educator from NTUC First Campus Pre-school.
My work is important because it moulds our children who will shape the success of Singapore."
Like many new early childhood educators out there, I faced challenges in my transition from a student to a full-time working adult. I realised that there were additional skillsets that I needed to acquire in order to adapt and excel in my new role as an early childhood educator. Besides the adjustment, I also felt the pressure of the sudden responsibility in taking care of the young children under my charge.
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Since young, I have always enjoyed being around children. I cherish their genuineness and simple love and trust in people. The interest and passion to inspire and bring out the best in them motivated me to take up the Diploma in Early Childhood Studies in Temasek Polytechnic and the Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA) Training Award. The course equipped me with the knowledge to guide and connect with children. During my studies, I participated actively in various community events, such as Blood Donation Drives and the Poly Open House. I also benefitted from the many features of the ECDA Training Award, including the Job Emplacement Programme. It provided me with support and information to assimilate smoothly into the sector. As a fervent believer that each child is a unique individual with different needs, I see patience as one of the utmost important traits that an excellent early childhood educator should possess. Some children will adapt well in new surroundings while others may take a longer time to warm up. Hence, it is vital that an educator patiently puts in the extra effort to understand and meet the diverse needs of every child.
One challenge I encountered as a beginning early childhood educator is gaining the trust of parents. Owing to my young age, some doubted my ability. However, through regular communication and interaction, they gradually got to know me better and placed their trust and confidence in me. Now, we share strong teacher-parent rapport.
Seeing the children's growth and achievement gives me a great sense of accomplishment. I hope that my resilience and positivity will inspire and motivate many young minds, both children and aspiring early childhood educators alike!
ABOUT THE ECDA TRAINING AWARDS
