Professional Teaching Practices in Childcare: A Reflection

Running head: PROFESSIONAL TEACHING PRACTICES
PROFESSIONAL TEACHING PRACTICES
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Authors Note

1PROFESSIONAL TEACHING PRACTICES
Part A
Introduction
The first few years of growth of infants or young children is very significant as they grow and
develop gradually. The child develops in all areas like social, physical, cognitive, emotional and
language. Young people generally learn from the people and world around them by seeing, tasting
and smelling things. According to NCASS (2009), maintaining positive relationship and
communication with the baby enhances their growth and development speed. During my ten days
professional experience; I acknowledged that infants require more secure trust relationship with
their primary educator. This helps them to become confident learner and creates a sense of identity
and self development. When the baby feels secure and safe in their present environment they show
positive growth signs.
Four Significant Teaching /Learning Events
Event 1: Orientation Process
As a pre service teacher during my two weeks training period, I had good opportunity to
actively participate in the orientation process with the new children, their families and present staff
members. I was able to find different creative areas of the orientation process organized between
childcare centre and the kindergarten. Since this was the first time I was working around babies for
long hours .This was also the first time I contributed my professional teaching practice and engaging
orientation process with other educators. The seeds room had 27 new babies this year and 12
babies were enrolled per day. Second day of my placement I had opportunity to interview and
conduct induction process with the room leader for the new parents. Orientation process was very
flexible and went smoothly with the babies and their parents. On the first day at the centre the baby
and the parents were allowed to stay together for two hours. On the second day, the parents were
not allowed in the room.
According to the NQS (2017), standard 6.1 and elements 6.1.1 status there is an effective
enrolment and orientation process for families. Furthermore, I learned effective orientation process
is very important for the families, young children and to the educators. As quality care and best
practice is provided for the all the stakeholders. During the orientation process the room leader
introduced regular staff who worked there every day. Room routine, meals and snacks and child
special diet requirements and needs were looked after. While filling the enrolment form the
educators are informed if the child has allergies, any special medical condition (News You Can Use,
2010). They are informed about parent’s goals regarding their child, which needs to be fulfilled
within certain period. The room reader asked parents to fill a form about their child’s interest. It
included current development milestones, cultural background, and favourite foods. The food list
consisted information’s like, foods that the baby has not tasted. For example, a parent informed that
her baby can only eat vegetarian and dairy foods. Some parents mentioned no red meat were to be
allowed in the meal for their baby. I sat with a few parents during their orientation days. I noticed all
parents wanted to make sure that their baby is safe, secure and comfortable so that their child is

2PROFESSIONAL TEACHING PRACTICES
healthy. Seeds room set up smooth orientation strategies based on individual child needs,
respecting parent’s values and believes.
Event 2: Seeds Room Routines and Transition
During my professional experience period I had huge opportunity to actively engage in
babies’ regular routines .It was strategically set up for individual child according to their arrival time,
meal times, preparing formula, nappy changing and sleeping and rest times etc. I observed how
important smooth transition and routines affected the families, children and the educators. This
helped to build positive relationship with each other and acknowledged each party’s values and
respected their needs and interest. Especially when the baby is first time moved to the new care
setting away from the home environment. ACECQA (2017), stated quality areas 2; children’s health
and safety, element 2.1.2 each child comfort is provided for and there are appropriate opportunities
to meet each child’s needs for rest, sleep and relaxation. The example is in the seeds room educator
who works in early shift. Each child who is present is listed by the educator. The educator notes the
child’s sleep schedule, meal and bottle times etc. It helps other educators to identify and provide
best care according to the individual child needs. Each child has different sleeping patterns.
During my second week of placement we had an incident in which a mother came with her
seven month old baby on the second day of her orientation. The mother explained how her baby
needed to be put to sleep on the cot. She further mentioned about her baby’s habit to sleep on her
tummy. According to the (NCAC, 2011) fact sheet elaborates safe sleeping guidelines of babies.
Making babies sleep on their back is safe and provides better airway. Moreover, making them sleep
on their tummy is not a safe sleeping pattern as the baby might choke or vomit. The centre
coordinator asked how the baby sleeps and I explained the information provided by the child’s
mother. I also read out the safe sleeping fact sheet in the baby’s sleeping room displayed already.
After that coordinator had positive discussion with the mother, I explained centre sleeping practice
and also provided the NCAC safe sleeping fact sheet copy.
Learning through routines (2012), described young children are allowed to navigate and
continue challenge of learning and doing experiment with new things from the safe and comfort
boundaries that are created by routines. Routines help young children to learn what to expect at
different times in the day and children develop their confidence skills, social skills participating
regular meal times, music and dance and group activity. It also decreases their anxiety level making
them familiar with the new environment (Campbell and Jobing 2012).
I actively followed the room routine and sometimes I applied strategies that were best for
the child. I supervised the baby all the times and made them comfortable. During the first few days
with the young infants in the new setting and tried to build positive relationship. Learning activities
about each and every child helped me in understanding their needs and interest. As an example,
during the meal times I would try to talk to them and maintained eye contact while feeding them.
Learning Events 3:
Providing Age Appropriate Natural Recourses for Infants and
Toddlers
Natural resources are encouraging young children to explore and doing experiment by using
all their senses. Providing safe natural materials such as leaves, pine corn, soft wood pieces, flowers,
shell, rocks and feathers develops children’s curiosity. It also increases infant’s memory skills such as
recognising colours, shapes and mass of the items. Discovery (2002). Coonans Hill early learning