Karen has been a Early Childhood Teacher at Choklits Child Care Ringwood for several years. She has a Post Graduate Diploma of Early Childhood Teaching and a Bachelor of Primary and Secondary Teaching. Karen has experience as a primary school teacher and enjoys early childhood teaching, particularly at the kinder stage of development but is comfortable working across all rooms. She began her love of teaching children as a swimming teacher and carried this out, on and off, for 20 years.
Over to Karen…
I love working in early childhood because I am passionate about passing on my values to others through teamwork, positive relationships, and play. These values include health (mental and physical), respect, family and friends.
I enjoy interactions with children that lead to learning and laughter and satisfaction when I have scaffolded learning for a child in just the right way for them to connect with it.
While I am sometimes known to create a new or modified experience, I also seek familiar activities such as singing and dancing, play dough, reading a book, cooking, colouring in and playing with a ball.
I enjoy a sense of camaraderie when working as part of a team of teachers and families to achieve common goals for children together.
I am proud of my achievements in teaching and work hard to maintain ongoing professional development in areas of interest to me. Becoming a mother, 7 years ago, was the best thing ever but I also the hardest as I suffered with bad post-natal anxiety. Upon recovering, I have received a new sense of self and purpose that is reflected in my teaching.
When I am not at Choklits, I enjoy playing with my two children, shopping, swimming, movies, baking, nature, simplicity and time with family and friends.
Some lovely children’s words include “you look beautiful,” “I love you”, “Will you be my best friend”. There were plenty of amusing comments when I was getting married and when I was pregnant too…
