As early childhood education and care continues to evolve, the role of the lead educator has become increasingly important. We dive into the insights and experiences of lead educators, shedding light on what it takes to be a great role model.
Lead educators at Petit Early Learning Journey are instrumental in providing the children and their families with vital support. We discuss the role of the lead educator with Samantha McNeil from Petit ELJ Marian, Fiona Lane from Petit ELJ Coffs Harbour and Jaymie Edwards from Petit ELJ Burdell 2.
Whether youโre looking to start a career in early childhood education and care, seeking to advance your existing role or are simply curious about glimpsing the behind-the-scenes of early childhood education, our interviews offer a glimpse into the world of the lead educator.
We focus on:
- What is a lead educator?
- What are the qualities of a great lead educator?
- What are their responsibilities?
- A day in the life of a lead educator
- The most enjoyable aspects of our lead educatorsโ day
What is a lead educator?
A lead educator is sometimes referred to as a room leader at other early learning centres, preschools, kindergarten and family daycares. Lead educators are childcare professionals who lead and deliver the curriculum and educational program for a group of children in their care.
Lead educators at Petit ELJ support and are assisted by other educators within their studio. They also receive guidance and mentoring from the centreโs leadership team (made up of the centre director, assistant director and educational leader) and receive personal and professional development training from Petit ELJs Support Office. Every educator has access to Petit ELJโs Educator Portal.
The lead educator supports our service by playing a vital role in delivering a holistic approach to the education and care of children. They create meaningful relationships and connections with the children and their families by:
- Providing positive learning and care outcomes
- Supporting a child’s routines and rituals
- Developing a childโs positive self-identity and agency
Our lead educators contribute to the professional identity of Petit ELJ. They lead by example through mentoring, guiding and supporting studio educators.
The qualities of a great lead educator
“The qualities of a great lead educator is leading their team in a positive manner,” says Samantha McNeil, Lead Educator at Petit ELJ Marian. “It is important to have great communication between other educators,ย families and children. And to be a positive mentor for other fellow team mates.”
Fiona Lane, Lead Educator at Petit ELJ Coffs Harbour believes that a great lead educator is someone that:
- Leads by example
- Is an effective communicator
- Develops positive relationships with children and families
- Is passionate about early childhood education and children’s individual development
“They need to understand the importance of children’s milestones they need to achieve in their early years and how we help them to reach these,” says Fiona.
“The qualities of a great lead educator include being approachable and understanding,” says Jaymie Edwards, Lead Educator at Petit ELJ Burdell 2. “Lead educators need to develop transparent and open communication skills and the ability to multitask and delegate tasks and jobs. ”
A lead educator’s responsibilities
โSome of my responsibilities as a lead educator is to make sure that programs are planned and shared with families,โ says Samantha. โIt is my duty to ensure families within the centre and my studio are welcomed and feel a sense of belonging to our community.โ
โI mentor and share my knowledge with educators that may be starting within the industry and work alongside them to provide the best quality care.โ
โIt is my responsibility to lead the studio,” says Fiona, โand create relationships with the children, families and community. The lead educator is also responsible for creating environments to provide the children with valuable learning spaces. And we have a duty of care to follow all policies, procedures and regulations to ensure the health and safety of the children, their families, guests and other team members.โ
“As a lead educator,” says Jaymie, “my responsibilities include implementing and planning experiences, documenting observations, building meaningful and trusting relationships with children and families, and completing day-to-day tasks.”
A day in the life of a lead educator
โMy day starts by welcoming families into the studio and helping to settle the children on arrival,โ says Samantha. โI plan what our day of learning will entail with fellow educators, while observing and documenting their learning to share with their families.โ
โWe follow our rituals and make sure the childrenโs needs are cared for throughout the day. During sleep time we communicate with the families by posting photos and a story about the childrenโs day and the memorable moments we have noticed on Storypark.โ
โThen, we let the children play and learn in the afternoon before waiting for parents to arrive. Communicating with families about how their child’s day has been is important as it creates a safe and open relationship between us.โ
โI start the day touching base with the staff, setting my team up for success with our daily pow wow to ensure we all have the same expectations for the day,” says Fiona. โI talk to all of the families in the morning and set the room and yard up. I also set up daily provocations to engage children’s learning and interest.โ
โThroughout the day there are tasks such as nappies, settling and meal times. Our day is full of interactions and being with the children (which is my favourite part).โ
“I spend my days setting up enjoyable and engaging learning experiences to engage children in exploration,” says Jaymie. “I have observed and documented learning moments and witnessed and participated in meaningful conversations with the children.”
The most enjoyable aspects of our lead educatorsโ day
โThe most enjoyable aspect of being a lead educator for me,” says Samantha, โis providing children with ongoing learning experiences and watching them grow and learn while being their safe and secure person in the studio. The relationships with the families and children make my job rewarding.โ
โI enjoy seeing the children meeting milestones and observing their special moments,” says Fiona. โIt really is a lovely job and everything we do is worth it when genuine relationships are formed.โ
“For me, it is the flexibility throughout the day,” says Jaymie. “I enjoy the experiences with the children and supporting each child in their next area of development. I cherish being able to laugh and have fun with the children.”
Become an educator with Petit Early Learning Journey
At Petit Early Learning Journey there is never a dull moment. Our centre teams inspire each other to provide the best quality education and care for our children and families. We believe that the learning environment is a place of potential and possibilities – for the children and our centre teams too!
Our teams work collaboratively, sharing knowledge, experience and pedagogy to create a shared learning context that reflects their local community.
Are you seeking the next step in your early learning journey?
