Hi there, I’m Maria Amparo. I am from Spain and recently joined WMB Childcare Limited I’m based at the company’s Head Office at Carisbrook Day Nursery as a Nursery Practitioner. It is exciting and fun working with the children and other staff members.
I would like to talk to you about my work with children, how we transmit joy and love with each other. This is helping us create pleasant conducive environment to learning.
My experience in education in Spain was mainly with primary and secondary school children. I also had the opportunity to work as a babysitter whilst working in a nursery. This provided me with the necessary experience relating with children of different needs and age range.
I started in the toddler room at Carisbrook Day Nursery. I worked with other staff for 9 months. During this period, I was able to develop my creativity and imagination skills. My manager supported me to achieve all these. She did several one-to-one supervision and work reviews. These had impact on my learning planning for the children.
Relocation from Spain to the UK was a challenging one for me. Even though I have a Master’s degree in Teaching and have a QTS, the language barrier was an initial struggle and constraint. Andrew, the Chief Executive Officer of WMB Childcare Ltd gave me a chance. He encouraged and gave me the necessary support and tools which enhance my confidence to develop my language skills rapidly. I took time to develop myself because I needed to give the children the best of care and learning. I integrated with other staff and I can say that Carisbrook staff team is fantastic. The staff mix is multicultural and they have strong work ethic. Spanish is now an area of strength for me in the company. I can say now, that each day I spend with the children has helped me a lot. They give me joy and love all the time and I hope I have been able to reciprocate the same. Like my peers, those who learn every day, share experiences and work as a team.
Given my excellent work review with my Manager, I was transferred to the pre-school room. In the pre-school, we created activities that will help develop and improve the skills of our children. These skill are necessary for them to adapt when they go to school. We focus on Maths (counting, counting objects, recognising numbers), Literacy (recognising letters, writing their names, creating ends of stories) and Understanding the world (manipulate ingredients to cook, understand the environment, the four seasons, good manners, and the festivities of each season, such as Christmas or Valentine’s day).
We do weekly observations of every child. This involves activities prepared and spontaneous observations. This helps in knowing the children. All documented observations and learning developments are shared with the parents.
Since last month, we have been involving parents giving them a homework sheet every week, so they know what we worked in class and what they can practice with their children at home. Every time I come up with a new activity, the children are motivated and show a willingness to learn. This in-turn keeps me motivated and encouraged. This is the shot of energy that keep me going and working.
Every morning when I entered the room, they greet me with hugs and smiles, ready to start a new day, a day full of games, learning, laughs, and love. I am grateful to God for having guided me to WMB Childcare Ltd and who has helped change the lives of many children. The energy that children transmit and the good atmosphere of teamwork, make work fun in a challenging but satisfying job. I have now come to the realisation that in Childcare, no matter what day of the week it is, whether Monday or Friday, the most important thing is to enjoy every second of the day with the people who have now become your family in the nursery and in your new country.