At Big Fat Smile, our teams have a front-row seat to the latest research and thinking on early childhood education. From 17th to 20th September 2024, 11 representatives from across our organisation attended the 2024 Early Childhood Australia (ECA) National Conference, held at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre. Our team, representing Long Day Care, Term Only Preschools, Fun Clubs, and Head Office, spent four days immersed in insightful presentations, professional networking, and discussions that are shaping the future of early childhood education in Australia.
Realising the Vision for an Integrated Future
The theme of this year’s conference, ‘Realising the Vision: An Integrated Future for the Early Years’, emphasised the pivotal role of early childhood education. With the early years now at the forefront of policy reform, this was a crucial opportunity for educators and sector leaders from across Australia to influence and advocate for child-centric change for our sector.
The conference featured a range of inspiring and thought-provoking keynote presentations:
- Professor Alison Clark shared her research on ‘slow practices’ in early childhood education, drawing from case studies in Scotland, Norway, Iceland, and Japan. Her presentation encouraged educators to rethink how they value and structure time in children’s learning experiences.
- Joe Brumm, creator of Bluey, captivated the audience with a keynote on the power of storytelling focusing on socio dramatic play.
- Professor Iram Siraj shared deep insights into pedagogical leadership, emphasising on the importance of ‘being an educational leader in the moment’.
- Aunty Denise Proud and Dr. Melinda Miller delivered a compassionate address on A Decolonising Pedagogy, furthering our understanding barriers to access to Early Childhood Education for first nation’s children and families and how to incorporate Aboriginal perspectives into early childhood education.
One of this year’s conference delegates, Natasha Michailow (Early Childhood Teacher at Kenny Street Community Preschool (0-5) shares per presenter highlight:
‘The speaker that stood out the most to me was Professor Alison Clark. Her presentation on slow pedagogy gave us permission to embrace the importance of slowing down. She encouraged reflection around what is seen as a ‘waste of time’ and by whom and ‘are we making the best use of children’s time’. Professor Clark left me feeling excited to bring these thoughts and concepts of celebrating the joys and wonders of everyday moments back to my team’.
Empowered to Make a Real Difference
This year’s ECA conference reinforced Big Fat Smile’s commitment to providing high-quality early childhood education that supports both children and families.
Through sharing of knowledge across teams, Big Fat Smile create an environment where every staff member feels valued and supported.
Natasha reflects on how she will support the learning and development of her team at Kenny Street Community Preschool:
‘The most valuable piece of advice I gained was to remember to give myself and my team permission to slow down, go on those journeys with the children and ensure my choices allow children’s voices to be heard. I’ll be taking these ideas to my team at Kenny Street Community Preschool to see what resonates with us and adapt our practices to create change’.
As we return to our daily roles across the organisation, we are energised to implement what we’ve learned, continue championing inclusion of all children, and supporting our workforce in making our children’s world a better, brighter place.
If you’re looking for an organisation that’ll help you grow, get better and solve problems: together, then look no further! We’re always on the lookout for upcoming Trainees and experienced Early Childhood Educators, Teachers and Centre Directors for our long day care and term only preschools in the Illawarra, Southern Highlands, Goulburn and Sydney areas.
Search our current jobs here, or learn more about the benefits of working at Big Fat Smile here.