Thriving Together: Growing a Culture of Care & Support
I still remember my first day stepping into the classroom for early childhood students at SUSS. I felt a mix of excitement and uncertainty. On one hand, I was thrilled to have been accepted into the programme; on the other, I felt hesitant and unsure. With no prior experience in early childhood education, one question lingered in my mind that day: Is this the right path for me?
As I began the programme, I was immediately awe-struck by the beauty of early childhood education. Whether it was intrinsic motivation, play-based learning, or the integration of children’s interests and needs - it was incredible how teachers could seamlessly incorporate so many key elements into their daily curriculum and interactions with the children. I soon found myself inspired by the wonderful mentors I encountered in the field, as well as by the faculty members and classmates.
However, I also quickly realised that the skills I aspired to develop could not be built overnight. There was so much to learn, and from time to time, I found myself doubting whether I could ever achieve all that I aspired to. There were days when I reflected and felt that I was lacking in many ways, and often I doubted whether I had set goals that were too far out of reach.
In moments of doubt, it became clear that the culture of care and support from faculty members and my fellow classmates played a pivotal role in enabling me to grow and thrive as a student.
When you are surrounded by an environment where kind words and actions are always present, you not only learn how to better care for yourself and others, but also develop a positive disposition, gain a hopeful outlook, and nurture an inner voice of assurance.
One takeaway that continues to fuel my drive to grow came from a heart-to-heart session with a faculty member: "We don’t have to learn everything in one day. Just one is enough. It could be about early childhood, your student, others, or even something about yourself."
"We don’t have to learn everything in one day. Just one thing is enough. It could be about early childhood, your student, others, or even something about yourself."
Seven years later, I now understand that growth is a never-ending journey, and each of us grows at our own pace. There is no way to know with certainty if the path we choose is the "best choice" at any given moment. However, with the guidance of a strong support system and a caring community, it is possible to grow, thrive, and become a better version of ourselves.
Even as we have all grown and left the nest, I will always be grateful to the community at SUSS for providing me with a strong foundation–and most importantly, for being a safe place that we know we can always return to find support–or often to simply reconnect and catch up over sessions of play.
