Vivian Takes On The Early Years

For Vivian, receiving the award was a case of "pure luck". "I didn't think much of it, because every year, they would ask us to apply," she recalls. Nonetheless, when one considers the circumstances in which she was assessed for this award, it certainly reflects more than luck.

Her interview was on the same week as her Centre's SPARK evaluation, her Mandarin co-lead teacher (Laoshi) was visiting family back home, and there were up to 8 other adults observing her in her Nursery 1 classroom. "It was terrifying for my children!" she exclaimed. Performing her best even with all these external factors weighing down her had to be no easy feat!

As I sat down with Vivian, SUSS Alumni from Cohort 2 (2018), to chat about receiving the Promising Early Years Educator Award in October 2023, I couldn't tell that she just finished a full shift at Little Skool-House@One Marina Boulevard - she was jovial and energetic upon meeting, authentically sharing her experiences from the get-go.

"It's a good recognition - like I'm going the right way," she shares. "It's nice to know that whatever you put into the classroom is being seen by others as well. That’s a good feeling. And that my children are doing okay."

Listening to her look back on the year, what struck me was not only Vivian's strength in overcoming the challenges head-on, but her ability to critique her strategies and methods. Vivian's achievement of this award is a story of adaptability, led by reflection and eagerness to improve her pedagogical skills.

Uncertain Beginnings

Vivian is not shy to admit that she was hesitant about taking on an Early Years class (for reference: Early Years implies the Playgroup (1-month) and N1 (2 to 3-year-old classes)). Her internships were always with the N2 classes and above, so she had never worked with this age group before.

"The first thing that comes up in people’s minds—lots of screaming, lots of crying... Diapers! How am I going to settle the younger ones when they’re screaming and crying? It gets to you, especially when you’re new and there’s a lot at a time," she says.

"When I first joined a toddler class, it was very chaotic. It was supposed to be a three-man show, but I felt like an assistant teacher... I didn't know what was going on. I’m new, fresh, people had been there before..." she reveals. “Oh my goodness, it was a mess! I didn’t know where to start. I didn’t like that period. There's not much I could do. I wanted to do more, but I didn’t want to infringe my thoughts. You’re new, right, and people might think otherwise... So, I played by ear a lot."

Things began changing when she was assigned her first official PG class in 2022. "My school’s curriculum focused a lot of relationship-building. I appreciate that— we don’t always have to force an activity on a child. I focus a lot on building that bond with them first," she explains. "We only had three children [from August to December]. We set a really good foundation with the three. So every child that came after followed suit."

It's clear that Vivian takes pride in the progress of her first batch of young toddlers—she proudly shares that by June, her toddlers were attempting big tasks like taking their own pants off during diaper changes. This simple task compelled her to take "a step back and reflect".

"Actually, taking off pants has so many steps. It’s a lot of rephrasing the words and guiding them to the next step. It really helped me in framing what I needed to say. When you’re with older children, you’re very wordy. When I first started [with toddlers], they would just give me a look and walk away. That’s when I come back to my senses," she tells me.

Growing in Confidence

Her reflections continued as she shared that when she moved up with the same PG class to N1, her class doubled in size. She had merged classes with the next-door PG class. Not only that, but her Centre was experiencing manpower shortage - a story we are all familiar with! - so it was just her and Laoshi.

This new teacher-child ratio propelled her to improve her classroom management skills. "I learnt what 'firm' is," she shares. 'I didn't want to come off as fierce. But I realised they climbed all over me. But I really didn't know what 'firm' meant." As she worked closer together with her new Laoshi, she began to get "a better sensing of what 'firm' is". "When we play with the children, we really play! When it came to lessons, it was time to listen. That’s where we got the boundaries right," she says.

Environmental set-up was something else she "took a while... to get a hang of". "It’s so difficult! Sometimes whatever you set out, they’re not interested," she laments. Over time, however, she learnt through observing the children and trying to figure out what interests them. She began to use ideas that she herself would like to see in the classroom and capitalises on them, like putting up children’s artworks, materials from nature like pine cones.

"I’m slowly getting the hang of it and now I really enjoy it," she tells me. As her Centre requires a change in classroom set-up every month, she explains, "It’s a lot of changes at the end of the month, but it brings so much joy when they come back and realise something’s different".

Interacting with Families

Vivian's confidence grew outside the classroom as well. "Initially, I was very hesitant talking to parents. I always think, “Parents are going to come after me.” Over the past 2 years, things got a lot easier," she reveals.

She shares some stories of new parents experiencing difficulty with behaviour management at home—and how this struggle surfaces in the classroom as children becoming over-reliant on external help and learning boundaries. "I am more confident when I share my knowledge. Previously, I’d want to take a step back because we always say that parents are the primary caregivers. They know their child best," she admits.

She saw a clear need in asserting herself with the parents, for the her and the children's sake. "But what they do in school is what the teacher knows best. I’m learning to word things nicely... but using a different tone—explaining to them what they can do at home. I’m not so easy to back down now, I would say... Sometimes parents like to test water with us. As long as we don’t back away, we’re good. I’ve been more feisty this year!"

Words of Wisdom

As she reflects on the journey she's taken since starting full-time work in August 2021, I asked if she had any advice for beginning preschool teachers. "Take it easy on yourselves. Always observe your children first. It’s easy to get overwhelmed, but always put the child first. What is your child interested in? What do they like to do? It’ll make implementing lessons easier," she suggests.

"What I learnt from SUSS is to reflect. What can I do better the next day? Everyday is a new day! And the younger children don’t bare grudges... Reflect on how we can do better. Teachers are very dwelling on what they did wrong. It’s easy to go into a spiral. But focusing on what we can do is more important."

Hopes and Dreams

We also discussed our hopes and dreams for the early childhood education sector. "I hope we have more professional discourse among organisations. We are all working for the child. Why is there a need to say, 'My curriculum is better than your curriculum!'? If we find a strategy that works, why don’t we share it with everybody? I don’t get that and I don’t think it’s helpful for children," she asserts.

As for herself, Vivian shares that she hopes to be a leader. "Like how I can identify children’s uniqueness, I also want to identify teacher’s uniqueness; celebrate teacher’s strengths—what do you think you have an edge over the others? What do you want share with others? Then when the teachers do it with each other, they will do it for the children!"

Vivian's sincere and heartfelt experiences and sharing resonated with and impressed me. Starting your teaching career with an age-group you've never interacted with during your internships can be a daunting task, but Vivian is a clear example of how persistence, adaptability and a openness to reflect and improve one's practices can support your growth as a teacher.

Thank you, Vivian, for sitting down with Circle Time for this chat! We wish you the best for your future pursuits!

Have someone you think deserves some alumni spotlight? Write to us at ecealumni.suss@gmail.com.