Find your strength in unity

Once again early childhood teachers show their strength and resilience in the face of adversity. As if COVID wasn’t enough, severe flooding has had a devastating impact on some early learning centres in northern NSW and southern Queensland.

Whatever nature throws at you, you keep on teaching, putting the needs of children first. In these pages you’ll find stories of those who have overcome adversity (The road to recovery) and there is advice, resources and plans for recovery (Supporting young children during times of crisis).

While there is a lot of information about helping children deal with their own trauma, the IEU emphasises that teachers should not neglect their own wellbeing.

Don’t forget to take care of yourself and make sure you know your rights. Get in touch with your union if something in your workplace doesn’t feel right.

See if you can get as many teachers as possible to join the union. Workforce shortages mean increased stress, but also increased opportunity. Harness your power by gaining union strength.

Elsewhere in Bedrock we look at ways of instilling positive online habits in three and four-year-olds, an emerging issue (Why kindergarten children must learn online safety).

We focus strongly on the environment, an important issue for so many of you, with a look at the NSW/ACT IEU Environment Grant winners (Paying respects to the land and Garden transformation built on local knowledge), and a director of a suburban centre who is deepening connection to Country (Nature teaches children to fend for themselves).

IEU member Cath Gillespie has written a chapter in a new book Educator Yarns, in which she discusses embedding Indigenous knowledge into your daily practice (How to embed Indigenous knowledge and STEM into programs).

We examine a significant increase in early childhood funding by the Queensland Government, and how this sets a benchmark that should be emulated by all other governments.

Finally, please find our regulars such as industrial advice in Your Questions Answered and go in the draw to win a free book in Giveaways.

Terry Burke Mark Northam
IEU-QNT Secretary

IEUA NSW/ACT Secretary