Being part of a community – and watching the children she has nurtured bloom – has sustained Lisa Thornburrow in her almost 40-year career as an early childhood teacher, Sue Osborne writes.
During those years Lisa has always had the support of the union behind her. She recently received her 30-year IEU membership badge from NSW/ACT Branch Organiser Kate Damo (pictured).
Lisa started her journey in the 1980s at Sydney College of Advanced Education at Waverley in the eastern suburbs of Sydney.
“I’m the eldest of four, and my sister was 10 years younger than me. So I had a lot of interaction with her and her friends when they were little in my teenage years and my mum also started family daycare,” Lisa said.
“I also did work experience in Year 10 at our local community preschool, and it inspired me.”
Her first full-time job was at the Concord Hospital Long Day Care Centre, looking after the children of staff.
“We took them in from six weeks old. I was in with the under twos. There were many opportunities to do mini excursions within the hospital.
“My dad was the manager of Food Service, so we often took the children up and they’d go and make cookies and stack the dishwashers. There was a grassland area and it was on the river. So there were times that we would take the children down to the waterfront to watch the boats and the ferries go past.
“With all the regulations it’s changed and at our preschool we haven’t taken the children on excursion for a very long time. We’ve done walking excursions, but not jumping on a bus. Regulations are probably all for the better, but it takes away that spontaneity.”
Lisa said she loved the baby room at Concord, watching the little ones reach significant milestones. But she learnt an important lesson – not to tell the parent she had seen the children take their firsts steps.
Exciting milestones
“It was exciting to watch those amazing milestones for those little ones. They’re learning language, they’re learning social skills and interacting with the other children or the educators themselves. They have so much that they learn in those early years. It’s creating their little personalities.”
After eight years at Concord, Lisa moved to West Epping Preschool, where she has stayed for the last 30 years, mostly as a part-time teacher, while she raises her own children.
“It’s a lovely setting and environment. We’ve got some wonderful families and it’s a very multicultural area. It’s nice to be part of the community. Epping West Public School is right next door and the children come and put their faces up against the fence and say hello.
“It is rewarding, especially with some of the children who had those additional needs, to see how they are progressing through life and how they’re coping at school.
“You keep those connections with the families, and you might bump into them through school or sport over the years, or even just at the shops. You see how those little ones have developed and you know their achievements and their successes.”
Lisa has seen a lot of changes over the years. “Our philosophy has evolved. I’ve noticed that it’s moved from a more structured theme-based approach to a far more child-centred, project learning, inquiry-based philosophy.
“When I first started, it would be this week we are doing ‘sea’ for three weeks and these were our activities, and we created some wonderful experiences for them, but it’s now so much more.
“Everything can just change daily as the children’s inquiries, curiosities and interests change.”
Increased workload
“But the increased expectations on early childhood teachers to meet the workload created by regulations, standards and documentation requirements have made us a time poor profession. It is hard to meet all these requirements and still be available to the children in our services while at work, so this doesn’t always provide for a good work/life balance.
“I also think with the increase in the children’s use of ipads and tablets, sometimes their attention and patience can be challenged in social situations. They are becoming used to such instant reactions, this can be difficult when sharing experiences with other children and educators. I believe technology has some amazing advantages for learning, but it shouldn’t replace the hands-on, give it a try, and working with peers learning experiences.”
What gets Lisa out of bed every day?
“It is rewarding seeing the successes and achievements of the children, watching them grow as confident individuals exhibiting curiosity and excitement in their world around them and their discoveries.”