Exemplary Infant Educarer Receives Outstanding Early Childhood Educarer Award
At the awards ceremony of the ECDA Awards for Excellence in Early Childhood Development (2019), Tzu Chi Great Love PreSchool’s infant educarer, Ke Xiu Yuan, received the Outstanding Early Childhood Educarer Award. Ke has served in the PreSchool for over 5 years. Her growing passion for infant care spurs her to treat and care for every child as her own. She makes creative and educational toys for the kids using recyclables, to help them in their physical and emotional development. Although her work is tiring, the innocent and cute smiles of the babies and toddlers under her care keep her going each day!
Young children aged between 2 to 18 months are often curious about their surroundings. Besides looking after children and designing activities for them, the infant care teachers at the Great Love PreSchool also make teaching aids. Among them is Teacher Ke.
Ke Xiu Yuan, Infant care teacher: As they learn to sit, crawl, stand and walk, we need to design different activities for each of their developmental stages to enhance their physical development.
Tracia Ang, colleague of Ke Xiu Yuan：Some of the toys are designed by Teacher Ke. The kids can touch them. The water bag filled with flowers is her idea. It is a very good idea. The little ones really love to touch the toy.
Ke Xiu Yuan has served in the PreSchool for over 5 years. She has a way of handling this group of very young children who cannot yet talk and who use emotions to express themselves.
Ke Xiu Yuan, Infant care teacher: There is a reason as to why they cry. We must treat them with a respectful heart and respect their needs. We need to understand their needs first, before handling them. For example, sometimes I would recite a nursery rhyme or use my voice to attract them to come to me. And they would forget about their vexations.
Amid her busy work, she does not forget to observe the details of the children’s development.
Linda Lee, parent：At the PreSchool, when a child flips over the first time, Teacher Ke will tell us about it and take a video clip to show us.
Khor Chooi Kim, parent：Teacher Ke is very meticulous and loving. She really treats every child like her own.
Audrey Koh, Principal of the PreSchool ：Teacher Ke is a very optimistic person. Even when her hair is all messy and you know she has had a really hard day, she is still smiling and positive.
It’s not true if I say I don’t feel tired. I’ll really get tired. But whenever I think of their smiles, it will give me strength and make me feel motivated again. When I see how happy and healthy the kids are, and see that they leave the infant care section when they reach 18 months, I will feel very happy and content.
Teacher Ke’s efforts have been recognised. She has received the Outstanding Early Childhood Educarer Award at the ECDA Awards ceremony, which further motivates her to stay steadfast on the path of education.
