Do you think Early Years teaching isn’t for you? Think again! Early Years educators will frequently tell you how much they love their year group and how rewarding working with the youngest students can be.
EYFS is the Early Years and Foundation Stage from ages 0 – 5. Some educators quickly decide this age group isn’t for them; perhaps they see a chaotic classroom, unstructured learning and too much glitter!
Don’t be deceived! Although Early Years is quite different to KS1-5, important milestones are met, and this creates the foundation for lifelong learning. Learning goals are set out in the Early Years Foundation Stage Framework.
Still not convinced? Here are some reasons why you should consider teaching in EYFS:
🧸 Learning through Play – Lots of learning is EYFS is achieved through play. Teachers set up different activities for children to access and will observe them in their interactions and achievements.
🧸 Creativity –Teachers can decide how children can reach their milestones. Without having the restrictions of the national curriculum, teachers are free to determine activities and learning experiences.
🧸 Assessment – Children will be expected to learn to write numbers and words for which they may have workbooks. To assess the rest of their targets, teachers will observe students, write notes, take photos and videos. These can either be placed into a scrapbook (learning journal) or on a digital platform – which parents can access.
🧸 Witnessing Learning Journey – Though it can be tricky to settle children into education for the first time, the rate at which they progress is rapid. You’ll be amazed at their performance in the Nativity, when they participate in sports day or the day they write their name on their own!
🧸 Building Relationships – Not only do you have a huge influence on your student’s learning journey and build an important bond. But you also have close relationships with their parents, working closely to support children’s different needs.
🧸 Support – In nursery and reception, all classes must have a safe ratio of teachers to children. This means there will always be another adult in your classroom, most likely, a trained Nursery Nurse. Support staff provide vital support and in some schools are also student’s key workers, meaning they’re responsible for monitoring their learning journey and supporting individual needs.
If you haven’t had any experience in Early Years yet, what’s stopping you? Spend some time in there to see if it may be for you. Working in reception and nursery is hard, but the rewards are endless!
Look below for more information on whether early years may be for you:
https://www.orangemoontraining.co.uk/why-choose-a-career-in-early-years-education/
https://uk.pinterest.com/rachelpachey/eyfs-activities/
