When Annette Hutt first “fell into” her role as a family day care educator in a small rural community, she could scarcely have foreseen the remarkable journey ahead. Three decades on, she remains devoted to nurturing children in the farming hub of Wudinna, South Australia, a testament to the power of consistency, care and community connection.
As the scent of blossoms fills the air and daylight stretches a little longer each afternoon, early childhood educators are presented with one of the most fertile times of year, literally and pedagogically.
With exposure to severe weather events such as summer storms known to have a significant impact on children’s physical, mental and learning development, families, carers and educators are encouraged to prepare early for the upcoming storm season.
This article follows on from my earlier piece, Who should work with young children?, where I explored how the dispositions we value in those who work in early childhood education, shape not only who enters the profession, but how the work itself is imagined. This is where that thinking has brought me.