Wednesday 22 March marked our annual Busy Bees Careers Day. Children and Educators each dressed up to celebrate the exciting and unique careers that embrace each child’s special interests. Parents and local community members also came along to talk about their careers and what a day in their work life typically looks like.
From astronauts and construction workers to zookeepers, each child had their dreams become a reality for the day. Careers Day gives children the chance to develop their own self-identities through role-play.
Quality Area 1 of the National Quality Standards (NQS) characterises a key component of a child’s growth as becoming, how their self-identity is shaped by life experiences and events. This is an exciting and important time that our Educators nurture by providing space for children to participate safely in new environments and experiences.
“Encouraging children to think about what career they would like to pursue also encourages them to think about their own strengths and interests.”
Jennifer Bell, Service Manager of Busy Bees at Chinchilla (Queensland)
At Busy Bees, we are driven by inquiry-based learning, promoting the children’s voice throughout daily activities. On Careers Day, our Educators organise provocations and incursions centred around different career pathways for children to explore and learn by doing. Many centres celebrated with special visitors including police officers, doctors, gardeners and more. Children heard about the tricks of the trades, special uniforms, tools and even some hands-on experience. This approach is developed off Quality Area 6 of the NQS, as Educators co-construct learning programs with the children, their families and supportive community members. The introduction of different backgrounds, communities and careers supports the dynamic and complex learning that motivates children to grow curiosity.
The day was an equally important day for families as they sparked conversations with their children about what excites them. Careers Day creates a beautiful environment for Educators to collaborate with parents to listen to what their children aspire to be and provide opportunities to ignite these early dreams. As they continue to mature, their dreams and aspirations provide a glimpse into what makes them unique.
Children develop their own interests but not without influence from the world around them. Their participation in role-play of endless careers as they are exposed to a variety of people allows them to experience different potentials for their future.
For the life savers from Busy Bees at Fraser Coast (Queensland), a visit from Doctor B showed children the important methods and tools to keep people healthy and happy and importantly how to keep themselves healthy. The day provided children a safe environment to learn new information about the world they live in, essential for their personal development. Play-based learning between children and adults encourages children to challenge their thinking and grow different types of relationships by asking questions and problem-solving.
Although Careers Day is over for another year, our Educators continue these conversations and activities as the children learn more about their dreams and goals for the future.
Busy Bees welcomes your family to tour every day of the year. Find your nearest centre and give us a Buzz or book a tour online.
Are you an education superhero looking to inspire the next generation of lifelong learners? Whether you’re an experienced Educator or looking to start or change your career, we’d love to talk to you about joining our Hive.
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