Talia is the Centre Manager for Flinders Street, an open-plan centre which features art ateliers, luscious indoor gardens, a creek bed, a treehouse and multiple sandpits. Talia took a few minutes out of her busy day to share insights on her career background, her education approach and a few fun facts.

Tell us about your time working in early childcare and education so far and what inspires you each day?

I have been privileged to work in the education and care industry for over 13 years. I started off completing my diploma and have since worked at all levels from an assistant to lecturing the next generation of Educators. I left lecturing to return to a centre format, as I missed the connection of working with children and families at this crucial stage of their learning journey. I love connecting with and supporting families and sharing their joy as their child grows and develops and build the foundations of their own identity.

What have you learnt about children during your early childcare and education career and how would you sum up your approach/passion to helping them on their learning, emotional, social and life journey?

I believe that children are unique individuals, and that it is our role as Educators to discover how they learn in order to teach and guide them through their journey with us. Once we learn about each child’s interests we can scaffold their learning and set up the environment as the third teacher. Educational spaces, such as ours at Flinders Street, should be a seamless part of a child’s daily environment at a centre. This then gives children the freedom to develop their love of discovering, exploring and researching, which will hopefully continue throughout their life.

What are you most excited about working with children on/teaching children about and why?

I’m still excited about working in the early education industry after all these years, as I am still learning and having new experiences every day. Each child is a unique individual that learns and grows in different ways, and I get the privilege of seeing the world through their eyes and learning to see things from a new perspective.

3 quick fun facts about Talia

1. I love to cook and spend time with my family cooking and learning family recipes.
2. I love to travel and learn about other cultures.
3. I love interior design and planning spaces.