When 26-year-old Juhanis Juwasa graduated with a Diploma in Food Science and Nutrition in 2011, she never thought she would end up being an English Teacher for My First Skool. After all, these two sectors are worlds apart.
After her graduation in 2011, she had an opportunity to be a relief childcare teacher in preschool. She took on that job knowing that she loved children, but that stint also made her realise her passion for early childhood education and that she had more to explore in the industry.
Juhanis pursued her passion further by becoming an assistant teacher with the same preschool two months later. Seven months later, in November 2012, she applied to be a preschool teacher with NTUC First Campus through the Trainee Teacher Scheme.
For 15 months, she had two days of on-the-job training and three days of studying at SEED Institute, an NTUC training institute, every week. She eventually graduated with a Professional Diploma in Early Childhood Care and Education (Childcare) in May 2014 and was appointed an English Teacher at My First Skool at Tampines Avenue 4.
SEED Institute
Juhanis said the things she learnt in SEED Institute prepared her to be a better all-round teacher.
She explained: “Other preschool teachers would come in and share their real-life experiences with us, like how to work and communicate with parents and planning field trips for children. These things cannot be taught in the classroom, but SEED Institute made sure to prepare me for all challenges ahead.”
In 2016, she was nominated by her principal to take up a four-month Advanced Certificate in Early Years – also through SEED Institute. The course provided her with more in-depth knowledge for taking care of infants to three-year-olds.
Importance of Upgrading
For Juhanis, learning and upgrading are important and a part of life.
She said: “Learning never stops as there is always something new to learn. Things change, so we need to upgrade ourselves to keep up with the knowledge and current trends.
“Now we have special needs children. So we have to know what is needed in order handle these children.”
She plans to pursue the Bachelor of Early Childhood Education in Psychology in UniSIM, which is in collaboration with SEED Institute. She is currently in the midst of her applications for the July 2017 intake.
Her principal approved of this upgrading step and encouraged her for being proactive in her own upskilling.
She hopes that this degree will enable her to understand children better, especially their behaviours, emotions and the way they think.
“I’m still learning to understand their needs. With this degree, hopefully I can support their learning and development better,” she added.
Good to Know
Since 1989, SEED Institute has been working to enhance the quality of care and education of young children by training and supporting early childhood professionals. It partners with various school and training institutes to offer courses ranging from professional certificates to Master’s Degrees.
For more information, visit www.seedinstitute.edu.sg.
Source: NTUC This Week
