Introducing our Hope Early Years Brand Ambassadors!
We are so happy to introduce our Hope Early Years brand ambassadors!
Keep reading below for an introduction about each one of them and how they got into early years teaching and learning.
The Creative Strawberries (Gillian)
Tell us a little bit about yourself?
I am a mum of three girls and I have always worked in childcare, even my weekend jobs growing up were babysitting. Its all I have ever wanted to do and I enjoy it so much. In my spare time I like to craft and help people living with Dementia. I have worked in Childcare for over twenty years now and could never see myself doing anything else. I have worked in nurseries, preschools, after school care, Montessori, as a childminder and as an Early Years Officer for the PLA. One of m favourite jobs was running parent and toddler groups for the PLA as I got to set up activities and crafts whilst enjoying helping parents with any issues they may currently be having.
What year group do you teach?
I have just finished working in a preschool with 2-5 year old’s and I am in the process of becoming a childminder again.
What do you love about teaching?
Working with children is such a rewarding job and my favourite thing is to see a child progress in an area they may have been struggling in. Early Years is my absolute favourite and creating activities for children to learn in a fun way is just the best!
What is your specialism?
Crafts, Sensory Play and setting up small world invitations.
What are your favourite products from Hope?
I’m not sure I can fit them all in here, there are so many! I love the huge range of craft products. I really love the Glow Writer Panel and also the Exploration Light tray and light pad.
Playful Porter (Lorna)
Tell us a little bit about yourself?
I am a mum of three; a teen, a tween and a tot and I absolutely love it! I love getting outside with my family and two dogs. I’m a firm believer in nature soothing all woes! Since I became a mother, I have been fascinated in the benefits of play.
What do you love about early years?
Early years is so broad with an incredible bulk of development milestones. I love observing these. I love the questions they ask, the curiosity and the imagination. This crucial time in a child’s life features many ‘first times’ and you know these are setting the groundwork for adventures for years to come.
Why did you go into social media?
Social media started for me in lockdown. I was creating exciting play environments for my youngest child whilst trying to home educate my eldest two. It was a struggle and once I had set up these activities, things got a lot easier, I decided it might helps others too and it did! Then I found a whole play community and I have learnt so much as well!
What are your favourite products from Hope?
This is an impossible question to answer! But the most used in our house, is the wooden roleplay laptop, tablet and mobile phone! My daughter loves them!
Early Years Outdoor (Katie)
Tell us a little bit about yourself?
My name is Katie and I have three children, a dog and a cat. I have been teaching for 16 years in the same school since qualifying as a teacher in 2007.
What year group do you teach?
I currently teach a lovely Reception class and lead across our Nursery and Reception classes.
What do you love about teaching?
I love seeing how much children learn and grow in their early years. It’s amazing to see them achieve something that has taken time and effort. Young children are such a joy to be around and I love to see their faces light up when exploring new things, playing and learning.
What is your specialism?
My degree is in Early Years teaching with English, but over time I have learned to love the outdoors and see the potential it can have on young children’s development. I then went on to complete my Forest School Level 3 qualification recently and learnt so much from this. Outdoor learning is now my passion.
Why did you go into teaching in the first place?
From being a young girl, I always wanted to be a teacher. My mum was my inspiration who is a Nursery Nurse.
What are your favourite products from Hope?
There are so many Hope products that I love. My top favourites are my outdoor learning shed where I keep resources in for the children to access independently, all of the mud kitchen pots, pans, cauldrons, utensils and shakers that bring the mud kitchen area to life and the cable reel because it’s so versatile and can be used for lots of different setups.
Raising Small Readers (Sadie & Kit)
Tell us a little bit about yourself?
We are a really colourful book loving family, made up of Kit, myself Sadie, Gracie (5) and Margot (4). When the girls were born we found a love for reading them stories and sharing with them the characters and authors that impacted us as children. A couple of years ago I became unwell and had to stop work as a teacher. It allowed me to be more present with the girls, and books became a wonderful way I could explore the world with them despite my reduced mobility.
What do you love about books and learning?
I love how you can completely get lost in a book. You can travel the world and experience incredible things. As Katherine Rundell said “Books crow-bar the world open for you.”
Learning is one of the greatest things in life. I never wanted to stop learning. If I hadn’t had children I would be at university doing my PhD.
Why did you get into books and play in the first place?
Both Kit and I are children at heart. I don’t think we ever really grew up. So when we had children we loved reading and playing with them. Seeing them discover the magic of the world was more rewarding than we could ever have imagined. We are both quite academic. We met at university and had a love for religion, philosophy and politics. It meant we questioned a lot of parenting advice and ultimately allowed the girls to lead us into the learning and play they wanted.
What are your favourite products from Hope?
We love the book storage, perfect for displaying books and making them appealing to children. Also the range of play tray mats that are perfect for storytelling.
Miss G (Polly)
Tell us a little bit about yourself?
I’m Polly, I’m 27 and have been teaching for 6 years. I love getting crafty and often spend my free time making bits for myself, friends and family as well as for school!
What year group do you teach?
I teach Reception. Also, I am the Early Writing coordinator for my school.
What do you love about teaching?
I love that each day is so different, especially in early years! I love helping children to learn through their play and also seeing that lightbulb moment when a child understands something.
Why did you go into teaching in the first place?
I still remember a few of the amazing teachers I had in primary/secondary school, who made learning so enjoyable and encouraged me to apply to become a teacher. I want to hopefully be that person to make learning fun for the children I teach.
What are your favourite products from Hope?
I absolutely love all of the metal jugs, pans and trays for the water area. I also love all of the natural wooden pieces of furniture, in particular the outdoor mark making easel – its great for encouraging mark making and big arm movements outdoors! I also love the maths mastery collection!
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