Education needs to be fun
Jo from Big Fat Smile says: "The parents are every child's first teacher, and we are here supporting them in that role". Photo: Supplied.
Meet Jo Mavrigiannakis from Big Fat Smile
"I started as a casual in the industry, and from that I found it intriguing to look at the professional side of early development of children during their formative years, and how the more they're exposed to things in ways that we approached intellectually the more they'd progress in other years of schooling," says Jo Mavrigiannakis.
While raising a little family of her own, they left Sydney in 2003 for a property near Tarago.
Prior to early education Jo actually has an insurance management background, and is also a keen writer - mainly short stories and poetry - runner, and motoring enthusiast with a taste for classic Aussie cars (along with her husband and son).
Jo began working in early education in 2007, gaining her certificate III and diploma by the end of 2008, and then in 2009 started her Bachelor of Teaching 0-5 from Charles Sturt University (via distance), completing it in 2011. Jo became director of Big Fat Smile community preschool on Reynolds Street when it opened in October 2012, and remains there today.
"Having worked at various centres with the aim to be a director, my goal was to oversee, lead and mentor the team at a centre where we're passionate about what we do, and offer best-practices and ongoing education for the children who attended."
Jo has also supported the local expansion of services, with two local out of school hours centres now open. "The parents were asking us for after school hours services," Jo says. "We've built a reputation in the community and parents were looking for that extension from us."
Jo says being a director "is a dual role of management and leadership. There's all the admin with compliance and meeting everyone's expectations [be they government or parents]. Then to lead it becomes unique around what the centre needs, and what families expect with the children, with my continuous focus being centred around positive relationships with all stakeholders - children, families, educators and our community - empowering, inspiring, interacting, reducing boundaries, being innovative and creating an atmosphere of respect amongst all team players," Jo explains.
"We also have 18 members of staff at various levels of professional development, all experiencing their own transition through further education."
A director also needs to review what the children need for their transitions to school.
"We have a different mix of families each year. 30-35 children will graduate to various local schools, and we review their needs and expectations and support parents with engaging their children in those skills for getting ready for school."
Big Fat Smile, as a not-for-profit community-owned organisation, is also actively engaged in community initiatives and supports local events like the Goulburn Show, entering creative categories in the junior (under-5) age brackets.
"We want children to be passionate about their local show, and proud of their entries," Jo says.
Their entries include drawings, portraits, photos, produce, and the scarecrow.
"We are also currently engaged in an educational pilot project with the University of Canberra; Early Learning STEM Australia - STEM being science, technology, engineering and mathematics - and this will be our second year of engagement.
"This inclusion greatly supports children's extended learning regarding these concepts, with the learning predominantly being provided in play based environments and providing a great start in these areas when they transition to school."
When it comes to their teaching philosophy, "We like to focus on and encourage and learn through play. Formal learning in the early years really doesn't work. Once you say the phrase 'you have to', you've lost the child.
"Learning through play is the best way to do it. They will remember what you taught them because it's something they enjoy doing.
"For instance, we might have them count the cars or whatever it is they're playing with," Jo explains.
"The children are always guiding us as to what their interests are. So we allow them to follow their passion and incorporate the learning into that," Jo says.
Most importantly, "The parents are every child's first teacher, and we are here supporting them in that role."
