Melissa

Keyworker and Professional Development Facilitator

Tell us a bit about yourself?

I'm a Mum to two daughters aged 5 and 3, one of whom is neurodivergent. I have worked in Early Childhood Education since 2017 in a range of roles, and as a primary school teacher for the first half of this year before deciding to move back into Early Childhood. I have just completed my Bachelor of Education (Early Childhood and Primary) and also have a Bachelor of Occupational Therapy and a Diploma of Early Childhood Education and Care.

What first inspired you to pursue a career in allied health

and why do you still love it today?

When I first left school, I went and studied Occupational Therapy, and wanted to work with children. However, I ended up travelling for a while and then went into a range of non-allied health jobs to pay the bills. However, the passion for working with children was always there underneath the surface, so I left my corporate office job to study my Diploma. I've been working with children ever since because kids are just the best! They always have something fun to show you or tell you, and every child sees the world in a different way, which is just so fascinating.

Because of this I then decided to study my Bachelor as I just wanted to keep learning about how children learn and develop.

If you could shadow another healthcare professional for a day

who would it be and why?

The Occupational Therapist. Always seems to be finding fun ways to interact with clients, as well as providing super useful information for the public.

How do you stay balanced and regulate yourself?

I am a calm person naturally, so this helps me to stay balanced.

I tend not to get flustered by much.

What do you do for fun?

I love going to the footy (Go Pies!), listening to music, watching TV shows, and baking cakes.

Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

Continuing to support children and their families in a holistic way that promotes

each child's unique abilities and skills.

What are you currently studying or planning to study?

As I have just finished my Bachelor, I don't have any big study plans on the horizon. However, I do always love learning something new, thinking about things in different

ways, and sharing my knowledge with others.

What’s your favorite movie and why?

I love the movie Matilda because she's magic! What else could you ask for?!?

How do you handle situations when a child is experiencing strong

emotions and is in the red zone?

It's about knowing each child and understanding what will help that child in that moment. Calming music may help one child while jumping up and down and running around may help another child. That's why forming relationships with children is so important to me.

It's impossible to help a child that you don't know.

And just for fun – tell us a joke!

Why did the banana go to the doctor?

Because he wasn't peeling very well!