Through my professional practice, I demonstrated leadership by assigning roles and responsibilities to each educator. Our room requires at least four to five educators, depending on the number of children. I ensured that the educator-to-child ratios were maintained so the children were supervised and cared for. This approach was influenced by Bronfenbrenner's ecological systems theory, which emphasizes the significance of children's interactions with educators in their learning and development (Beloglovsky & Daly, 2015). By implementing this approach, each child receives adequate care and support within the educational environment.

In my Advocacy and Social Justice subject, I learned that children are well nurtured and cared for throughout the day, and their rights are respected under the Convention of the Rights of the Child (SNAICC, 2013).

During my professional practice, I demonstrated staff continuity by correctly rostering educators for each classroom and floaters to cover breaks and programs. I ensured that each educator who covered a break or program filled out the "Working with Children Check" sheet to maintain educator-to-child ratios. Also, I worked with my managers to ensure that the children's educators are consistent, qualified, and experienced and to provide high-quality care and support.

In my educational leadership and management subject, I learned that staff members effectively communicate with each other despite different values, beliefs, and qualifications. However, they work together to improve children's learning and care. I also kept in mind the number of children to maintain a ratio for the effective operation of the early childhood education centre  (Waniganayake et al., 2017).

Every month, we have a team meeting, and in July, we learned about nutrition, wellbeing and food safety from Toy Box Talks. The "Toy Box Talks" podcast was created by Megan Whitfield for families and early childhood educators to encourage open-ended play. I made sure that all staff members read and answered the questions provided after each topic. It discusses methods to ensure children's safety during meal times, considering their individual needs, such as allergies and dietary requirements.  According to Maslow's hierarchy of needs, children must always be protected, ensuring their basic needs of food and safety are met (Mcleod, 2023c).  

Evidence: Professional development training on children's nutrition, wellbeing and safety.

During my professional practice, I upheld professional standards by ensuring that all staff were well-versed in National laws, Regulations, Quality standards, approved learning frameworks, and service policies. These are all prominently displayed on the curriculum wall for easy access and review by all staff members. As an educational leader, I advocate for equal treatment of every child through inclusivity (Scarlet, 2016).

In my advocacy and social justice course, I learned the importance of maintaining professional integrity, respecting confidentiality, and advocating for children's rights (Hyde et al., 2017). I ensured all staff members followed the ECA Code of Ethics when interacting with children, families, and colleagues (Early Childhood Australia, 2016).

Evidence: Wall display of NQS and  EYLF planning cycle.

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