Belonging, Being and Becoming: interview with Kaylee Wandel

Belonging, Being and Becoming is a LinkedIn interview series which shares the stories of early childhood and oshc professionals currently working in the education industry.

The next interview of this series features Kaylee Wandel, Regional Manager at Team Kids. In today's interview, Kaylee will discuss her career journey, philosophy on education and care, and her experience working at TeamKids.

When and why did you start a career in OSHC??

I began my career in?OSHC/ Early Childhood in 2013 after working as a Graphic Designer and looking for a change. I did a traineeship at a local childcare centre for a year and completed my Cert III, before moving into OSHC in 2014.?I had always had a passion for children’s education, and found immediately I could work with children, and still use my creative skills from Graphic design for experiences with the children, and creating engaging environments.?

What's your philosophy on education and care??

I believe that every experience is important in a child’s development; impacting on their views, ideas and self-esteem, and shaping the people they will become in the future. The impact that we as educators can have no children’s lives through simple interactions, support and providing a safe environment is something that is undervalued by many.??

Whilst we are there to educate and support children, I also strongly believe there is so much we can learn from just being with the children and looking at how they see the world.??

(Pictured: Team Kids OSHC Service in Canberra)

How would you describe your career journey?

I?am grateful to have worked in each role within our industry, from an Educator, to 2IC, Coordinator, Director and now Regional Manager, learning from so many wonderful people and being supported by such knowledgeable and passionate managers along the way. I have worked for 2 key providers in my OSHC journey, both which have given me wonderful professional development opportunities and the ability to take the direction in my career which best suits my passions.??

What do you love most about your job and working for your current organisation??

As a Regional Manager for TeamKids I support a wonderful small team of 4 Programs, of varied sizes, and love that I have the time and flexibility to support my Directors weekly, and the ability to get out to each program, see the wonderful things happening with the children, and support the teams to make continual improvements and growth within their programs. I love that whilst I am in a management position, I still get to be with the children and make a difference to their lives and the experiences/ environments they engage with each day.??

TeamKids has also been a great flexible company for me as a working mum with a busy adventurous nearly 3 year old son. I was always worried earlier in my OSHC career about how I would be able to raise a child whilst being available with the sometimes challenging OSHC hours, but I have been afforded great flexibility and work arrangements to get the most out of work/ family life.??

(Pictured: Environment at TeamKids OSHC Service)

Who is your role model / who do you look up to in the early childhood sector in Canberra?

I am a huge advocate for the Play work principals and risky play and am always looking for ways to support educators to develop a program where children are the leaders in genuine free play, and working with their school partnerships to allow the Play work model to operate. I am always interested in hearing more about how Forrest OSHC have achieved the Excellent rating several times over, and follow along several great OSHC programs Australia wide who also champion the risky play.??My goal is to work with schools to help them to see the benefits of these types of play environments, as this is often one of the first barriers

(Pictured: Environment at Team Kids OSHC Service)

What is your proudest career achievement??

I think the easiest thing to say is that I am proud to have lead the same program, with 2 different providers, and very different teams to achieve Exceeding throughout Assessment and Rating, but I am also incredibly proud to have trained and developed so many wonderful educators who have gone on in their careers to be amazing teachers, or managers in other areas. Knowing that I have been a part of their career success, and they learnt so many transferable skills whilst in OSHC under my management drives me to continue doing what I am doing and continue to learn and grow in my role to develop the next generation of OSHC educators.

What has most contributed to your career success??

I have been lucky enough to have some amazing managers who have believed in me, and allowed me the freedom both creatively and managerially to try new things, manage my teams in the style that I like to approach things, and share my passion with others.???

I am incredibly passionate and am always researching or seeking visual ideas on how others operate their programs, and with every new situation that arises, I have a strong personal reflective practice and will always seek out opportunities for self improvement. There is always someone, or something more than I can learn from.

What advice would you give someone looking to pursue a career in OSHC??

OSHC is a great industry to work in at various stages in your life, from being at university and needing a workplace that is flexible around uni, to being a parent and wanting some part time/ casual work to support a family. OSHC gives you the opportunity to bring your skills and hobbies, to share in an environment with little humans waiting to absorb every bit of knowledge you can give them.?

My advice would be to always seek opportunities to learn more about the ‘behind the scenes’ of a program and how you can further support the management. There are so many transferable skills you can learn in an OSHC environment which can support you in many stages of your life if OSHC is not your forever career. You may find along the way just how rewarding a career in OSHC can be!???

Thanks for reading this interview.

Want to be featured in the next Belonging Being & Becoming interview? Get in touch by emailing [email protected] or calling?02 6132 3886.