Staff Spotlight - Nuria

My name is Nuria, and I’m from Spain.

?I’ve been in Ireland for two months, and I’ve been here in Leixlip this whole time. It’s a lovely place. You can walk around and find many places with beautiful nature, and the people around here are very friendly. The people are always trying to talk to you, so it’s a lovely village. The people here are quite open minded, the Irish people enjoy their food like we do in Spain and also enjoy going out and having fun just like we do!

?What motivated me to get into childcare is that ?I was a teacher in Spain for a really long time, and I noticed the method you used in Ireland is quite different than the one used in Spain.?When I talked to the managers here, I realised this was the type of education I really believe in so I thought I should come here to try.

?I have been working with children all my life. Children have been in my profession for the past seventeen years.?

A typical day at Little Harvard is a little bit crazy, which is good because this is how it should be with children. It’s how they are most comfortable. It’s a little bit crazy and at times, it’s like being a child again! It’s like being a mother, a psychologist, a teacher. So you take on multiple roles in one day, if you are a social person and you thrive in that kind of environment it’s quite enjoyable. It’s like being in love all the time because it’s difficult not to feel connections when you're working with the kids. They’re emotional by nature. When you’re around kids regularly you receive a lot of love and you give a lot of love.

?What do I enjoy about working in Beech Park? Being involved with the kids first and foremost. Also I really appreciate the method we use. I think everyone is very interested in the kids. We really respect the children's interests. We follow what they want to do. It’s easy to be here working, especially because I think education should be like this, whereby you are following the kids and their interests.

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When I first arrived at Little Harvard I realised that the managers are very nice. You’re not treated like a number, they count on you. So whenever you need something, or if you need to speak to somebody with an issue, they are always there helping you, which is really great. The facility is fantastic, and the amount of kids. The atmosphere with co-workers is fantastic, and can be very helpful. You’re not just by yourself with the kids in one room like in Spain. I really like the place here because there’s lots of natural sunlight, the rooms are decorated colourfully with art from the kids and the garden is really great as well.