Working in child care is rewarding. After all, children brighten your day and offer fresh perspectives.
Vanessa is an On-Site Supervisor at a YMCA child care centre in Peel, working at the YMCA for almost nine years. Starting as a supply staff, she was promoted to a Supervisor position within four months.
She has worked with all age groups, across various locations, and has managed a Licensed Summer Break Child Care Club with 60 school-age children and 39 kindergarteners.
Vanessa has gained valuable skills throughout her career. She uses problem-solving, communication, and positive thinking daily. These skills have enriched both her work and personal life.
Hear about what life is like as a supervisor, and learn more about who she is, from what her favourite colour is to what being a mentor means to her:
Life as a Y Supervisor: Tour the Child Care Centre
Explore Vanessa’s child care centre where the YMCA Playing to Learn™ and A Place to Connect™ curriculums come to life. See her organized office and the creative play-based activity setups inspired by geography in the preschool room. To end your tour, learn about the friendly yet competitive activities in the Before & After School room, designed to foster connection and social skills among the school-agers.
Three setups in Vanessa's YMCA child care centre
These activity setups are not just fun, they’re also enriching. What looks like just a bracelet-making activity is a chance for children to foster social skills such as cooperation, communication, and empathy as they create together. This experience also created opportunities to further develop their mathematical skills as they count each bead. It also nurtures their fine-motor skills as they thread each bead onto a string.
Vanessa supports her educators in ensuring activities meet our YMCA Playing to Learn™ and A Place to Connect™ curriculums, helping children learn and connect with one another through play.
1. Creating necklaces
What you may see: Beads and strings for a jewelry-making exercise
What Vanessa sees: “The purpose of this setup was to enhance children's fine motor skills. Children were eager to participate in the activity as it displayed various colours of choice. This setup originated from a number of children's interests in the classroom.
Some of the observations included children talking about what colours they see around the world, their favourite colour, new colours, etc. The benefits of this type of setup allowed children to communicate with one another, showcase their creativity, and practise seriation.
The classroom interest during this week was colours. This activity supports the Playing to Learn curriculum and child development as children were free to make choices, create without restriction, and learn through their interactions, play and experience.”
2. All Around the World: Write the name of the country
What you may see: A globe with a white board, markers, and magnets for the children to explore.
What Vanessa sees: “The purpose of this setup was to enhance children's letter-recognition skills and build on their reading and writing. Children enjoyed searching for Canada on the globe. This activity prompted discussion about the countries their families originated from.
This setup supported observations from the previous week which included children reading books about countries, discussing where their families are from, what types of food they eat from their home countries, etc.
The benefits of this type of setup allowed children to practise writing country names using the white board and markers, as well as use the magnetic letters to spell out different country names. By providing two ways to engage in this activity, all children were given equitable opportunity to participate with confidence.
Children communicated throughout the activity as they worked together, helping one another to achieve the same goal. The classroom interest during this week was All Around the World.
This activity supports the Playing to Learn curriculum and child development as children were free to make choice, practise skills in a fun and interactive way, and learn through their work/play.”
3. Scavenger Hunt
What you may see: A scavenger hunt activity.
What Vanessa sees: “The purpose of this setup was to encourage and build on children's teamwork and communication skills.
A scavenger hunt was suggested by one of the children during our Friday discussion as the interest for the week was summer. We talked about a point system for not only collecting all items, but also which teams communicated respectfully with their peers, and worked as a close unit.
Children chose who they wanted to work with, then given an allotted amount of time to complete the challenge. During the activity, children communicated effectively with their peers.
This activity supports the A Place to Connect curriculum and child development as children were encouraged to complete a goal in a fun and challenging way with the help of their friends, while creating new friendships along the way.”
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Y educators understand the difference it makes to create a place for children to connect. Supervisors ensure that not only the children’s interests are nurtured, but what educators need to succeed in the classroom is a priority. So, educators can thrive and provide quality care that children need to shine.
For educators like Vanessa, being a mentor to the educators on her team and making authentic connections with families and children are essential ingredients to being the spark that makes the difference in her life and the lives of many in her care.
