Barbara, garde d’enfant - BS6 Bristol

Dear Sir/ Madame

My name is Barbara I graduated Education (BA Hons) and then Masters Degree in Pedagogy in 2012. NARIC institution recognized my qualification as a Bachelor and Masters Degree and compared it to Level 4 and Level 5.
In 2011 I chose the Preschool Education and Care of Young Children course. I graduated this course in 2012. I worked as a early years teacher's assistant and then bilingual early years teacher in Poland.
In 2013 I decided to move to Bristol. I firstly worked for agencies across Bristol, offering supply nursery nurse and teaching positions, mainly with babies and toddlers (aged 0-3). Then I found a permanent role at one of the private preschool and nursery as a nursery nurse. Currently I hold a permanently position of Early Years Practitioner in another nursery (February this year). I am a part of 2-5 team, although I am running a Pre-school room myself. I plan daily activities run in the room, as well as regular circle time, where I teach children the weather, days of the week, months and calendar. I also teach them letter and sounds, following The Sounds and Letters programme. I implement elements of ‘Jolly Phonics’ and Maria Montessori method for teaching letters and sounds. I also created a ‘Math corner’ in a Pre-school room and brought and created many stimulating resources for children to learn numbers and shapes, counting, sorting, representing the numbers, matching and recognizing numerals, adding and substracting and others. I also created a art area, where children have an access to all materials and resources throughout the day. There is also a ‘Children’s workart’ place on a wall, where children can display their own artworks themselves. They are to choose what to use to attach it to the wall, one of materials available at the art unit (sellotape, blutack, scissors etc.). I am proud of bringing many new and stimulating ideas to the room, including messy and sensory activities, small world play, new role play ideas, math and literacy activities. It was making me personally very happy to see children learning, engaging, curious and developing. On of my favourite activities are: rainbow rice, colored waterbeads, rubber gloves filled with sand and tied + numbers for numbers representation, a ‘Initial sound wheel’ with children’s pictures and clothes pegs with initial letter to match, new role play themes and props, such as: ‘In the aeroplane’, ‘In the office’, ‘Police station’, Coffee shop with mud and white water and props from a real coffee shops; Small world play with colored water, boats, little people and see animals; small world and natural resources and others.
I also support children’s independence by letting them make their own sandwiches at tea time (including spreading the butter and soft cheese, choosing toppings and finally cutting it in half). At lunch time I always choose one helper per table to bring plates to their friends. At the end each child has a chance to scrap plates when finished. At the morning snack children help themselves with scooping the raising and getting their fruitbread. Throughout the day children have an access to jug of water and cups. They pouring it themselves with or without supervision. I am supporting children’s independence by encouraging to put on and take off their clothes and shoes, by helping only as much as they need, for example only buckling their zip, but asking to pull it up themselves.

I hold a Paediatric First Aid certificate and Food Safety certificate.

I am currently looking for a change from working in the nurseries. I much more would like to give 100% of time to a child, when and how much the child needs it, without overspending time for paperwork on non-contact time. best of myself to a child or children, without overspending the time in no-contact time. I love the British curriculum for youngest: The EYFS and love working with it, but I don't think it should be a priority. It's all about the children, not documentation. I am looking forward to give best of myself to family and a child: my proffesional knowledge, education and passion.

Yours faithfully,

Barbara Cieszynska