Inside the Early Childhood Education AEC Program

About the Teacher

• Danielle, can you tell us a bit about your background and how you got into early childhood education?
  • My roundabout journey to early childhood education began with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology. I ended up getting into the field of ECE when my children were very young, and I had a home daycare where I took care of a few neighborhood children after school. I enrolled in an ECE program, completed my diploma, and then worked in a kindergarten classroom for a few years while also earning my Master’s in Education with a focus in ECE.
• What inspired you to pursue a career working with children?
  • I was absolutely inspired by two wonderful educators at my daughter’s preschool. It was a co-op where parents need to volunteer at least once a month, and I was amazed to see how much thought and consideration went into their activities and interactions with the children. I was in awe as I watched them, and I knew I had found my calling.
• How long have you been teaching, and what brought you to CEGEP Heritage College?
  • I’ve been working with children for almost 15 years, and I began working in college ECE programs 10 years ago. I saw a job posting for an ECE teacher at Heritage in the fall of 2017, and I decided to apply.
• Why did you decide to teach in the AEC program specifically?
  • In the AEC program, we often have mature students who choose to pursue this field later in life, and since that was exactly how I came into the field, I felt a special connection to the program and students. I knew the fears and concerns that many students experience because I experienced them myself when I began a whole new profession in my 30s after having children. I felt this gave me the ability to better support students since I completely understood how they were likely feeling.
• What do you love most about working with adult learners?
  • I love their eagerness and dedication. Most of our students are extremely passionate since they know what they want to do and have chosen this program with a very clear goal in mind.
• How do your real-world experiences shape the way you teach this program?
  • Since I have experience in different early learning settings (licensed daycare, home daycare, kindergarten programs, and child and family literacy centres), I’m able to help prepare students for expectations of the work force they’ll be joining.
• What’s the most rewarding part of your job as a teacher in this field?
  • I absolutely love seeing the growth in students’ confidence from the beginning of the year when they are feeling uncertain and nervous to the end where they’re extremely confident and excited to finally put into practice everything they’ve learned.
• Is there a success story or moment with a student that really stayed with you?
  • I sometimes hear from students who have graduated from the program years later when they reach out and let me know how they’re doing. It’s amazing to see them as gifted educators who are making a difference in the lives of so many children.

Career & Purpose

• Danielle, what kind of person thrives in the Early Childhood Education program?
  • Students in this program must be self-motivated, organized, and hard-working. Our program is very intensive, so students must be able to manage their time and stay on top of their work.
• Why do you think early childhood education is such a rewarding career path?
  • It’s an absolute privilege to be a part of a child’s learning journey. To see a child learn how to write their name, for example, and know you played a significant role in that is very rewarding. It’s also such a gift to build strong bonds with children and their families since you can’t help but develop very close relationships in this field.

About the Program

• Can you walk us through what students learn in the program?
  • All of the courses in the program are developed very intentionally to ensure graduates are fully prepared to work as educators. So students will learn everything from how to plan activities for children from infancy to school age, to how to follow provincial regulations to ensure the classroom is safe and meets all ministry guidelines, to how to build relationships with children, families, and colleagues. It’s an extremely comprehensive program.
• Is the training mostly theoretical, or do students get hands-on experience as well?
  • Students will go out on two internships where they will work directly with children. These experiences are incredibly valuable learning opportunities where students get a clear idea of what it will be like to work as an educator, but they receive support and mentorship from a qualified educator. Also, in most of our theory-based courses, students will have the opportunity to visit early learning programs to observe, lead activities, ask educators questions, etc. So there are lots of hands-on learning opportunities throughout the program.
• How is the program structured over the one-year period?
  • For the most part, there will be a different course held every day. So for example, in   September when the program starts, we have “Observing Children” on Mondays, “Introduction to the Profession” on Tuesdays, “Child Development” on Wednesdays, “Health and Safety in Educational Childcare” on Thursdays, and “Pedagogical Approaches on Fridays. When those courses are complete (some run for 9 weeks and some run for 12), we will move on to other courses. The first internship will run on Mondays and Tuesdays from mid-January until the end of February, and we’ll have three other courses running at the same time on Wednesdays-Fridays. After the first internship ends, we’ll return to theory-based courses for 5 days a week, and then the second internship will begin at the end of May, and it ends early July. And once that’s complete, the students will have earned their AEC!
• Do applicants need to have any previous background in education or childcare to apply?
  • Definitely not. No experience is necessary, and many students have been very successful in the program without having ever worked with children.

Student Experience

• How do you support adult learners who might be returning to school after a long time?
  • The courses are designed so everything is very easy to navigate, and I am very clear in my assignment instructions. I am also very supportive and patient, and I’m always happy to work one-on-one with any student who requires any additional help, which is quite common in the first few weeks. And like I mentioned earlier, since I was a mature student when I began my ECE journey, I am very empathetic to the stress and uncertainty students often feel when beginning the program.
• What’s one thing students are often surprised to learn or experience during the program?
  • Students have been surprised by the depth of what they learn in the program. They have said that they thought because it’s such a short program that they would learn just the basics, but they’re often very pleased to see that we really get into topics and concepts on a deep level, which is absolutely required to ensure they’re prepared when they graduate. They’re also surprised by the amount of work that is required. Because it’s a compressed program, there is a lot of reading and lots of assignments, so students need to be ready and willing to put the work in.
• What kind of classroom or learning environment can students expect?
  • We run our program synchronously, so every morning at 9am, we meet on Teams. That’s when I go through the course notes for the day, explain any new concepts, and answer any questions. Students do spend some time watching videos and reading articles and excerpts from textbooks, and then we’ll come back together to discuss the content. I then create tasks or questions, and then students are placed in a small group where they’ll discuss the content and share ideas amongst themselves, then we’ll come back together as a large group to discuss. We break for lunch at noon and reconvene at 1pm. Depending on the day, the afternoon sometimes takes the same format as the morning, or sometimes there are assignments or projects that students work on and we use that time to ask questions, share ideas, discuss progress, etc.

After Graduation

• What kinds of jobs do graduates typically get after completing the program?
  • Most of our students work in licensed daycare centres upon graduation, but many work in schools. Some decide to open their own home daycares. 
• How quickly do most students find work after graduation?
  • Immediately. Actually, most are offered a job after their first internship, so they have a job waiting for them the day after they graduate!
• What are employers looking for in early childhood education graduates today?
  • Passion, commitment, and professionalism. There are so many unqualified educators working in the field, so to come to the table with a credential in the field really helps to set graduates apart from other workers.

Practical Guidance

• For someone unsure if this program is right for them, what advice would you give?
  • If you know you like working with children and aren’t able to or willing to dedicate three years in a DEC program, this program is perfect!
• Why should someone choose this AEC at CEGEP Heritage College over other training options?
  • The online nature of the program works so well for our students. We have students currently completing the program who live over three hours away, and some have young children they need to be home for as they get off the school bus at the end of the day, so the flexible nature of it really reduces barriers to those who might not be able to attend an in-person program. 
• What’s one message you’d like to share with anyone thinking about applying?
  • Because our program is always so small, we become such a close and fun group where we look forward to seeing each other every day! You will leave the program with the skills you need but also likely some lifelong friendships as well.