The idea of playing an active role in a child's growth and development greatly appeals to me and my ability to interact with children has been deeply influenced by external factors such as playing a key role in the upbringing of my younger siblings, my role as a qualified level 2 cheerleading coach as well as my work experience within local primary schools. The Childhood studies sector intrigues me as I am keen to learn about child development, children's needs, and the social and cultural issues that impact their lives. Also, being able to support children, helping them discover new things about the world is a great passion of mine and is something that I find extremely rewarding.
I have had many varied experiences related to children which have strengthened my desire to pursue a career in this area. One example is regularly volunteering as a dance coach at my local dance school; through this, I have been able to interact with many different children and adults across a range of different backgrounds. My experience of working with children through volunteering has not only developed my time management and leadership skills but has also made me aware of the importance of compassion and patience when working with children. As well as this, due to working with a range of different ages, my ability to engage with children in an interactive way that is appropriate for the age has been developed and I am now able to adapt my form of communication to fit the needs of each individual child.
I became aware of the positive impact that adults can have on the life of a child when completing my work experience within a primary school. During this time, I was able to learn from experienced teachers, observing how they nurture a child's development and support students of all abilities. Through volunteering with children and being involved in the development of my younger siblings, I have become aware that the emotional, social and educational support of children is of the utmost importance and can have a great impact on their future, this has therefore inspired me to further my knowledge of child development through completing this degree.
My current A-Level studies have enabled me to develop my understanding of early childhood studies and motivated me to pursue a career working with children. Philosophy and Ethics has equipped me with the ability to observe the universe from more than one perspective, allowing me to gain an insight into a child's perceptions and how they see the world, this has encouraged me to learn more about the philosophy of childhood as well as a child's moral and cognitive development. Moreover, whilst studying psychology, particularly the attachment unit, I gained an understanding of the effects that attachment can have on a child's behaviour which has further sparked my interest in working alongside children. The notion that early attachments can have a major impact on later relationships and children who maintain proximity to an attachment figure during childhood are more likely to develop stronger self-esteem as they grow older is something which I find intriguing and I am keen to further my understanding of.
Whilst completing my studies, I have gained several awards such as my Bronze Duke of Edinburgh Award, as well as completing the NCS programme whereby I earned the 50 hours and the 100 hours volunteering award. The skills I gained whilst participating in these programmes include being able to work well both on my own and as part of a team. Additionally, due to the amount of volunteering involved in each programme, I have proven myself to be both reliable and dependable.
Due to the fact I am currently balancing the workload of sixth form, a part-time job, volunteering, and also hobbies such as dancing, I believe I am a resilient, hardworking individual and therefore an ideal candidate to undertake the childhood studies degree.