ECDA TA Commendation Award Winner 2018 - Noor Rashikin Binte Mohamed Rashid

When Shikin decided to re-embark on full time studies in Early Childhood at ITE, she knew what her goals were and what she wanted to achieve. She was determined to do well in school and to focus on her personal growth. Shikin’s hard work finally paid off when she graduated top of her course and achieved her goal of furthering her studies at Ngee Ann Polytechnic in Child Psychology and Early Education. Read on to find out more about her story.

 

I had never thought of returning to full-time studies after discontinuing from a Polytechnic course a few years ago. However, all this while, I knew in my heart that I wanted to be an early childhood educator. I have a passion to teach and I want to be an inspiration to others. As such, I did not give up on myself and held onto the belief that teaching would give me a great opportunity to grow. Learning thus became a continual process in my life.

When I enrolled into the Higher Nitec in Early Childhood Education at ITE College Central, I found it challenging to keep up with my peers. Thankfully, the course work comprised of many hands-on lessons which a visual and kinaesthetic learner like me could learn better through. I was thus able to cope with my studies on top of other commitments in school.

 

Taking up the ECDA Training Award (ITE) was also a confidence booster to me. The belief that ECDA and many others, like my lecturers, had in me was a second chance for me to learn and be able to take greater control of my life. After two years of hard work at ITE, I graduated as the top student from my course and am now pursuing a Diploma in Child Psychology and Early Education at Ngee Ann Polytechnic.

I believe strongly that the children’s future lies in the hands of early childhood educators. As such, I aspire to lead a team of teachers on a continuous process of improving themselves to become great leaders. It is also one of my goals to inspire young teachers to be extraordinary educators to bring out the best in each child. I also aim to provide children with more exposure to outdoor learning. To be able to see children appreciate nature around them and be brave to explore the world at a young age, that would be my vision for the children under my care.

 

To my juniors who are pursuing your dreams in the early childhood sector, my tip for you is to never doubt yourself. Always believe that everything you do makes a difference, regardless how big or small it is. You would never know when those actions mean something to someone.

Also, be optimistic. It is a lesson that I had learnt from a 14-year-old at a camp where I was a facilitator. This student has special needs but she never fails to bring positivity to her class in every situation. She told me this which I would never forget: optimism is infectious. This means that when one starts looking at the brighter side of life and hold positive thoughts, the people around would be influenced and the environment would eventually be filled with positivity and hope. That would be how you can start making a difference amongst the people around you.