Tanya Henderson

Throughout my many years with the YMCA, I have worked in many of our postions through the childcare department, including floater (covering each teacher so they are able to get documentations done once a week), support, subbing where needed, childminding (drop in childcare) and even worked in the kitchen during covid. I have also worked at, started and ran many of our afterschool programs.

• My current postion at the childcare center is floater for the morning and then I go to one of our afterschool programs as onsite lead ECE where I oversee 3 different groups of children and 6 staff.

Through these positions , I have ;

Developed and implemented age-appropriate educationalprograms for diverse groups of children.

• Fostered positive relationships with children, parents, as well as coworkers,to promote a supportive learning environment.
• Collaborated with colleagues to enhance curriculum and create engaging classroom activities.
• Monitored children's progress and provided individualized support to ensure developmental milestones were met.
• Maintained and fostered positive and constructive interactions with colleagues, families, and children.
• Sanitized toys and play equipment each day to maintain safety and cleanliness.
• Communicated with parents and other staff about student progress.
• Applied play-based strategies to provide diverse approaches to learning.
• Fostered creativity in the classroom through art projects, dramatic play, storytelling exercises, and other imaginative pursuits.
• Gave one-on-one attention to children while maintaining overall focus on entire group.
• Cultivated a safe and inclusive classroom environment that fostered respect, empathy, and cultural awareness among students.
• Established ongoing professional development goals, participating in workshops and courses to stay current on emerging trends in early childhood education.
• Implemented developmentally and culturally appropriate curriculum for children, creating positive, and safe classroom environments.
• Facilitated small group activities to encourage collaboration and social skills among children.
• Provided emotional support and guidance to children, fostering sense of security and belonging.
• Evaluated program effectiveness and made recommendations for continuous improvement in teaching strategies.
• Promoted physical health by incorporating movement breaks and outdoor play opportunities into each day''s schedule.

Provided personal care for a special needs young man that included : Bathing, meals, feeding, physio/speech therapy, also including doctors appointments, socialization outside the home (YMCA swims, youth programs through the First Nations school/recreation).

Through consistant encouragement and guidance, I was able to have him walking with assitance, speaking many words and even singing along to a few songs.