Michelle Beauman
Michelle's career started in the Early Childhood Industry as both an Educator and Centre Manager and this spanned over 10 years. She then went on to complete a Degree in Early Childhood and worked in Primary Schools. She worked for several years in both schools and Early Childhood Centres with Life Education (Healthy Harold) which revived her passion for Early Childhood. She now gets to share her love of Early Childhood with students studying their Certificate III and Diplomas in Early Childhood.
She is a mum of two amazing girls who have grown up too fast! She has countless animals which receive all her love and attention. She also volunteers with a wildlife recue organisation so often has wildlife such as joeys, possums and birds that she rehabilitates.
What do you love most about being a trainer?
I love that I am able to share my passion for the Early Childhood sector and help to support amazing Educators on their journey in this industry.
Favourite pastime?
Reliving/laughing about old memories with treasured friends
Favourite quotes to live by?
You can't control what happens to you, or how others treat you, you can only control how you respond to it.
Don't worry about what others are doing - just do you!
What is a great website you like to recommend to students?
Katie Clarke
Katie is the Victorian Relationships Coordinator. She trains and assesses students in both Victoria and the ACT, she also works closely with our wonderful team of Victorian trainers and assessors.
Katie has been working in Early Childhood Education and Care since 2011 when she completed her Certificate III traineeship and has been a trainer and assessor with the Australian Early Childhood College (AECC) since 2015. She is a certified supervisor at a local long day care service. Before she became a trainer she completed a degree in Psychology - she is crazy about child development!
She lives with her fiancé and their two cats, Seren and Dipity. She loves to travel - her favourite destinations so far have been New York City, Scotland, and Rotorua in New Zealand.
What do you love most about being a trainer?
I am passionate about VET and adult learning, and it is a joy to work with passionate educators across services, especially new educators who bring so much energy and enthusiasm to their work. I also love getting to celebrate lightbulb moments with students, when all their hard work has paid off and their confidence blossoms!
Favourite pastime?
I love to sew and make clothes
Favourite quotes to live by?
Whether you think you can, or you think you can't, you're right - Henry Ford
No one can make you feel inferior without your consent - Eleanor Roosevelt
What is a great website you like to recommend to students?
The Early Childhood Resource Hub, or ECRH (ecrh.edu.au) is fantastic and contains hundreds of resources on a huge range of topics relating to childcare and the EYLF.
Debbie Guymer
Debbie has worked for 35 years in the childcare industry. During these years she has worked in the following positions:
Family Support Worker with a Family Support Service
A childcare worker/Educator in various childcare services, she has been a Room Leader in nurseries, Toddler rooms and Preschool rooms
A Child Development Officer in Family Day Care
An Inclusion Support Worker in an Early Intervention Service
A Trainer and Assessor with AECC
Debbie is married and has 3 grown children who have all left home to go into the big, wide world. Debbie has one grandchild and one dog who has loved her working from home.
What do you love most about being a trainer?
Helping and supporting my students to start, or to continue, their journey into the Childcare Industry
Favourite pastime?
Making patchwork quilts. Now I love making clothing and accessories for my granddaughter, it is very relaxing
Favourite quotes to live by?
Don't forget to look up or you will miss the rainbows
What is a great website you like to recommend to students?
I encourage my students to visit the ACECQA website to download copies of the BBB, NQS, QIP Templates etc, you could spend a month looking at what is available, it is a great resource for anyone in childcare and everthing can be downloaded free.
April Montgomery
April has been working in Early Childhood Education since 2000 and has a Bachelor of Teaching from Macquarie University. During her career she has worked with all age groups across a variety of services in NSW from Sydney, to Glen Innes, Port Macquarie and back to Sydney. Before moving into her role as a trainer and assessor she was a Centre Manager for 10 years.
What do you love most about being a trainer?
I enjoy helping students achieve their goals and being part of their learning journey
Favourite pastime?
Seeing live music whether a small band at the local club or large music festivals
Favourite quotes to live by?
The goal of Early Childhood Education should be to activate the child's own natural desire to learn - Maria Montessori
What is a great website you like to recommend to students?
I highly recommend the ACECQA website as the information is current and they have great resources. The ACECQA newsletters also keep you up to date with changes and has great articles about best practice.
Catherine Morkunas
Catherine has been working in Early Childhood Education and Care for over 25 years, it was her interest in education and nurturing that led her to the industry and she has never looked back. She has been fortunate to have worked in a variety of services starting as an unqualified student to becoming a service director. She has worked alongside many amazing quality educators who have inspired her and always challenged her to further her understanding and skills within the industry.
9 years ago she found herself looking for a new challenge so she decided to return back to study while working full time, it was through this study that she became involved with AECC. She was then provided with an amazing opportunity to work for an RTO whose philosophical beliefs fell into line with hers.
What do you love most about being a trainer?
My passion for knowledge and the Early Childhood Education sector has only grown over the years and it is with this that I hope to inspire and support each of my students.
I am blessed to work with an amazing group of educators that share my passion for the next generation of educators and Australian children.
Favourite quotes to live by?
When the day seems to be going south remember -
It's what challenges us the most that teaches us the most.
Raelene Murrells
Raelene has been married for 30 years and has 2 gorgeous children in their 20s. She aboslutely loves the beach and takes every opportunity to get there. She has worked in Early Childhood for almost 30 years as a Teacher and a Centre Manager before moving into her position as a Trainer and Assessor in 2017. She is passionate about Early Childhood and loves sharing information with others.
What do you love most about being a trainer?
Connecting and collaborating with others that share a passion for Early Childhood and being able to help others learn high quality practices to support children to be the best they can be.
Favourite pastime?
Not one but a few... Being with friends and family having a BBQ or around the fire bucket, dreaming of going to the beach in my Jeep, and spending hours on Pinterest, Instagram and LinkedIn.
Favourite quotes to live by?
You will meet two kinds of people in life: ones who build you up and ones who tear you down. But in the end, you'll thank them both
Education begins the moment we see children as innately wise and capable beings. Only then can we play along in their world.
Life takes you down many paths, but my favourite ones lead to the beach
What is a great website you like to recommend to students?
ECRH - Early Childhood Resource Hub. Great collection of websites, articles, newsletters, videos, and information.
Asinate Verekawa
Nate (pronounced as 'latte' with an N) migrated to Australia 10 years ago. She was a primary school teacher in Fiji. She studied Early Childhood at TAFE and at Macquarie University. She has worked in an Early Childhood setting in North Sydney for eight years. She is currently completing a Masters of Research focussing on challenging behaviours in early childhood.
What do you love most about being a trainer?
There are many things I love about being a trainer, but the ones below are the best:
The relationship I have built with the students, centre managers, and other educators. It's a great opportunity to get to know and chat with people outside my family, neighbours, and work colleagues who I talk to every day
The vast knowledge that I have acquired from students, centre managers, and the different environments that I have visited
Visiting different geographical locations of centres and seeing how each centre is unique
To have the opportunity to share knowledge on what I am most passionate about and that includes all aspects of early childhood education
Favourite pastime?
Apart from working and studying, I like outdoor activities, especially hiking and going to the beach for a swim or a run with my family and friends. I also like cooking, reading and watching comedy.
Favourite quotes to live by?
Migrating to Australia was an exciting yet very daunting and isolating experience as I did not have family here. My faith as a Christian was my rock that held me together. Whenever I am afraid, isolated, lonely and feel discriminated this quote keeps me going:
Have I not commanded you! Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go - Bible Joshua 1:9
The second quote that empoowers me - When things get tough or too comfortable I remind myself that I need to
Make an Effort, Not Excuse, I can't have both
What is a great website you like to recommend to students?
The Learning Hub Early Childhood Australia have a range of videos in YouTube where educators and centre managers share their knowledge on how they do things in their centre. Academics in Early Childhood also share their knowledge in some of the videos to support the educators.
Peta Weston
Peta has worked at AECC for 3 years. She is a mum of three children, two boys and a girl. She started working in centres 20 years ago and has developed a passion for working in the industry. She loves to teach about culture and diversity and this supports her love of history. It was Peta's love of history and culture that helped her to discover that she is a descendant of the Anaiwan people. Our first nations people from Armidale area.
What do you love most about being a trainer?
Being a trainer brings together all the work that I have done over my time as a CM. It created an opportunity for me to be able to support people who want to become early childhood educators. I like to be able to support students who love working in the industry, and who enjoy working with children.
Favourite pastime?
Country music - being a rural girl growing up in the west of NSW country music and working the land with my family was my life. I love anything Tim McGraw. I love nothing better than putting on some good country music and listening to it while I cook or do other things and travel in the car.
Favourite quotes to live by?
Always put in what you want back.
What is a great website you like to recommend to students?
I don't really have one good website to use, but I do love to read about anything Koori related so the Koori curriculum Facebook page is great and Nura Gunya which is an organisation that provides Australian Aboriginal education, cultural teaching programs, enrichment programs and performance. I love to look at both these websites and pages.
Rebecca Willmott
Rebecca has had the pleasure and privilege of being a Centre Maanger for a 45 place Centre in North East Victoria for seven years. She is married and has two gorgeous girls and many pets. They moved from the country to Geelong where she trained and assessed in a classroom setting before returning to a Centre Manager position of a 163 place Centre for over three years. Rebecca is a big believer in messy and creative play and is passionate and fascinated about Steiner Education.
What do you love most about being a trainer?
I now thoroughly enjoy my role of visiting students at Centres throughout all of Victoria. Every day is different and I am passionate about supporting students at a centre based hands on level and observing their interactions with amazing children.
Favourite pastime?
My hobbies include exploring with my children and the local You Yang's and all the local beaches. I enjoy stand up paddle boarding and when I get the change I am part of a hot air ballooning crew - which I absolutely love!
Favourite quotes to live by?
My favourite quote is Have courage and be kind.
What is a great website you like to recommend to students?
Early Childhood Australia is a great website for students to access early childhood resources.
Hannah Wright
Hannah has worked in early childhood centres for just over 10 years starting out as a trainee herself. She was named early childhood trainee of the year which encouraged her to seek further training in the industry. This led her to enrol to complete her degree of Early Childhood Studies and Primary School Teaching at Newcastle University. When working in the role of educational leader she found a real passion for training and working closely with other educators, this was her pathway into becoming a trainer.
Just before COVID restrictions hit Hannah was extremely lucky to marry her husband with all of their beautiful family present to share in their special day. They have adopted a dog who has brought so much joy to their lives. She loves being outdoors, the beach and her garden are some of her favourite spots.
What do you love most about being a trainer?
I love my job because everyone at AECC holds the same vision and is dedicated towards sharing their passion and experience with other educators. I love sharing ideas and knowledge with my students that has helped me along the way and seeing them thrive in their workplace.
Favourite pastime?
Having weekend picnics with my family and grandparents by the water at Davistown.
Favourite quotes to live by?
Don't let yesterday take up too much of today - Will Rogers
What is a great website you like to recommend to students?
Inspired EC. Some interesting blog posts to consider other sides of topics you might not have reflected on, they sell some beautiful natural resources that support open-ended play experiences, and they offer affordable professional development courses.
