Little Doves Teacher - Ruby Dale

A Day in the Life of a Little Doves Teacher

Ruby Dale with Daniel Kim (left) and Jaxon Wang (right)

RUBY DALE - LITTLE DOVES TEACHER

What did you study? Initially a Bachelor of Dance Studies and then, last year, a Graduate Diploma in Teaching (Early Childhood).

What made you decide to become an Early Childhood teacher? I lived in London for some time after finishing my dance degree and worked as a nanny with two wonderful toddlers. I loved the time I spent with them and this led me to two further incredible nannying opportunities, here in New Zealand and also in Canada. There really is no such thing as a bad day when you get to spend it with young children, so I decided to make a career of it.

What does a typical day look like for you? I start my day at Little Doves just before 8am and set up the space in the Nikau Room (our space for children under two years old) ready for the day. Children, whanau and other teachers start arriving and we get - right into playing: maybe reading some stories, watering the plants, playing in the pretend kitchen, or digging in the sandpit. We often meet all together to welcome everyone, sing songs, and talk about what we might get up to that day. Morning tea is shared around 9am and lunch at 11am. When everyone’s tuckered out after a morning of exploring and learning, it’s time for a midday sleep (not for me, I promise). The afternoon is just as open: maybe we’ll go for a walk in the quadruple(!) buggies or build water slides for acorns, you just never know, and it all depends on what the children are interested in at the time. Families arrive any time after about 3:30pm and at 4:30pm it’s time for me to head off. I usually spend a little time each afternoon working on documentation and reflecting and then that’s me for the day!

What do you enjoy most about your job? The children. This period of their lives is so magical. They are full of so much unique joy and wonder and I feel lucky to share in that.

Have you had a special memory or success you would like to share? Every day there is something special to celebrate. The children are learning and growing so quickly; there are so many special moments I get to be a part of every day.

Why did you choose Kristin's Little Doves as a place to work? I was fortunate enough to spend one of my practicums here during my study last year. I got to see how much the other teachers really cared about and loved their job, and how happy and empowered the children were. It was clear that my values really aligned with the values of Little Doves, so it felt like the perfect fit. I love that Little Doves is so innovative and always striving to do better.