Maria Deng

Centre Manager - Algester World of Learning

“As an early educator, I have learnt that it is okay to slow down with children and engage in the beautiful moments that occur throughout the day.”

I began my career in early childhood education in 2012. I have a Certificate III in Early Childhood Education and Care, a Diploma in Early Childhood Education and Care, and a Bachelor of Education (Birth to Five).

My journey started at Algester World of Learning in 2016 as the Early Childhood Teacher, the Educational Leader and 2IC. From 2021, I was lucky enough to lead the Algester team as Centre Manager.

During my ten years of experience in early childhood, I have been lucky enough to be surrounded by amazing colleagues, leaders and mentors. My role is important as I am growing little minds and helping to shape our future leaders. The fact that I get to share laughter, investigations, and curiosities with children on an everyday basis makes this role incredibly rewarding.

As an early childhood educator, I have learnt that it is okay to slow down with children and engage in the beautiful moments. Children need to feel safe and secure around you to be able to gain the most out of their learning, especially in the early years. I believe once an educator builds that secure relationship, effective learning and development will occur naturally.

There are many learning benefits of attending a dedicated early childhood education and care centre compared to learning at home. A child’s brain grows at 90% before they reach the age of five. Children absorb so much learning early on in their life. It is important to offer children the opportunity to be in an early childhood setting, where they can gain and develop important life skills.

The team at Algester are dedicated, nurturing, and have extensive knowledge about early childhood. We are also lucky enough to have a diverse team where we embrace different cultures and languages, including Khmer, Spanish, Chinese, Korean, Hindi, and Punjabi. Their backgrounds are incredibly valuable for the children in our community.

Open, honest and effective communication is the key to building relationships with our families. We offer stay and plays before children’s first days and ensure that families get insight on what their child is learning on an everyday basis.

I look forward to welcoming you to Algester World of Learning.