Jennie Martin relocated from Melbourne to Bendigo in 2017, leaving behind a 25-year career in the hospitality industry.
The move left Jennie feeling like she had lost a little bit of purpose, but after some self-reflection, she decided to follow her childhood dream of becoming a kindergarten teacher.
Embarking on her learning journey
In 2020, Jennie began her studies with a Diploma of Early Childhood Education and Care at Bendigo TAFE with hopes of continuing straight into a bachelor’s degree.
After completing her diploma in 2021, Jennie heard about early childhood teaching scholarships offered by the Department of Education.
She enrolled at Deakin University choosing an accelerated pathway to kick-start her teaching career while working as an educator.
Receiving a scholarship from the Victorian Government was a huge support — it meant Jennie could focus on her studies instead of working full-time.
Jennie has a passion for working with children.
‘I love that I can get muddy – making mud pies in the garden one minute, shoes off – make a river in the sandpit another minute and have a sing-along and dance-off with a group of children the next,’ Jennie said.
‘Seeing the children grasp a concept and watching their creations evolve throughout the course of a year gives me such a buzz.’
Jennie completed the department’s End-to-End Early Career Support Program in 2024, which included individualised one-on-one coaching with a mentor, participation in a community of practice and an Alumni Conference to help further develop her pedagogy, teaching practice and provide additional support through her early career.
She also received funding through the Provisionally Registered Teacher Grants Program, a financial contribution paid to her approved provider by the department to assist in covering costs such as backfill and professional learning to help her move to full registration with the Victorian Institute of Teaching.
Innovative thinking
While studying with Deakin University, Jennie became aware of forest schools in Europe and later discovered that one of her lecturers had completed a thesis on bush kinder.
Jennie collaborated with her lecturer to set up a bush kinder at her early childhood education workplace.
She wrote policies, sourced a suitable site, sought permission from the local council and developed risk assessments. Her bush kinder program was, at the time, the first in-house program in any Aspire Early Education centre.
Jennie said the parents’ feedback was very positive.
‘The children loved the program, and the learning outcomes were beyond anything I could imagine,’ she said.
She successfully applied for a $6,000 Bush Kinder Grant from the Department of Education and used the funds to purchase resources to help set up her program.
Jennie was later nominated for Aspire’s Teacher of the Year award in recognition of her outstanding work.
Rewarding career
Jennie’s advice to anyone considering a career in early childhood education is to ‘go for it’.
‘This career is so rewarding in so many ways,’ she said.
‘I feel that I have found a vocation that appreciates me for who I am and what I have to bring to the table.’
‘I’m helping to raise future generations. What an awesome privilege that is!’
Find out more
For more information, visit the Financial support to study and work in early childhood webpage. This includes information about the Early Childhood Tertiary Partnerships program.
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