Learn, Laugh, Grow with Doan

PARENTS and EDUCATORS, hear me clearly: abuse doesn't discriminate by gender, and it rarely comes from a stranger. It wears the mask of someone you trust.
As an Early Childhood Teacher here in Australia, I undergo continuous training in Child Safety. In the last two weeks, I have learned and carefully reflected on the National Child Safety Training by GECCKO. It forced me to look back at my own life and realise a painful truth: I loved "The Beast" for 16 years without knowing I was groomed.
For a long time, I blamed myself. But education has helped me heal and realise that I was a child who was manipulated.
Grooming doesn't look like a monster in the shadows. In my experience, it looks like this:
👨‍👩‍👧 The Family Friend: A person who is extremely kind, helpful, and close to your entire family and friends.
🏙️ Isolation: Someone who goes out of their way to spend one-on-one time with your child, day or night.
🤫 The Secret: Emotional manipulation—demanding secrets and threatening to leave forever if the secret is broken.
🫂 Testing Boundaries: Quick, inappropriate touches or constantly forcing physical proximity, like sitting too close or offering a ride.
🎶 Desensitisation: Introducing age-inappropriate movies or music to slowly shift what the child thinks is normal.

💔 As a child under 18, I thought this was genuine love. Now, I see the mask for what it was.

Please, pay attention to who your children are with, no matter if they are girls or boys. I am sharing this because awareness is our strongest weapon. I am so grateful for the knowledge that awakened me, and I hope it helps protect someone else.

IF YOU HAVE DOUBTS, JUST REPORT IT!

✨ CHILDREN'S VOICES MATTER — ALWAYS! ✨
✨ TIẾNG NÓI CỦA TRẺ LUÔN QUAN TRỌNG ✨

Last Wednesday, our Kinder children went on an excursion to a primary school as part of their transition to Prep next year. They were so excited exploring a new environment, seeing new spaces, and trying out different activities in a “big school.”

One of the things that really caught their interest was paper hats — they were fascinated! So, following their interests and linking it to our learning goal of writing their own names, I decided to turn Woolies paper bags into fun animal-themed hats.

This way, children can practice writing their names while expressing creativity and having fun decorating their personalised hats. 🐱🐻🐰🎨✍️

Child-led learning is powerful — when children feel heard, they engage, learn, and shine. 💛

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Thứ Tư vừa rồi, các bé lớp Mẫu giáo Lớn của Đoan đã có một buổi tham quan đến trường Tiểu học như một phần trong quá trình chuẩn bị vào lớp Dự Bị Tiểu Học trong năm tới. Các con vô cùng háo hức khi được khám phá môi trường mới, nhìn thấy những không gian khác lạ và tham gia nhiều hoạt động thú vị trong “trường lớn”.

Một trong những điều khiến các con thích thú nhất chính là những chiếc mũ giấy! Từ sự tò mò và hứng thú đó, kết hợp với mục tiêu học tập giúp trẻ tập viết tên của chính mình, mình đã quyết định biến túi giấy của siêu thị thành những chiếc mũ hóa thân thành các con vật ngộ nghĩnh.

Nhờ vậy, các con vừa được luyện viết tên, vừa thỏa sức sáng tạo và trang trí chiếc mũ theo sở thích cá nhân. 🐱🐻🐰🎨✍️

Học tập dựa trên sự hứng thú của trẻ luôn mang lại giá trị — khi trẻ được lắng nghe, trẻ sẽ tự tin, tích cực và tỏa sáng. 💛

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🌿 Learn, Laugh, Grow with Doan
👋 Early Childhood Teacher in Australia
✨ Sharing daily inspiration in Early Childhood Education — for teachers, educators, parents, and anyone who loves children

Tomorrow will be an important day for many early childhood teachers dreaming to become Australian in the Visa 189 November 2025 round. We share this dream, and hopefully, we’ll be Australian soon. 💛 Good luck to everyone! 🍀🍀🍀

🔥🔥🔥 MAJOR CHANGES to PTE Requirement for Australian PR 🔥🔥🔥
🚨 From 7 August 2025, if you're using the PTE Academic test for your Australian PR application, here’s what you’ll need to match IELTS 8.0 each band (i.e. “Superior English” for 20 points):

🔹 Speaking: 88
🔹 Writing: 85
🔹 Reading: 70
🔹 Listening: 69

That’s such a big jump for Speaking and Writing!

💬 Would you still choose PTE over IELTS with this new requirement? Let me know in the comments 👇

🧒🎓 Let's Talk About the Unfair Blame on International Students in Early Childhood Education

Lately, I’ve noticed a disturbing trend in the way media and public conversations are shaping around early childhood education in Australia—especially after the tragic incident involving Joshua Brown.

Let’s be clear: Joshua Brown was not an international student, nor did he complete a Graduate Diploma in Early Childhood Education (GDECE). Yet, somehow, in the aftermath of his actions, media narratives have shifted blame toward international students and the graduate diploma pathway—as if they are the weak link in our education system.

This is not just inaccurate. It’s unfair. And honestly, it’s harmful.

🔹 The GDECE is a government-accredited, rigorous program, designed for both domestic and international graduates who want to become qualified early childhood educators.
🔹 International students go through extensive academic and practical training, often juggling language, cultural adaptation, and financial pressure—yet still show incredible passion and commitment.
🔹 Painting all educators from non-traditional backgrounds with the same brush because of one isolated (but horrific) case is not only wrong—it reeks of scapegoating.

If we want to protect children and strengthen our education system, let’s direct the conversation toward:
✔ Strengthening background checks.
✔ Ensuring accountability across all teacher pathways.
✔ Supporting well-trained educators, regardless of their origin.

To all my fellow educators, especially those studying hard through graduate diplomas or coming from overseas: your work matters. Your care matters. Don’t let misguided headlines tell you otherwise.

Let’s keep fighting for a more informed, inclusive, and safe early learning sector. ❤️👩‍🏫🌏

📘 [For Early Childhood Education students at VU]

🎓 Starting Your Graduate Diploma at Victoria University on 28 April 2025?
Here are 10 tips from Doan – I achieved High Distinctions in every unit and completed all my placements with wonderful feedback from mentors 🌟

Part 1: Studying Online at VU
💡 Set yourself up for success from Day 1!

1️⃣ Complete the weekly readings and activities on VU Collaborate before class. You’ll follow the lesson more easily and come prepared with thoughtful questions.

2️⃣ Take note of exactly what your lecturers are asking for in assignments. VU teachers are usually very clear, so if you follow their instructions step-by-step, assignments become much more straightforward.

3️⃣ Start your assignments early – ideally right after the lecture. This helps you remember the content, ask questions during tutorials, and gives you time to book appointment for feedback from the Learning Hub.
Link to the Learning Hub: https://www.vu.edu.au/current-students/advice-support/learning-advice/learning-hub-academic-study-skills

4️⃣ Keep an eye on your referencing. It may only count for 5%, but following the APA 7th style correctly can be the difference between a Distinction and a HD!
APA 7th guide: https://libraryguides.vu.edu.au/apa-referencing

5️⃣ Use the 'Student Induction' section on VU Collaborate to run a Turnitin check before submitting your final version to the Dropbox. (Turnitin checks for plagiarism, but not AI-generated content.)

Part 2: Placement Preparation
👶 Don’t leave it to the last minute!

6️⃣ Start contacting early childhood centres and kindergartens now, even if your placements are months away. Spots fill up quickly!

7️⃣ Once confirmed, book an induction visit. Introduce yourself, get to know the team and routines, and begin building strong relationships. Bring your placement folder and be clear about the support you’ll need to meet VU’s placement requirements.

Part 3: During Placement
🧡 Soak up every experience – even the messy ones!

8️⃣ Say yes to everything – even the ‘not-so-fun’ jobs. Whether you're supporting children outside your focus age group, cleaning up messes, or doing tough tasks, there’s always something to learn.

9️⃣ Observe how experienced educators and teachers engage with children – especially during key moments like drop-off, group time, transitions, and pick-up. These routines are rich in learning. After a few days of observing, ask if you can try out some of their techniques yourself.

🔟 Carry a small notebook with you. Jot down key observations, reflections, and areas to improve. It’s a powerful tool for growth and self-reflection.

📍 BONUS: If you're in Melbourne and need a spreadsheet of early childhood centres and kindergartens for placements, comment “Placement” below and I’ll send it to you!

🌟 Good luck to everyone on this new journey!

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🌼 Learn, Laugh, Grow with Doan
Here to swap stories, support each other, and grow alongside the little ones we care for 💬👶📚

🌼 To All the Beautiful Educators Out There 🌼

🌼 Gửi tới tất cả các giáo viên mầm non tuyệt vời 🌼 (Tiếng Việt bên dưới)

If you’re feeling unseen, unheard, or overwhelmed—you’re not alone. Being an early childhood educator is a role filled with heart, patience, and dedication, but sometimes, it can feel like the world forgets just how much you give.

💛 This is your gentle reminder that:

You are making a difference—every smile, every cuddle, every "look what I did!" matters.

You deserve to be treated with respect, kindness, and fairness—not because you demand it, but because you've earned it.

You belong in this profession, even when the road feels heavy.

To the amazing leaders and employers who support and uplift their teams—thank you. 💐 Your encouragement makes all the difference. A kind word, a listening ear, or a small gesture can go a long way in nurturing the people who nurture our children.

Let’s keep building spaces where educators feel valued, safe, and inspired—because when educators thrive, children do too. 🌱✨

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🌼 Gửi đến tất cả những giáo viên mầm non tuyệt vời 🌼

Nếu bạn đang cảm thấy bị phớt lờ, không được lắng nghe, hoặc quá tải—bạn không đơn độc đâu. Là một giáo viên mầm non nghĩa là mang trong mình trái tim, sự kiên nhẫn và tận tâm. Nhưng đôi khi, thế giới dường như quên mất tất cả những gì bạn đã và đang cống hiến.

💛 Đây là lời nhắn nhủ dành cho bạn:

Bạn đang tạo nên sự khác biệt—mỗi nụ cười, mỗi cái ôm, mỗi câu "cô ơi, coi con làm cái này nè!" đều có ý nghĩa.

Bạn xứng đáng được đối xử bằng sự tôn trọng, tử tế và công bằng—không phải vì bạn đòi hỏi, mà vì bạn xứng đáng.

Bạn hoàn toàn thuộc về nghề này, ngay cả khi hành trình đôi lúc trở nên nặng nề.

Gửi đến những người lãnh đạo và nhà tuyển dụng luôn hỗ trợ và nâng đỡ đội ngũ của mình—xin cảm ơn 💐. Sự động viên của bạn tạo nên khác biệt lớn. Một lời nói tử tế, sự thấu hiểu, hay một hành động nhỏ thôi cũng đủ nuôi dưỡng những người đang nuôi dưỡng thế hệ tương lai.

Hãy cùng nhau tạo nên những môi trường nơi giáo viên cảm thấy được trân trọng, an toàn và truyền cảm hứng—vì khi giáo viên phát triển, trẻ em cũng phát triển. 🌱✨



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🌼 Learn, Laugh, Grow with Doan
Here to swap stories, support each other, and grow alongside the little ones we care for 💬👶📚

✨ Big News! ✨
Yay! I finally received my Skills Assessment result for Early Childhood Education today – after a long 4-month wait! 🙌

📅 I applied on 20/12/2024 and got accepted today 17/04/2025.
🎓 Graduated from Victoria University and so proud to reach this step!

To anyone still waiting – hang in there! You’ve got this. 💪
I got it, the next one will be you. 💖

🌱 Tips from my experience:
📌 Don’t keep calling or emailing ACECQA – it might actually delay the process even more. Patience is key (and I know, it’s hard!).



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🌼 Learn, Laugh, Grow with Doan
Here to swap stories, support each other, and grow alongside the little ones we care for 💬👶📚