November 26, 2015

Passion for fostering confident kids sparks career change for mum of two

In celebration of International Volunteer Day (5 December), mature age student Michelle Maltby shares her story. 

As a child, Wollongong-local Michelle Maltby was painfully shy. She wasn’t one to put her hand up for school council (although she was busting to be part of it) and was terrified of public speaking.   

Now aged 45 with two kids of her own, Michelle promised herself that she would give her own children a different experience and encourage them to take more chances. 

Michelle, who grew up in government housing and now lives in Berkeley, always wanted to be a teacher, but life, as it sometimes does, got in the way. 

It wasn’t until the post office that she ran closed down (where she met and worked side-by-side with her husband for almost two decades) and she was forced to take redundancy that Michelle bit the bullet and hit the books again with a Diploma of Children Services at TAFE.  

“It was hard and there were definitely times I wanted to quit but my husband encouraged me not to give up.” 

Michelle received credit for her studies and is now working her way through UOW’s new flexible Bachelor of Education - The Early Years while volunteering at UOW’s Early Start Discovery Space and running her own family daycare business. 

“It’s so exciting when a child writes their name for the first time. You watch these little people develop from a baby, to a toddler who is walking and talking, to a little person with dreams and an imagination and you think ‘I did that’. It’s an amazing feeling.” 

Michelle is passionate about instilling confidence and communication skills in children. 

“With so much technology around us now, kids are not learning through conversation like they use to. They are not learning enough about how to communicate, which is so important later in life.” 

Michelle said it is essential that children know how to socialise and can problem-solve before starting school. 

“Even something as simple as opening a lunchbox and realising that your lunch is in there – you would be surprised at how many kindergarten kids struggle with that.” 

Every Sunday, Michelle volunteers at UOW’s Early Start Discovery Space, Australia’s only dedicated children’s museum, which launched in May. 

“I haven’t met a child who doesn’t love it,” Michelle said. 

“I have quite a bit of experience interacting with children, but I was surprised at how much I have learned in the Space.” 

“I have learned new ideas to engage children on their level, for example when reading a story, and have found it really rewarding to talk to the parents and encourage them to interact more with their children.” 

When Michelle graduates, she hopes to run her own Early Childhood Education and Care centre and make a difference at a policy level in government.

Her advice to those thinking about following in her footsteps and embarking on study as a mature age student? 

“Definitely go for it. Don’t wait until tomorrow because there is never a perfect time.” 

“I have finally found my place. I belong here and I don’t want to say I regret not doing it earlier, but I think my life would have been very different if I had.”