For Laure, working with children is much more than a career choice. Originally from Cameroon and the eldest of seven children, she remembers taking on an important role with her younger siblings from an early age, to the point of earning the nickname “mother hen.” This close connection with children eventually shaped her career path, even though it initially began in a very different field.

After two years of studying law, Laure realized that this path did not fully suit her. Her interests lay elsewhere.

“I had always wanted to work with children. Even when I was at university, my small businesses revolved around them. I would buy toys and sell them at daycares and schools. When schools held special events, I could spend the whole day there watching.”

She ultimately decided to pursue a career in education and work with young children. For eight years, she gained experience as an educator in Cameroon, working in daycare and kindergarten settings, and even opened a small home daycare that welcomed five children.

Discovering different ways of supporting children

After several years in the field, Laure wanted to broaden her perspective on education. She became interested in approaches used elsewhere and wanted to understand how educational practices could vary from one cultural context to another. This curiosity first led her to complete Canadian training remotely from Cameroon and later to pursue a job opportunity in Yellowknife. She moved North with her husband and children and now works as an educator at Plein Soleil daycare.

Her arrival required a period of adjustment. The climate, housing and changes experienced by her entire family presented significant challenges. A year later, however, Laure has a positive outlook on her new community. She particularly appreciates the peacefulness of Yellowknife and the warm welcome she has received, and she hopes to continue building her life in the North.

Love, communication and independence at the heart of her practice

At Plein Soleil, Laure works with very young children, including children between 18 months and two years old. Despite her many years of experience, she continues to reflect on how she can adapt her practice to their needs and to the environment in which they are growing up.

Her approach begins with the relationship she builds with them.

“When I work with children, I put myself in a mother’s shoes. I ask myself how a mother would want her child to feel: comfortable, happy and well cared for.”

This caring approach goes hand in hand with a desire to foster independence from an early age. For Laure, being very young does not mean that a child cannot understand what is happening around them. Communication therefore plays a central role in her daily practice.

“I communicate a lot with the children. We might think that because a child is young, they don’t understand, but they do. We explain why they need to put on their mittens because it’s cold outside. Even when they’re very young, they understand.”

This approach takes on particular importance in the North, where daily routines, especially getting ready to go outdoors, require educators to gradually help children become more independent.

Continuing to learn, even with experience

For Laure, professional experience does not lessen the importance of continuing to learn. Since arriving in Yellowknife, she has participated in Collège Nordique’s early childhood mentorship sessions. These sessions help her better understand practices and how the sector operates within her new professional context.

“The mentorship sessions help me understand how the system works in the North and learn more about how education works here. In my view, we never stop learning.”

Laure also began taking English classes at Collège Nordique, but the demands of her work schedule, family life and transportation led her to temporarily put them on hold. She nevertheless remains highly engaged in professional development opportunities directly related to her early childhood practice.

Her experience highlights the importance of offering training opportunities that reflect the realities of people who are already working in the field. At Collège Nordique, online training, workshops and mentorship sessions are designed to help early childhood professionals develop their skills while taking into account the unique realities of working and living in the North.

Laure is particularly grateful for the role this support has played in her own journey.

“The training is very beneficial to me. If it were entirely up to me, I would attend every session. You have to know how to organize yourself because balancing work and family isn’t always easy, but I want to keep learning.”

A profession that comes from the heart

When asked what advice she would give someone considering a career in early childhood education, Laure naturally returns to what has guided her own journey since her earliest experiences with children.

“It’s a profession that comes from the heart. If you don’t have that sense of love and care, you can’t work in early childhood education.”

For her, this human dimension goes hand in hand with the professional skills required in the field. Paying attention to each child, listening, communicating and creating a safe environment are all inseparable from her understanding of an educator’s role.

It is also what leads her to encourage people interested in a career in early childhood education to consider the opportunities available in the North. Her message is simple: take the leap. The climate may require some adjustment, but she believes it should not prevent someone who is passionate about the field from coming to work here.

Deepening her expertise to support children with additional needs

Laure is already thinking about the next step in her professional journey. She hopes to eventually pursue studies in speech-language pathology, a field that particularly interests her because of her desire to better support children who experience difficulties.

This ambition is a natural continuation of a journey shaped by the same desire: to deepen her understanding in order to provide better support. From her first years as an educator in Cameroon to her current practice in Yellowknife, Laure continues to expand her knowledge while holding on to the value that remains at the heart of early childhood education for her.

“For me, everything is based on love. With love, we can do so many beautiful things, especially with children, who have such pure hearts.”

Would you like to develop your skills in early childhood education? Discover Collège Nordique’s programs, online training and workshops designed to support people working with young children and contribute to the development of early childhood education in the North.