Lyndal Haffenden
Wallan,VIC
Summary
At Happy Faces Childcare Centre & Kindergarten, I spearheaded educational excellence, elevating instruction quality through innovative strategies and fostering a culture of continuous improvement. My expertise in strategic planning and relationship building significantly enhanced staff collaboration and student learning outcomes, showcasing a commitment to early childhood education's best practices.
Overview
18
18
years of professional experience
Work History
Centre Director - Early Childhood Education
Happy Faces Childcare Centre & Kindergarten
07.2023 - 10.2024
- Collaborated with teachers and staff to create comprehensive lesson plans tailored to individual student needs.
- Provided coaching support to educators in key areas such as classroom management techniques or instructional strategies.
- Championed inclusive practices within the center, promoting diversity and respect among students, staff, and families.
- Spearheaded professional development initiatives for educators, elevating the quality of instruction in the center.
- Recruited highly qualified staff members through targeted outreach and rigorous interview processes.
- Developed and maintained a high-quality learning environment for children, ensuring safety, engagement, and growth.
- Led continuous improvement efforts by regularly reviewing policies, procedures, and practices in alignment with best practices in early childhood education.
- Promoted a culture of collaboration among team members by facilitating regular meetings focused on sharing ideas, successes, and challenges.
- Enhanced early childhood education programs by implementing innovative curriculum strategies and learning tools.
- Ensured successful transitions for children entering kindergarten by establishing strong partnerships with local school districts.
- Coordinated special education services with relevant professionals to ensure appropriate accommodations were made for students with diverse needs.
- Increased parental involvement through organizing family events aimed at fostering connections between home life and school experiences.
- Oversaw day-to-day operations of the center while maintaining compliance with state licensing regulations as well as accreditation standards.
- Established strong partnerships with families, fostering open communication and shared decision-making processes.
- Maintained and fostered positive and constructive interactions with staff, families, and children.
- Applied play-based strategies to provide diverse approaches to learning.
- Gave one-on-one attention to children while maintaining overall focus on entire group.
- Communicated with parents and other staff about student progress.
- Observed children to identify individuals in need of additional support and developed strategies to improve assistance.
- Consulted with parents to build and maintain positive support networks and support continuing education strategies.
- Implemented developmentally and culturally appropriate curriculum for children, creating positive, and safe classroom environments.
- Worked with teaching staff to evaluate individual progress and recommend appropriate learning plans.
- Maintained high-quality child care standards based on developmentally appropriate practices.
- Attended professional meetings and conferences to maintain and improve professional competence.
2IC/Acting Director - Early Childhood Education
Happy Faces Childcare Centre & Kindergarten
03.2020 - 06.2023
- Developed high-performing teams by providing mentorship, guidance, and opportunities for professional growth.
- Enhanced team collaboration through regular communication, goal setting, and performance evaluations.
- Established a culture of continuous improvement by fostering open communication channels and empowering employees to voice their ideas.
- Cultivated a positive work environment that fostered employee engagement, increased retention rates, and boosted overall team morale.
Early Childhood Educator
Happy Faces Child Care Centre & Kindergarten
12.2006 - 08.2016
- Supported children with special needs, creating customized learning strategies to accommodate various abilities.
- Maintained and fostered positive and constructive interactions with staff, families, and children.
- Boosted children''s social skills development through group projects and collaborative games.
- Sanitized toys and play equipment each day to maintain safety and cleanliness.
- Communicated with parents and other staff about student progress.
- Applied play-based strategies to provide diverse approaches to learning.
- Cultivated a safe and inclusive classroom environment that fostered respect, empathy, and cultural awareness among students.
- Fostered creativity in the classroom through art projects, dramatic play, storytelling exercises, and other imaginative pursuits.
- Observed children to identify individuals in need of additional support and developed strategies to improve assistance.
- Gave one-on-one attention to children while maintaining overall focus on entire group.
- Established ongoing professional development goals, participating in workshops and conferences to stay current on emerging trends in early childhood education.
- Implemented developmentally and culturally appropriate curriculum for children, creating positive, and safe classroom environments.
- Strengthened parent-teacher relationships through consistent communication, increasing parental involvement in the educational process.
- Consulted with parents to build and maintain positive support networks and support continuing education strategies.
- Contributed to staff meetings and professional learning communities, sharing insights and strategies for continuous improvement of teaching practices.
- Enhanced student learning by incorporating hands-on activities and real-world examples in lesson plans.
- Collaborated with colleagues on curriculum development, sharing best practices to improve overall instruction quality across the school.
- Mentored new educators, providing guidance on effective teaching approaches and classroom management techniques.
- Worked with teaching staff to evaluate individual progress and recommend appropriate learning plans.
- Enhanced sensory and perceptual-motor skills, language, cognition, and memory development, by employing both traditional and modern educational strategies and techniques.
- Implemented evidence-based behavior management systems to maintain a positive atmosphere conducive to learning for all students.
- Promoted physical health by incorporating movement breaks and outdoor play opportunities into each day''s schedule.
- Developed comprehensive assessments to measure student progress effectively and adjust teaching methods accordingly.
- Improved literacy rates by implementing targeted reading interventions and guided reading sessions.
- Assessed children's learning and development through observation and documentation, informing instructional strategies.
- Adapted teaching methods and materials to meet diverse needs of children, ensuring inclusive learning experience.
- Maintained ongoing communication with parents about children's achievements and areas for improvement, building strong family-teacher relationships.
- Collaborated with colleagues to share teaching strategies and resources, improving overall teaching quality.
- Conducted regular parent-teacher conferences to discuss children's progress and address any concerns, strengthening family-school communication.
- Improved classroom behavior by establishing and consistently applying clear rules and expectations.
- Fostered safe and nurturing classroom environment, allowing children to explore and learn confidently.
- Organized field trips that complemented classroom learning, expanding children's real-world understanding.
- Enhanced children's understanding of cultural diversity through multicultural lessons and activities.
- Supported children's physical development with daily outdoor play and fine motor skills activities, enhancing their physical health and coordination.
- Facilitated small group activities to encourage collaboration and social skills among children.
- Utilized creative arts to enhance children's expressive abilities and creativity.
- Encouraged children's independence and self-help skills through daily routines and activities.
- Provided emotional support and guidance to children, fostering sense of security and belonging.
- Enhanced children's emotional and social development by implementing interactive and inclusive classroom activities.
- Integrated children with special needs into classroom, promoting empathy and understanding among peers.
- Implemented technology in classroom for educational purposes, enriching learning experience.
- Promoted language development skills through storytelling and open-ended questions, increasing students' vocabulary and comprehension abilities.
- Developed and executed age-appropriate curriculum, fostering love for learning in young children.
- Established positive relationships with students and families.
- Organized and supervised large and small group activities.
- Created safe and nurturing learning environment for preschoolers.
- Modeled positive behavior and communication skills for students.
- Guided students to develop social, emotional and physical skills.
- Planned and executed activities to stimulate physical, social and intellectual growth.
- Supported students in developing self-esteem and self-confidence.
- Developed innovative activities to engage young children in learning process.
- Developed and implemented behavior management plans.
- Incorporated music, art and literature into curriculum.
- Utilized creative teaching strategies to engage students in classroom.
- Assessed student progress and provided feedback on educational development.
- Encouraged use of technology to support student learning.
Education
Bachelor of Early Learning - Early Childhood Teacher
Latrobe University
Online12-2026
Diploma - Early Childhood Education And Care
Melbourne Polytechnic
Melbourne, VIC01-2011
Certificate III - Early Childhood Education And Care
Melbourne Polytechnic
Melbourne, VIC01-2008
Skills
- Relationship building
- Strategic planning
- Verbal and written communication
- Decision-making
- People management
- Team management
- Creativity and innovation
- Strategies and goals
- Employee development
- Staff management
- Staff development
- Issues resolution
- Program management
- Hiring and retention
- Rules and regulations
- Legal and regulatory compliance
- Partnerships and alliances
- Facilities management
Assistant Market Manager - Wallan Market
Assit with market management
Timeline
Centre Director - Early Childhood Education
Happy Faces Childcare Centre & Kindergarten
07.2023 - 10.2024
2IC/Acting Director - Early Childhood Education
Happy Faces Childcare Centre & Kindergarten
03.2020 - 06.2023
Early Childhood Educator
Happy Faces Child Care Centre & Kindergarten
12.2006 - 08.2016
Bachelor of Early Learning - Early Childhood Teacher
Latrobe University
Diploma - Early Childhood Education And Care
Melbourne Polytechnic
Certificate III - Early Childhood Education And Care
Melbourne Polytechnic