Motivational book for Nursery Practitioners nominated for top industry award
Michele, from Scotland and a Bright Horizons Director of Operations (for the North) has been shortlisted for the ‘Professional Book of the Year’ award.
She is one of only six authors to make the final shortlist in this category of the 2023 Nursery World Awards. These prestigious awards are open to everyone involved in childcare and education and highlight truly inspirational work.
‘The Passionate Practitioner's Handbook’, which she co-wrote with author Avril Robertson, is a career highlight for Michele. It is written to both inspire and support individuals who work with children in nurseries, primary school, and many other settings, including those who care for children in a home environment.
Michele said: “My interest in a career working with young children began over 14 years ago when I completed my HNC Early Education Childcare. After working as a practitioner in the Local Authority I became a lecturer in the Childhood Practice department of my local College and following a move to role of Depute Centre Head I went on to fulfil my role as Head of Professional Learning and Quality Assurance with Early Years Scotland. I have been in my role with Bright Horizons for just over a year and I am highly motivated to build on the connection between operations and quality early years provision to support improvements for our nursery teams and the children and families who attend our settings.
“What inspired me to write this book with Avril, was due to the fact I’ve always wanted to see nursery practitioners who work towards supporting children to continuously reflect and question themselves. This is a book for practitioners to keep and return to frequently, to draw on it to answer questions, to find joy in their work, their expertise, and their enthusiasm, reinforcing their commitment to children, and be empowered to make decisions that benefit them every day. Keeping the child at the heart of all that practitioners do was what was most important to us.”
The book was published in February 2022, each chapter was designed to offer clear guidance to support practitioners to reflect on their practice and strive to consider the impact of what they say and do whilst in their setting.
Michele’s book has received acclaim from those in the early years sector who have already benefitted from the handbook, including a Nursery Manager at Bright Horizons who said: “This is a great book for practitioners in Early Years. It’s easy to read and relatable to the modern-day role of a practitioner, and how to be a passionate professional. I think every practitioner will be able to use this book as a great tool to support them in their everyday practice as it is insightful and enlightening when working with young children. Would highly recommend to everyone in Early Years.”
Michele’s role at Bright Horizons involves her overseeing nurseries in the North of England and Scotland to understand their practices and priorities. She also oversees a team dedicated to placing the importance on ensuring our offer and delivery of food is safe, nutritious and provides enjoyable social mealtime experiences for our children and staff.
This is not the only award where Bright Horizons colleagues have been shortlisted. Other nominations include, Katy, a Preschool Room Leader at Bright Horizons Kingswood Day Nursery and Preschool for ‘Nursery Practitioner of The Year’, Danielle, Regional Director in the North for ‘Area Manager of the Year’ and Bright Horizons have been nominated for the ‘Health and Well-Being’ award.
Winners of the Nursery World awards are chosen by a distinguished panel of expert judges and will be revealed on September 30th. For more information about a career at Bright Horizons, then you can find it all on their careers page.
