Canavan Byrne Early Educator of the Year 2018 – David King
Nominated by: Ann Donnelly
David King is an inspiring, adventurous and passionate educator who has broken the mould in terms of male educators in a predominately female industry. He is a fantastic role model for staff and children with a special gift for creating the most extraordinary learning stories out of everyday ordinary situations. Through his child-centered and play-based approach he tunes in to each child, follows their interests and enthusiastically and expertly supports their lines of enquiry, enriching their lives and their learning experiences. He immerses children in designing and constructing buildings. David made a great break-through in communicating with a boy diagnosed with autism who had been in his unit for 14 months and was non-verbal when he brought in a “light” table which caught the child’s attention. He first started to play with the blocks on his own before making eye contact with another child playing with the blocks and then, for the first time, sought the attention of one of his peers.
David has all the traits of an exemplary early years educator, someone who wants to change lives and inspire children to do great things. David ignites a fire of interest in children and goes the extra mile to support that interest.
