Where We Began…

I began Activating Children’s and Teachers’ Voices – Facilitating Teachers’ Learning focused around supporting the social-emotional well-being of children alongside supporting their early childhood teachers and leaders by helping them address 10 of the most common challenges and stressors experienced by them. To support them in building their social-emotional skills and to address their challenges, we worked on developing 3 foundational skills.These included emotional intelligence, behaviour management, and emotional self-control skills.

However, since covid-19 hit, personal and familial priorities have changed for most of society, including myself and my business.

Where We Were After Covid Times…

ACTivatingVoices – Facilitating Learning shifted focus to supporting parents and carers as children’s primary educators, while maintaining our mission to empower everyone with a ‘voice’ and enhance social-emotional well-being. We recognise the challenges parents face in supporting children’s growth, especially amid personal and professional stressors. To address this, we realigned our focus to address eight common challenges parents encounter while raising young children. Additionally, we emphasised the importance of reflection, both self and collaborative, in developing social-emotional skills. This skill enables a holistic understanding of situations, empowering parents to adapt effectively to change.

Where We Are Now…

Having devoted a year to assisting parents and caregivers in becoming supportive and protective figures in their children’s lives, the focus of ActVoices – Christian Child Coaching & Family Support has now transitioned to the children themselves with continued support for the parents. I am enthusiastic about offering more effective support to children in the older age range, spanning from preschool to primary school (ages 3 to 12 years), as they navigate through challenging moments while grappling with intense emotions, including anger, tantrums, continuous yelling, emotional withdrawal, and increased disrespect and defiance.

ActVoices – Christian Child Coaching & Family Support

OUR MISSION

Our mission extends beyond the child, embracing parents with unwavering support through biblically-based coaching. We empower families with spiritual, educational, and inspirational resources.

OUR VISION

The vision of ActVoices is that every child thrives with a strong foundation of faith, nurturing their spirit, mind, and body. We are committed to fostering the holistic development of each child – cultivating self-confidence, improved self-worth, clear sense of identity, social acceptance, sound decision-making and effective communication skills – so they can flourish in life, academia, career, family, and relationships.

OUR VALUES

Pillars of ActVoices

  1. Faith-fuelled growth: Mentoring children with a firm foundation of faith for holistic development.
  2. Confidence builders: Cultivating self-confidence, improved self-worth, clear sense of identity, sound decision-making, and effective communication skills.
  3. Empowering families: Extending unwavering support to parents through biblically-based coaching.
  4. Future-ready foundations: Equipping children for academic success, flourishing careers, and thriving relationships.

My Past. My Present. My Experience.

My Qualifications, Specialisation And Interest

I was a qualified and experienced early childhood teacher with a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in early childhood. I have 15+ years in the field teaching infants, toddlers and preschoolers in long day cares and preschools, with expertise in guiding behaviour and a reflective practice focus around supporting the positive development of social-emotional skills and wellbeing among children and adults. Additionally, as educational leader, I attained leadership skills along with skills in mentoring and reflective practice, areas all of which I pursued through my work, research and studies to which I obtained my Master’s degree in early childhood.

Along with my studies at Macquarie University, since 2013 I worked in the School of Education at Macquarie University involved in teaching and the tertiary supervision of students on their practicums.

* With an experienced background in teaching in the early childhood years, knowledge of development and how to promote social-emotional wellbeing, I can give you informed support and strategies with the ‘every day’ routines and experiences as well as address and equip your child with social-emotional skills. This will support your child in their growth and learning, in particular their emotional and behavioural development.

Working With Parents/Carers @ ActVoices

I was a Christian Parent Emotional Wellbeing Coach at ActVoices and I equipped parents with principles and strategies to teach their young child to follow after God’s own heart.

I did this through supporting parents and carers of toddler and preschool-aged children build and take care of their emotional wellbeing by improving the quality of interactions between adult and child, thus improving the household climate.

This was achieved in 2 ways.

#1 By addressing their concerns, questions and frustrations as they engaged in the ‘every day’ routines and experiences with their child.

#2 Through building their own social-emotional well-being, so they could support a positive well-being in their child.

* I will be a source of support, an advisor, guide and listener. I will be your sounding board for reflection and self-growth, and I will also facilitate and model effective practices that will support you and your child in the daily routines and experiences.

* I individualise my approach to your needs, concerns and questions about your child’s development, challenges, how to deal with the daily routines and experiences with them, as well as how to teach your child about God. All the while, addressing your emotional health as a parent/carer.

Working With Children And Families @ ActVoices

Since 2015, I have supported families with young children at various stages of parenting within their home context. My role encompassed providing teaching and care to children, offering parent coaching, and, most importantly, lending a listening ear to families. I achieved this by collaborating with parents and carers, facilitating their learning, and modelling effective ways to support their child’s learning and development. Additionally, I assisted primary school-aged children in navigating challenges related to anger, disrespect, and defiance, while also supporting their parents.

* I take a family-centred approach, so I not only assist your child with what they are going through, but I also support you as parents and equip you with effective strategies to support your child, while cultivating positive interactions and relationships between you and your child.

* I will support you and your child with learning principles and strategies to address social-emotional and behavioural challenges that will translate to changes now and have long-term results in school, work and future relationships.

Tirzah (Child Coach; Founder & Owner of ActVoices)

EMPOWERED. BUILT. SHAPED.