Who's Supporting the Educators? Why Professional Supervision Is the Key.
Who's Supporting the Educators? Why Professional Supervision Is the Key.
If you’re working in early childhood education, chances are you love what you do—but let’s be real, it’s not always easy. Between managing challenging behaviours, supporting families, and trying to meet every child where they’re at developmentally, the job can get overwhelming. And while your focus is on giving children the best possible start in life, who’s making sure you have the support you need?
This is where professional supervision is vital. It is a standard practice in professions such as social work, therapy, and crisis intervention—fields where supporting others is central to the role. However, in early childhood education, it is often overlooked, which leaves a significant gap in professional support and development.
So... What Is Professional Supervision Anyway?
Think of it like this: professional supervision is a regular, structured time to stop, reflect, and check in with yourself and your work. It’s a chance to talk things through with someone experienced—someone who can help you unpack tricky situations, guide you through challenges, and help you grow in your role.
I’ve seen the power of supervision firsthand. My background includes working in child protection and as a telephone crisis supporter with Lifeline. Those roles were intense—full of big emotions and difficult decisions. Supervision helped me stay grounded, manage stress, and keep showing up with empathy and clarity. Honestly, I don’t know how I would’ve lasted without it.
Now, in my current early intervention role, supervision continues to be a vital part of my colleagues and my practice—helping us reflect, grow, and stay resilient in the face of complex work.
And the more I think about it, the more I believe early childhood educators need the same kind of support.
Why Early Childhood Educators Deserve Supervision Too
Early childhood educators are not just teaching ABCs and 123s. They’re supporting families and helping shape the emotional, social, and cognitive foundations of young children—and that’s huge. Here’s how supervision can make a difference in their role:
A Safe Space to Talk It Out
Early childhood educators often face emotionally demanding situations—supporting children with complex needs, navigating difficult conversations with families, or managing behavioural challenges in the classroom. Despite this, many educators have limited outlets to process these experiences in a supportive and non-judgmental environment.
Professional supervision offers a confidential space where educators can speak openly about the pressures they face. Whether it's coping with burnout, managing emotional fatigue, or seeking guidance after a tough day, supervision helps normalise these challenges and ensures educators don't carry them alone. It can also reduce feelings of isolation and improve overall mental health, wellbeing and resilience.
Room to Reflect and Grow
Day-to-day responsibilities in early childhood settings are fast-paced and often reactive, leaving little time for educators to pause and think critically about their practice. Yet reflective practice is crucial to personal and professional growth.
Supervision provides structured time for reflection, encouraging educators to step back, assess what’s working, and explore areas for development. With the support of a trained supervisor, educators can unpack their experiences, gain insights into their decision-making, and build confidence in their role. Over time, this reflective space leads to more intentional, thoughtful, and informed practices.
Ethical Support
Early childhood educators regularly face ethical dilemmas: how to balance competing needs in a group setting, advocate for a child when there’s disagreement with colleagues or families or how to respond to suspected child harm. These situations can be complex and emotionally taxing, especially without clear guidance.
Supervision helps educators navigate these grey areas ethically and responsibly. It offers a space to explore different perspectives, weigh potential outcomes, and align decisions with professional standards and values. By talking through ethical challenges with a trained supervisor, educators are better equipped to act with confidence and integrity.
Better Teamwork
Many challenges in early childhood education are relational - tensions among staff, communication breakdowns, or inconsistent approaches across a team. These issues can impact morale, increase stress, and affect the quality of care and education provided to children.
Regular supervision can strengthen team dynamics. While supervision is often one-on-one, it contributes to a culture of openness, mutual respect, and professional learning. When all team members have access to supervision, they are more likely to feel heard, valued, and supported, which improves collaboration and reduces conflict. Supervisors can also identify patterns or systemic issues that may need to be addressed at a leadership level.
It’s Time to Invest in Educator Wellbeing
Early childhood professionals carry an incredible responsibility. We ask them to be teachers, caregivers, mentors, and emotional anchors—all at once. The least we can do is offer them the support they need to thrive in these roles.
The more we expect from early childhood professionals (and let’s face it, we expect a lot), the more important it becomes to invest in their wellbeing. Supervision isn’t about fixing people or pointing out what they’re doing wrong. It’s about providing ongoing support that helps educators stay balanced, inspired, and effective.
It’s Not Just “Nice to Have”—It’s Necessary
Professional supervision isn’t a luxury—it’s a necessity. And just like in social work or mental health services, it should be seen as a core part of professional practice in early childhood education.
Let’s give early childhood educators the same level of professional care, support and supervision we already know is essential in other people-focused professions.
Because when early childhood professionals are supported, children and families benefit too. And that’s a win for everyone.
By Bronwyn Stratford, May 5th, 2025.
Want to Learn More?
If you're an early childhood educator or service leader interested in exploring professional supervision options, we’d love to hear from you. Our early childhood mentoring and supervision programs provide the professional care and support you and your team deserve!
References
Australian Children’s Education & Care Quality Authority (ACECQA). (2023). The role of critical reflection in early childhood education. Retrieved from: https://www.acecqa.gov.au/
Carroll, M., & Gilbert, M. (2011). On Being a Supervisee: Creating Learning Partnerships. Viva Books.
Early Childhood Australia. (2018). Staff Wellbeing: A Key Ingredient for Quality Early Childhood Environments. Retrieved from: https://www.earlychildhoodaustralia.org.au/
Kadushin, A., & Harkness, D. (2014). Supervision in Social Work (5th ed.). Columbia University Press.
Lifeline Australia. (n.d.). Crisis Supporter Workplace Training. Retrieved from: https://www.lifeline.org.au/
McMahon, M., & Patton, W. (2000). Conversations on clinical and counselling supervision. Routledge.