Marina

Overview

My name is Marina and I am a 29 year old Preschool Teacher in Crete. From 2013 to 2019 I was studying “Preschool Education” at the university of Crete. My favourite thing about my studies was the children Psychology classes as well as the real- time practice in a few schools. As a student, I worked part-time as a babysitter. In 2018, I moved to Athens for about five years. During that time, I was a full-time nanny. I worked with 7 children in total (5 families).

The ages I have worked with, were from 9 months to 6 years old.  There were months that I visited 2 or 3 families at the same time (some in weekdays, others in the weekend). Additionally, during a time in 2018 I was a live-in nanny to a four year old in Rhodes island. In 2019, I worked with one year old twins for eleven hours every day. Beside the every-day chores like kids laundry, ironing,  food preparation, changing diapers if needed and cleaning the kids dishes and games, I tried to spend quality time with them. For example with forms of painting, creative games, puppetry, psychokinetic activities, reading books, listening to music and dancing, learning numbers, the alphabet and new words. Also, I had excellent relationship and every-day contact with the parents.

I left my job as a nanny because there was a family emergency and I had to come to Crete for a short period of time and I attended a “Mental Retardation” seminar.  After that, I moved back to Athens and I worked full time for two years as a nanny with 2 children (two and four years old). I still have contact with the family and I visit them whenever I can.

In 2020 i attended a “School Psychology” seminar as well as “Child Protection for Teachers” seminar. From 2021 to 2023 I studied “Technology in Education” as a masters degree. In 2022 I found a job as a teacher in a private school, for a short period of time. From October 2023 to this day, I work as a preschool teacher in public schools in Crete.

Working with children is my dream job. Besides the love I have for them and my protective –or motherly- instincts, being surrounded by children makes my day and make me feel like a child again! I want to make them happy and teach them new things. Seeing the children that I work with learning skills that I taught them, have a smile on their face and give me big hugs and amazing paintings made with love, makes it rewarding for me!