It’s still early morning when Michael sets out to Villa Luna. Still, he enjoys leaving the house to go to work. This wasn’t always the case. It hadn’t taken him long in his old life as a trained painter and decorator to realise that this wasn’t it. He quickly knew that working in the skilled trades was only a hobby for him –not a calling.

Michael is the first person there and he unlocks the door. The day-care centre in Aachen has already become much more than just a place where he works. “Sometimes I even almost feel at home here,” he says with a grin. A key reason for this is the close-knit team atmosphere. Many have been part of the team for several years because they are so happy here. New employees are always quickly absorbed into the team. Even friendships develop this way, as Michael has experienced himself.

2011 was the first time he set foot in Villa Luna Aachen. At the time, it was for an internship that seamlessly transitioned into a programme to retrain as a childcare teacher. Today, the first thing Michael does at the day-care centre is to head to the management office to check the answering machine. The man with a love for flat caps has been part of a two-pronged management team at “his Villa Luna” since 2018 and still has to pinch himself sometimes to believe it. He is particularly thrilled about the trust Villa Luna showed him, when he was offered this expansion of responsibilities.

One by one, Marika, Michael’s co-manager, and the other team members arrive. At least one of the managers always personally welcomes staff in the morning and answers any questions about planning for that day. For Michael, this morning ritual is representative of the overall spirit at Villa Luna. “We appreciate and support each other, but our head office also shows us how important we are and that we are doing great work!”

In his role as a manager, Michael is a point of contact for his teams, but also for parents. “Parents trust us to take care of the most precious thing in their lives: their children. It’s only natural that they would want to know everything down to the last detail,” says Michael. He is happy to make time for this in his daily routine. Whoever can’t come by in person, contacts him by phone: Parents may need longer day-care at a short notice, furniture shippers might want to coordinate a delivery appointment and the work schedules for the summer months also need to be written – all of this is part of being a manager.

Michael never wanted to completely stop working with children, in spite of being a manager. That is why he still works in a day-care class for 20 hours a week. So, he’s not only a planning wizard day by day, he is also a playmate, a peacemaker and crafting genius for the children in the class named after falling stars, the “Sternschuppen” class.

Michael saw quickly during the first few days of his internship how much he loved working with the budding little scientists. One of the most important things about being a teacher is the knowledge that he is at children’s side during a key period of their life. His loving care can help them get off to a great start in life.

When Michael isn’t working with the children, he turns to his management duties. Collaborating closely with his co-manager, Marika, is the key: “We sit down together and discuss how to consistently optimise everyday operations at the day-care centre for employees, the children and their parents. For instance, we can provide teams with specific training to encourage and inspire them. This keeps Villa Luna in a constant state of educational training.”

As a closing thought, Michael adds: “Working with children is a matter of the heart for me. And, hey, who else can say that every day they get the amazing feedback of a child laughing with joy!”