“We should never stop being learners” - How Harpreet Kaur keeps adding to her journey in education

For Harpreet Kaur, education has never been about reaching an endpoint. Since beginning her professional journey in India in 2002, she has moved through many roles and experiences. From teacher to examinations head, administrator, vice principal and eventually principal, each role has added something to the educator she is today. Along the way, she also studied computer science, English and Psychology.

Today, after more than two decades in education, Harpreet has added another chapter to that journey by completing the Graduate Diploma in Teaching (Early Childhood Education) with New Zealand Tertiary College (NZTC).

Rather than seeing ECE as a career restart, Harpreet sees it as a new direction that builds on everything that came before: “Changing direction does not mean leaving your past behind,” she says. “I have brought my experiences in teaching, psychology, leadership and administration with me, and they have all contributed to the educator I am today.”

A new chapter in Aotearoa

The decision to move to New Zealand was both exciting and challenging. After years of professional experience and leadership in education in India, Harpreet found herself in a new country, navigating a different education system and becoming a learner again.

But coming to New Zealand was also the realisation of a long-held dream. Harpreet had always wanted to gain a qualification overseas and experience education in another country, and when the opportunity came, she decided to take that step.

Her decision to move into early childhood education came from a desire to understand where children's learning begins, those early years when they develop relationships, communication, confidence and a sense of belonging.

When choosing where to study, Harpreet wanted to gain a New Zealand teaching qualification while understanding early childhood education within the context of Aotearoa. She chose NZTC because it allowed her to study while continuing to work, while also gaining practical experience in an ECE environment.

Studying online allowed her to connect what she was learning with what she experienced in an actual ECE environment. Sometimes, something she learned through her studies would come to life in the babies' room. At other times, an experience at work would lead her back to her course material with a new perspective.

“For me, NZTC became more than just a place where I completed a qualification. It became part of my journey of rebuilding, learning and growing professionally in a new country.”

Her journey was also supported by people within NZTC. Barbara Scanalan, Fiona Woodgate and Emma Hunter became important sources of encouragement as Harpreet adjusted to being a student again after more than 20 years in education. Their support went beyond academic guidance and their belief in her helped Harpreet keep moving forward as she built not only a new professional chapter, but a new chapter of her life in New Zealand.

Seeing children through a different lens

One of the most meaningful shifts in Harpreet's journey came through learning about Te Whāriki and the view of children as capable and competent learners: “I particularly enjoyed learning about Te Whāriki and the idea of children being capable and competent learners,” she says. “It changed the way I observe children.”

Her previous experience had given her a strong understanding of curriculum, achievement and structured learning. ECE encouraged her to slow down and notice the learning happening in much smaller, subtler moments: “Instead of thinking only about what a child needs to learn next, I began thinking more about what the child is already communicating, what they are interested in, and how I can create an environment that allows them to explore and discover.”

Today, Harpreet works as an early childhood teacher in a babies' room, supporting children from around three months to under two years. Her particular interests are infant learning, emotional wellbeing and social competence, areas that naturally connect with her Master's background in Psychology.

Working with babies has also reshaped her understanding of what achievement can look like.

After years of experiencing examinations, results, promotions, leadership positions and other professional milestones, Harpreet has found meaning in moments that might appear small to someone else. “A child's smile, a new attempt, a first interaction or a moment of trust can be just as significant as any big achievement,” she says. “Those are the moments that remind me why I chose this path.”

Every experience adds to the next

Looking back, Harpreet's career may appear to have taken many different directions: computer science, teaching, educational leadership, psychology and now early childhood education. But to her, these experiences have never been separate. “After so many years of being an educator and a leader, sitting on the other side of the classroom was a completely different experience. But it taught me something very important: we should never stop being learners.”

For Harpreet, each new chapter is a continuation of the one before it. Her experience has not been left behind as she has changed direction. Instead, it has become part of what she brings to her work today.

She does not see completing the Graduate Diploma in Teaching (Early Childhood Education) with NZTC as the end of her journey, but as another beginning. She wants to continue developing her understanding of infant pedagogy and children's wellbeing, while continuing to learn from experienced teachers and the children themselves. But she also has a bigger dream. Having always been interested in entrepreneurship, Harpreet hopes to eventually invest in the early childhood education sector and bring together her experience in education, leadership and ECE.

Having spent more than 20 years working in education and leadership, Harpreet hopes to contribute to an ECE environment where children are happy and confident, families feel respected and included, and teachers feel supported and valued.

“My journey from computer science, to teaching, to educational leadership, to psychology, and now early childhood education may look like many different paths, but for me, they have always been connected by one thing: my love for education and my desire to keep learning.”

That love for education is what brings all the pieces of Harpreet's journey together. Each experience has added another perspective, each new environment has brought new people and opportunities to learn, and each chapter has opened the door to another.

For Harpreet, there is always more to discover, and she is ready for whatever the next chapter brings.