Teena Thomas
Name: Teena Thomas
NZTC qualification: Postgraduate Diploma in Education (ECE)
Opportunities for experience: For Teena Thomas, moving to Christchurch from India to study with NZTC opened up a number of opportunities to gain experience through the city’s many early childhood education centres. Now graduated, Teena is planning to pursue her dream career in the early childhood education sector in New Zealand.
Why did you decide to move to New Zealand and study early childhood education with NZTC?
Being an early childhood educator is my dream profession. It definitely adds spice to my life and career as a teacher. I was searching to have a foreign experience in the area of early childhood education and I discovered through my thorough research of NZTC that my ideologies and the suitable opportunities available aligned at the College, especially the Christchurch Campus. This motivated me to pursue a move to New Zealand to study at the NZTC Christchurch Campus.
How does life in Christchurch compare to life in India?
Life in New Zealand is incomparable to life in India. Everything is different – the concern for the environment and its maintenance, the traffic system, education, and the family set up. Everything varies from one country to the other.
How has your experience been studying with NZTC?
It was amazing. The learning atmosphere, online discussion forum, supporting lecturers, library and the materials provided were all encouraging. I encourage people to choose NZTC.
How has your life changed since studying ECE?
There is a great change in my thoughts and beliefs about early childhood education because the system that I have experienced here is entirely different from my home country. I have new ideas which influence my life here.
What are you doing in your career now and what are your plans for the future?
I am currently working as a Teacher Reliever under Best Start reliever pool agency. As I’m familiar with about a dozen ECE centres, I believe I can hold a good managerial position and make use of my various ECE experiences within a couple of years. I also have in mind getting my master’s in ECE with New Zealand Tertiary College.
What advice would you give to students contemplating moving to NZ to study?
While it is necessary to take up the course with due consideration, I would like to urge those international students thinking of moving to Christchurch to study ECE with NZTC to do so. The NZTC Christchurch Campus is awesome. The number of ECE centres here in Christchurch means there is a large opportunity to gain real experience of what we learn in the course content.