Kia Ora ! I’ve been in NZ for a year now and I want to study next year to become an early childhood teacher. I have 2 years experience as an early childhood teacher (6 months to 5 years old) plus many years as a baby sitter. When I was still in New Caledonia I was surrounded by friends with young children and was always babysitting either for a night or sometimes for a few days.
I did a year of training in NC to become a primary school teacher. I didn’t completed the diploma as I was going to turn 30 and wanted to come live in NZ. I did 3 months as an au pair when I arrived in NZ, in a family of 3 children aged from 9 to 15. I had to help them get ready for school, drop the youngest to school and pick her up from school, be there after school for homework and activities, preparing diner, light housekeeping duties, babysitting from time to time. I stopped the au pair job to gain experience as an early childhood teacher. I’ve been working as a reliever, as an early childhood teacher (6 months to 5 years old) ever since, through Randstad Education mostly. The roles can vary from a centre to another but mainly it is : greeting children, helping them with food, getting them to sleep, encourage them into activities, be a support.