Melissa
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Ako: Bachelor of Teaching and Learning majoring in Early Childhood Teaching
Hometown: Penang, Malaysia
What inspired you to study teaching at UC?
My college maths teacher saw potential in me when I was mentoring one of my friends. She noticed that I was really patient, and she told me she thought I had a good shot at being a teacher. My sister also encouraged me, which convinced me to pursue education.
I'm from a small island in Malaysia, but my parents visited Christchurch years ago and absolutely loved it. I鈥檝e wanted to come here ever since, so being able to study at UC was a great opportunity.
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Why is being an early childhood educator important?
We are the first ones that take care of tamariki apart from their wh膩nau. We have to enact that responsibility with passion and dedication, because their family members are trusting us. We have to ensure that they feel confident and comfortable with the outside world.
Tamariki can push your boundaries, so kaiako need to have patience. Having a positive mindset is also important so that you can boost their confidence and help them navigate the new experiences that they鈥檙e having.
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What do you like about UC鈥檚 programme?
You're teaching them, but they're also teaching you.
The teaching degree at UC is so hands-on, which encourages you to push yourself. You learn from different settings, kaiako, wh膩nau members around the听 community, and you're also learning from the tamariki.
How do you feel about the bicultural elements of the degree?
It is very eye-opening and interesting. I鈥檓 a big advocate for it because I believe we should respect the tangata whenua, and that means that we have to respect the land as well and try to ensure that the language is not forgotten. To do so, we have to teach the tamariki all of these things.
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What role do placements play in your studies?
Placements give us hands-on experience and the opportunity to see what being a teacher is really like. I will be doing six placements throughout my degree. You get placed in a variety of education centres so that you get experience with all age groups.
What I've enjoyed most about my placements so far is how helpful the kaiako are. They're more than happy to provide me guidance and advice. I also like building relationships with the tamariki and seeing how they develop.
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What is your Early Childhood cohort like?
We have each other's backs and are always there to help each other out. As a smaller cohort, we鈥檙e able to build close relationships with our lecturers as well. It鈥檚 an advantage because we have more time with the lecturers to make sure we really understand the material.
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Have you joined any clubs at UC?
I鈥檓 part of the Canterbury Malaysian Students Association. It's good to have a sense of belonging and be able to connect with people who have the same cultural background as me. It鈥檚 also open to students that aren鈥檛 from Malaysia who just want to learn more about the culture.
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Do you have any favourite campus events so far?
I particularly enjoyed the International Food Festival, which was sponsored by the Canterbury Malaysian Students Association. Everyone gets to enjoy foods from different cultures such as India, Malaysia, Indonesia, Japan, Korea. It鈥檚 good to expose myself to different cultures this way, especially because I connect through food.
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What do you do in your spare time?
I really enjoy playing badminton. I have been playing since I was a little girl, so I can be very competitive. I love that I can just go and rent a racket and a shuttlecock from UC鈥檚 Rec Centre and play with friends on a proper badminton court.
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What do you like most about being at UC?
It鈥檚 a great campus. It鈥檚 really big, and you get to connect with nature. Everyone is also very friendly and willing to help. That's the beauty of the people of New 麻豆传媒高清.
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Any advice for students considering studying teaching at UC?
Be prepared for a lot of hands-on experience. You also need to have a听dedication to teaching and a willingness to build relationships with the听tamariki. Having that passion will drive you to be a better kaiako.
