What to expect

This first section provides an overview of what is expected of you over the next 19 weeks with us.

• You will become more familiar with Te Whāriki with a focus on the principles and strands, and how they translate into the goals and learning outcomes of the tamariki whilst in your care. This will help you in your role as kaiako to support and further understand your what is expected of you.
• We look into the the multi-cultured families and community groups within your service, your region, and the country, and discuss how to effectively communicate with people, so that every child and family member feels welcome. 
• We cover some of the philosophical and cultural approaches and contexts to childcare in Aotearoa to understand why we do what we do.
• The impact of Te Tiriti o Waitangi in our everyday practices and approach to supporting the journey of our tamariki.

Every week you are required to complete Self-directed learning, given in the form of activities, which will provide the opportunity to practice your learning to prepare for your assessments and your future role in Early Childhood Education. These will be discussed in class each week. 

Practicum

As a part of your programme, you are required to complete a minimum of 100 hours of work placement in a registered ECE provider, your tutor and NZMA will help to organise and arrange your practicum. These hours generally occur in courses 2 and 3 to support your practical assessments and learning.  Your tutor will discuss this with you at the beginning of the programme.

We look forward to supporting you on this journey and helping to build connections for you both within the classroom and the community around you.

The New Zealand Qualification Framework (NZQF) provides specific requirements for each level of learning, from Level 1 to 10. The work you do in this Level 4 course will support you to be confident and competent in the following knowledge and skills: 

• Broad operational and theoretical knowledge in a field of work or study
• Select and apply solutions to familiar and sometimes unfamiliar problems
• Select and apply a range of standard and non-standard processes relevant to the field of work or study
• Self-management of learning and performance under broad guidance
• Some responsibility for performance of others.

Imagine your future self!

Activity – Picture your own success

Imagine how you will feel when you have completed your educational goals towards working in Early Childhood Education. The statements below are representative of what we've heard our learners say.