Anran Niu was a Graduate Diploma in Teaching (ECE) student at New Zealand Tertiary College from October 2016 to November 2017 and is now a new early childhood teacher. Before joining the field of early childhood education, she finished her B.S. (Psychology) degree at Peking University in China. She is passionate in utilising play therapy principles and techniques in teaching practices to nurture children’s emotional and social wellbeing.

Barbara Scanlan grew up in Austria and has been engaged in early childhood education for the past 18 years in roles ranging from teacher, mentor and centre manager in Austria, Scotland and in New Zealand. Barbara has completed her Master’s degree on Deleuzian philosophy as a working theory for pedagogy in early childhood education. Currently Barbara is a lecturer at New Zealand Tertiary College busy undertaking further studies and spends her free time with her family, friends and outdoors.

Binky Laureta has a Masters in Family Life and Child Development and is a registered teacher in early childhood education. She has been involved in teaching for 20 years, both overseas, and in New Zealand. She started her career as a preschool teacher and then joined the tertiary sector. Currently, she is working as lecturer and Program Leader for the Graduate Diploma in Teaching ECE program at New Zealand Tertiary College. Her interests are in inclusive education, social competency, cultural diversity, multicultural education, adult/higher education teaching and learning, teacher training, online teaching and learning, curriculum and learning support.

Professor Claire McLachlan is currently Head of School, Te Hononga, School of Curriculum and Pedagogy in the Faculty of Education at the University of Waikato. Claire’s primary research interests are in early literacy, physical activity, early childhood curriculum, assessment and evaluation, and teachers’ beliefs about practice and she is widely published in these areas. Claire was a member of the writing team for the update of the New Zealand early childhood curriculum - Te Whāriki, and is a member of the Ministry of Education Early Childhood Research Policy Forum and the new Strategic Plan Reference Group. She is also an invited member of the UNESCO – IBE Early Reading Panel. Claire is married, has three adult children, and eight gorgeous grandchildren.

Fiona Woodgate taught in early childhood education for eleven years prior to becoming a lecturer in early childhood education at New Zealand Tertiary College in 2016. Through her experiences in teaching and holding a range of formal and informal leadership roles, Fiona has developed a strong professional interest and passion for ensuring quality learning outcomes for children through supporting the development and learning of quality teachers.

Galina Stebletsova is the Curriculum Manager at New Zealand Tertiary College. Her research interests relate to wellbeing, inclusive education and intercultural pedagogy. These interests interweave, with the central focus on how learning can be fostered in the most harmonious, inclusive manner, and how it can be enhanced through growing knowledge in all aspects of wellbeing.

Julia Holdom has worked in various roles in early childhood education in New Zealand, and internationally for nine years prior to becoming a lecturer in early childhood education at New Zealand Tertiary College in 2016. Through her experiences in teaching and various leadership roles in the wider early childhood sector, Julia has developed a strong professional interest in supporting the learning and development of quality teachers, sustainability in education, bicultural development, and science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education in early childhood.

Keshni Kumar is a lecturer at New Zealand Tertiary College since 2016. Her research interests are pedagogy and development of science curriculum with play as a focus. She intends to build her research capacity and capabilities by undertaking opportunities for research when presented. Keshni has a science background and post graduate degree in education with a number of years of teaching experience.

Kim Jenson is an early years teacher at an international kindergarten in Zhuhai, China. She has a Post Graduate Diploma in Education (ECE) from New Zealand Tertiary College, and is currently working towards her Master’s in Education (special and inclusive education). Her goal is to become a board certified behaviour analyst (BCBA) so she can work with and support young children with special needs.

Marjolein Whyte came to New Zealand from the Netherlands 25 years ago as a social worker, working for Barnardos foster care. She retrained as a primary school teacher and early childhood teacher through the University of Auckland. Marjolein has worked in the early childhood sector as a head-teacher for over ten years and has been a lecturer with New Zealand Tertiary College for seven years. She has completed postgraduate papers and Master’s thesis with the University of Auckland in the areas of leadership, early development, literacy and research. Her Master’s thesis was on parent involvement in assessment for learning in early childhood education.

Robyn Chaffey became interested in early childhood with the arrival of her own children. This led to fifteen years in Play Centre in various roles including supervisor. Te Kōhanga Reo arrived and Robyn became involved with this movement for seven years. Moving from a small rural inland town to a city coincided with her own four children being at school and this gave her a chance to become a preschool community officer where one of the roles was to introduce the New Zealand early childhood curriculum - Te Whāriki to rural whānau led services. During these years Robyn studied extramurally and the move to being an educator on the floor at an early childhood centre seemed logical. She continued with study and as an early childhood teacher for the next decade and then moved to teaching adults to gain early childhood qualification. Robyn is still fascinated by the early childhood years and passionate about the right for children to have the best educational and care experiences possible.

Dr Sue Bredekamp is an early childhood education specialist from Washington, DC who serves as a consultant on developmentally appropriate practice, curriculum, teaching and professional development for state and national organisations such as The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), Head Start, The Council for Professional Recognition, and Sesame Street. Dr Bredekamp was Director of Accreditation and Professional Development for NAEYC where she developed and direction a national accreditation system for early childhood centres and schools. Dr Bredekamp; is the editor of NAEYC’s best-selling highly influential publication Developmentally Appropriate Practice in Early Childhood Programs.