Maria Cooper

Samoan/Czechoslovakian

Team leader early childhood

“I love the diversity of cultures I meet everyday and the diversity of roles I have to undertake.  I’m a real fan of children having positive experiences in their early years."

Maria is the third generation of her family to work in early childhood. “My grandmother taught for 40 years and my mother for about 20 years. It seemed quite natural for me to consider early childhood teaching.”

However it wasn’t Maria’s original plan to be an early childhood teacher.  She qualified first with a Bachelor of Commerce and worked as an accountant for a few years, both here and overseas.

“In London I wasn’t happy working as an accountant, there was something missing,” recalls Maria. “I wanted a job that kept me laughing, learning and thinking and I didn’t have that with accounting.”

To prove that changing careers would be the right decision for her, Maria worked voluntarily for four months in a nursery. “I learnt so much while working there about myself and other people and the effects a great childhood can have in later life.”

Maria returned to New Zealand and went straight into early childhood teacher training.  At first she was surprised and disappointed by her friends’ negative attitudes towards her making this decision.  “It made me very aware that people measure success in such different ways, often in material terms for example.  Many of my friends work with children and it’s fantastic that we all share the same view about early childhood teaching being a fulfilling career.”  

At Greenlane, Maria is now team leader which means she has responsibility for the toddler group and three teachers. “I love the diversity of cultures I meet everyday and the diversity of roles I have to undertake.  I’m a real fan of children having positive experiences in their early years and if I can contribute towards these, then I’ve succeeded in what I set out to do,” she feels.

Being well qualified is important for Maria.  She has recently completed a Postgraduate Diploma of Education at ACE, now called Auckland University Faculty of Education, and is planning to embark on her Master’s thesis within the next year.  It has opened doors for Maria in terms of being kept informed of regular seminars and workshops to share and update knowledge, therefore helping her to be a better advocate for children.  “I wouldn’t have known about the different interest and support groups if I hadn’t studied.  Networking in early childhood is essential for supporting children’s best interests.”

Maria is honest in her assessment so far of being an early childhood teacher.  “While it is an extremely important job, it is not an easy one.  Teaching is quite complex,” Maria feels.  “The child is at the centre of everything you do but you also need to balance your wellbeing against their needs.”