Amy Thynne is a Lecturer in New Zealand Tertiary College and has been in the early childhood field for over 25 years in a range of different roles and settings.  Amy has worked in various childcare centres and has also been involved in the home based care sector, as an educator, a coordinator and as a manager of a service. Amy is interested in all areas of ECE and is particularly passionate about environments that are inclusive, respectful, with free play, loose parts and that are natural and sustainable.

Chelsea Bracefield has a varied scope of experience within the early childhood sector including pedagogy, curriculum, and leadership.  Since joining New Zealand Tertiary College, Chelsea has applied her knowledge and experience to support students and more recently Associate Teachers in her role as Lecturer (Associate Teacher Support) for the College.  Chelsea’s research interests are cultural and linguistic inclusion with a focus on teacher leadership and mentoring. 
 
Evelyn Davis is an experienced ECE teacher and professional development facilitator with a particular interest in how storytelling, the arts and play can be woven into richly textured learning experiences for children, with a special focus on oral literacy. Inspired by a range of philosophies, Evelyn works in Auckland and highly values opportunities to collaborate with children as a relieving teacher or storyteller. She brings enthusiasm, playfulness and practical teaching strategies to her inspirational and fun workshops on oral storytelling (and felting). She creates felted storytelling mats and bedtime story hangings for parents and teachers and regularly posts intriguing links and stories on her Facebook business page called ‘Storytelling threads’. Currently she is posting a story a day, as part of her 100 day storytelling lockdown challenge, using as many different storytelling mediums as she can. One of the stories role models the helicopter storytelling techniques, and there is a retake on the Three Billy Goats Gruff, enacted on one her mats, and a bedtime story exemplar as well. Her website is www.evelyndavis.co.nz

Fiona Woodgate has over 12 years’ experience in the early childhood education context and has an interest in research in the areas of early childhood education and best outcomes for children with a focus on the art and pedagogy of leadership toward improved teaching practice.  Fiona has applied her experience of Early Childhood within the role of Program Leader (Field Practice) for New Zealand Tertiary College, and is particularly interested in relationship dynamics and how these affect the ability to lead and mentor others and how this affects quality outcomes for children. 
  
Maxine Dyer is a Lecturer at New Zealand Tertiary College and has three education degrees. She has a passionate interest in the impact of inequality on children’s learning and is a member of several professional organisations closely linked to her interest in education and social justice.

Pearl D'Silva has worked at New Zealand Tertiary College since 2007 as a Lecturer and was previously Academic Manager at their office in Mumbai prior to coming to New Zealand.   She has a Master in Human Development from the University of Mumbai. Prior to this, she worked as a lecturer and primary years programme teacher in Mumbai. She has also served as Executive Committee Member for the Association for Early Childhood Education and Development (AECED) in India. Her research interests include children’s literature, creative thinking and play in early childhood contexts.

Rachel Winslow is a Kaiārahi Marautanga – Paper Leader at Te Rito Maioha – Early Childhood New Zealand.  Rachel’s teaching career spans over 20 years in various teaching, leadership and advisory roles in early childhood education. Rachel is interested in relational approaches to teaching and leadership in ECE. This includes children’s social and emotional learning, resilience and kindness. This led her to research children’s perceptions of kindness for her master’s thesis, cementing her passion for creating a culture of kindness in education. Rachel sees education as both relational and transformative and believes that as teachers we have an ethical obligation to be models of authenticity, kindness and resilience to create a peaceful and equitable future for nga tamariki. 

Shu-Yen Law is a Lecturer at New Zealand Tertiary College and prior to this has been involved in early childhood teaching and leadership for nine years, alongside facilitating parent-baby sessions hosted by SPACE NZ Trust on Sign Language and Brain Development topics. She has a Bachelor degree in Preschool Education and a Master in Education, and her research areas focus on literacy development and critical thinking skills in young children. Shu-Yen’s current work primarily focuses on teacher professionalism, infant and toddler pedagogy, educational leadership, and culturally responsive practices.

Sophia Li is an early childhood education practitioner based in West Auckland. Sophia has a Master in Applied Linguistics and a Postgraduate Diploma in Early Childhood Education. Sophia is passionate about social justice, equity and inclusive education for children from minority linguistic and cultural backgrounds in New Zealand. Sophia has four years of teaching experience at tertiary level and over 13 years in early childhood in both China and New Zealand. She sees multicultural teaching and learning as a mission that requires both awareness and contribution from policy makers, researchers and teaching practitioners. Sophia is currently working towards her second master’s degree studying Chinese immigrant children in their language development.