Role

Claire’s main role is to teach growing leaders and teachers in the PostGraduate Leadership and Graduate Diploma (Early childhood education) programmes

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Education Background

Claire has over fifteen years of experience teaching in the early childhood education sector (pre-dominantly in kindergartens in the Manawatū area and Te Awahou - Foxton). Before starting her career as a lecturer, she has held many roles including kaiako, head teacher, and relief teacher in primary schools. Recently, Claire worked for the Ministry of Education under Te Mahau Learning Support as an Early Intervention Teacher in 2022.

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Research Background

Claire’s master’s research was focused on ‘the invited space’ where associate teachers explore how they share with tauira during the teaching practicum, their respective intimate and social practices needed to connect with tamariki and whānau.

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Teaching Interests

Claire brings a realistic and ‘grass roots grounded’ view and vision to teaching, learning, and leading within the teaching paradigm. She believes in practice-based learning where students get a chance to experience what theory and philosophy look like in advocation, practice within early childhood education and wider educations sector.

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Recent Publications

Payne, V., Wilson, C., Corley, N., & Jordan, B. (2010). Transforming curriculum: Seeking hard and soft knowledge in a kindergarten’s community of learners. Early Education, 47, 6-9.

Wilson, C. (2017). NZARE Blog (December, 2017). Walking into the ‘Spider’s Parlour’: Effective spaces for student teacher – associate teacher relationships.

Wilson, C. (2018). Anchoring and invited space on prac. Learning to teach in low socioeconomic EC settings. Early Education, 63, 11-14.

Wilson, C. (2020). Ko wai au? Through embracing te reo Māori I am beginning to know who I am. In A. Card & J. Carroll-Lind (Eds.), Tōku anō reo Māori: My very own language. Occasional Paper Series 3 (pp. 47-50). Te Rito Maioha Early Childhood New Zealand.