Piri Taurima with Keziiyah-Amore Haua
at Te Tirahou Early Childhood Education
Centre in Hastings.

As a schoolgirl on work experience, Piri Taurima thought of early childhood centres as fun and games.Having completed degree studies at EIT and worked for six years at Te Tirahou Early Childhood Education Centre in Hastings, she still very much enjoys being around children. However, she also appreciates that her role as kaiako is about nurturing their learning.

Raised by her grandparents in Greenmeadows, Piri attended Tamatea High School and worked part-time at Te Tirahou while studying for her Bachelor of Teaching (Early Childhood Education). She completed her degree at the end of 2012 and loved graduation.

“The fact that I’d made it that far was amazing,” she says. “I very nearly pulled out when my grandfather died, but I’m glad I didn’t. He would be proud of me and happy too.”

Piri would encourage anyone interesting in teaching young children to consider study. “Everyone at EIT was like one big family. My former classmates and I try to get together during the year to keep our friendships strong because we had a great time over the three years together.”

Her lecturers were wonderful, she says – “very approachable and willing to help out with whatever you wanted. They were always there to lift you up again when things got rough.”

Piri also valued the academic support available through EIT’s Learning Hub and the librarians’ guidance in accessing information
needed for writing her assignments.

Located on the western fringe of Hastings, Te Tirahou is bilingual and operates under the umbrella of Te Taiwhenua o Heretaunga.

While she isn’t fluent in te reo, Piri is picking up more Mäori language working in the centre and she isn’t ruling out study sometime in the future.

Right now, however, she is fully focused on gaining her full teacher’s registration. Longer term she would love to travel,
particularly to the USA and New York.