Jolene Barclay (Balclutha Kindergarten)
How long have you been teaching, and why did you choose education as your career?
I have been teaching for nearly 20 years, but my journey began as a young mum who had recently moved to a small rural community. I attended the local Playcentre with my tamaiti, and part of being involved meant completing a Level 1 course to support supervision and funding.
Having left school young, with no educational qualifications, I was worried. I wasn’t sure I belonged in the world of learning. I carried a lot of doubt and whakamā/ shame. But there I was, learning with, about and alongside my tamaiti/child. The kaiako welcomed me with such warmth and manaakitanga that, little by little, I began to believe that perhaps I did belong after all.
It was there that I first encountered Te Whāriki and discovered that early childhood education could be a place where te ao Māori was treasured and celebrated, a place where I could bring my whole self, my whakapapa and my ways of knowing, without whakamā.
That experience changed the direction of my life. I saw how powerful it is when someone believes in you, makes space for you and helps you see your own potential. I wanted to offer that same feeling to others.
I don’t think I chose education in one grand moment. It grew from being a mum, from belonging and from discovering that I had something to offer. As my children were finding their feet in the world, I was finding mine too. In many ways, we grew together.
What is the most rewarding part of a week in the early childhood environment?
It is often the little moments that stay with me: a tamaiti reaching for my hand, sharing a cheeky joke, inviting someone into their play or finally doing something they have been working so hard to master. It is the look of pride on a child’s face when they realise, “I did it.” It is watching a quiet child find their voice, seeing a new friendship begin or noticing a tamaiti comfort someone else because they know what it feels like to need comfort.
It is seeing a child’s language, culture and identity reflected back to them, and watching their sense of belonging grow. It is hearing whānau say that their child feels happy and safe with us. Those words mean so much, because we know how precious their children are and how much trust they place in us.
There is something deeply special about being trusted with someone’s childhood. To walk alongside tamariki as they discover who they are and what they can do is a privilege I never want to take for granted. Every day, we are helping to shape the way children see themselves as learners, as friends and as people who matter.
This is where a love of learning is fostered, not through pressure, but through connection, encouragement and the feeling that someone believes in you.
How would the tamariki describe you as a kaiako?
I think they would say I talk a lot, in both English and te reo Māori, ask lots of questions and sometimes break into song! They might also say that I like being outside, getting involved and hearing their ideas.
They would probably say I laugh with them, get down on the floor when I engage with them, join in their games and have lots of silly stories. I hope they would say I notice the small things, the drawing they are proud of, the tower they have built, the friend they have helped or the brave thing they have done.
I hope they would also say, “She listens to me. She helps me when things are hard. She thinks I can do it.”
More than anything, I hope they feel they can bring their whole selves to me, their joy, their frustration, their big feelings and their wonderful, unexpected thinking, and know that they belong. I hope they know that they never have to earn their place with me. They are valued simply because they are themselves.
What is your wish for World Teachers’ Day 2026?
My wish is that the value placed on education is reflected in how we care for the people doing this mahi. I hope kaiako have the time, trust, fair pay and support to teach with the heart that brought them here.
Behind every kaiako is a person who gives so much of themselves: their energy, their patience, their creativity, their knowledge and their love. I wish that contribution was recognised not only with words, but through meaningful support and genuine respect.
I wish for an education system where every child’s language, culture and identity are treasured, and where te ao Māori can flourish. I wish for every tamaiti to experience the deep sense of belonging that changed my own life, to know that their voice matters, their whakapapa matters and they have a place in the world.
Our tamariki only get one childhood. My wish is that we give their kaiako what they need to honour it, with time to listen, time to notice, time to build relationships and time to be fully present. Because when kaiako are supported, tamariki feel it. When kaiako are valued, tamariki benefit. And when children feel safe, loved and believed in, they can begin to fly. Mā te huruhuru ka rere te manu.
Adorn the bird with feathers so it may fly.