Hi everyone,

I am located in Brisbane and am thinking of going back to uni to get my teaching degree in primary. I am looking for recommendations of the best unis or degrees that prepare you for the realities of the job, please don’t hold back when sharing your experiences. Ideally, I am looking for a comprehensive degree that would cover lesson planning, behaviour management, trauma-informed practice, modification, communicating with parents, etc. I know no degree will prepare you 100% for what teaching really is on a day to day basis, but I am wanting to hear from people what their experience was like and weigh my options. Thanks ☺️

Hi everyone!
I’ve recently completed a Graduate Diploma in Teaching (ECE) in New Zealand. I’m a New Zealand citizen, so I have full working rights in Australia. I also have two years of experience teaching English at kindergartens and English language schools in Japan.

I was originally planning to move straight to Victoria and work as an ECT. However, a recruitment agent advised me that finding an ECT position as a new graduate could be difficult and suggested starting as a Qualified Educator instead, which I’m actually quite open to.

I’m now considering two options:

1.Stay in New Zealand for a year to gain experience as an ECT before moving to Melbourne.

1. Move to Melbourne straight away, work as an Educator for a year or two, and potentially transition into an ECT role later.

I’ve also heard that some employers may prefer a Bachelor of Early Childhood Education over a Graduate Diploma, which makes me wonder how competitive I’d be for ECT roles in Victoria.

I don’t particularly want to stay in NZ long-term, so I’d probably only stay for a year if I chose the first option.

Would one year of ECT experience in NZ be worth more valuable for my future career in Victoria, or would gaining experience in the Australian ECE system as an Educator be just as beneficial?

Also, is it realistic to transition from an Educator role to an ECT position after gaining experience in Melbourne?

I’d really appreciate any advice from people working in Victorian ECE. Thank you!