Early Intervention Teachers - Tina Beattie

Her background

Tina Beattie is a full time Early Intervention Teacher with the Ministry of Education.

Starting off with a diploma of teaching, she later added a diploma of early intervention, which she gained from The University of Auckland.

She’s been with the ministry, in her current role, for almost five years. Before that, she spent more than 15 years within the early childhood education sector as a teacher, Playcentre supervisor and a special education needs coordinator.

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Her story

Get in early! – That’s Early Intervention Teacher Tina Beattie’s catch cry.

Tina says experience and research evidence show that children and young people with special education needs who are diagnosed and get help early do best.

That’s why working effectively with the range of people and organisations that make up the health and education sectors is a top priority, she says.

“I have strong relationships with everyone from local GPs and paediatricians, speech-language therapists, occupational therapists and physiotherapists through to school teachers and representatives from organisations like Epilepsy New Zealand.”

Tina says she and her education and health sector colleagues regularly meet, share knowledge and information and, generally, strive to work collaboratively as possible.

“It means I’m able to get in early – as soon as someone within that wider network has contact with a child and refers them on.”

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The rewards and challenges

Tina says the ongoing professional development is one of the major highlights of her career to date.

“I have a passion for learning and can see how powerful bringing knowledge of education psychology into my early intervention work with children and their families can be.”

A couple of years ago, she followed her interest in behaviour by training to become an Incredible Years facilitator. It was an opportunity offered within her district. Incredible Years is a parenting programme for parents of children with behaviour needs.

“It’s such a wonderful programme. I really believe in it. It’s evidence-based and it works. It’s parent driven. Parents support parents, they come up with their own solutions and generate their own growth,” she says.

The big challenge of the job, says Tina, lies in the distances she travels to get to the 25 children on her caseload – her region stretches all the way from Picton in the north (of the South Island) to Kaikoura in the east.

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Her future aspirations

Tina’s ambition for the future is simple: to keep doing what she’s doing and do it well.

“I get a lot of enjoyment from my career. I enjoy the challenge of it. It’s very stimulating and rewarding. I don’t want to be anything else particularly. My passion is at the front line, working with people. I’ve made that decision and that’s where I want to be.”

Want to speak to someone like Tina about a career as an Early Intervention Teacher? Give us a call on 0800 622 222 or email special.education@minedu.govt.nz [no spam]