EDUCATION DEGREE (BA HONS)

REGISTERED TEACHER

CERTIFIED PRACTITIONER OF STANDARD TRIPLE P (POSITIVE PARENTING PROGRAMME)

AND

STEPPING STONES TRIPLE P (NEURODIVERSE/DISABILITIES)

CERTIFIED PRACTITIONER TO DELIVER INCREDIBLE YEARS TEACHER TRAINING

CERTIFICATE IN POSITIVE BEHAVIOUR SUPPORT (BILD- BRITISH INSTITUTE OF LEARNING DISABILITIES)

TRAINED IN MAPA SAFETY DE-ESCALATION DELIVERY

TRAINING TO BE A CERTIFIED BABY AND CHILD SLEEP SPECIALIST

I’m Hazel, mother to my little girl Penny, living with my partner Dave and our dog Ted on the east coast of New Zealand. 15 years ago, I trained as a Primary Teacher in the U.K and chose to develop my knowledge with a thesis focusing on ‘special needs’. That was the start of me exploring more than the mainstream classroom, and instead going on a journey of learning more about the whole child. During my career, I have worked as a teacher in both mainstream and special schools, been part of leadership teams to improve learning and engagement, and worked for the Ministry of Education in the Severe and Challenging Behaviour Service. I now also work in the health sector supporting parents of children with disabilities, to understand and manage their child’s behaviours positively. I feel privileged to be welcomed into families in order to learn about their challenges and aspirations. Together we develop skills and strategies to achieve the goals for their children and family as a whole.

My four year degree in teaching, provided me with experiences across an array of educational settings, including both Primary, early years, special needs and mental health residential facilities. I loved teaching, and jumped straight into the classroom. My willingness to take the to time understand children’s needs to manage challenging behaviour positively was noticed quickly, and before I knew it, OFSTED (ERO in NZ) had identified me as an Outstanding Teacher and I was asked to be part of the learning and engagement leadership team. After a few years teaching, and a few months travelling, I started nannying in New Zealand. I was awarded Nanny of the Year and became an Early Years Visiting Teacher supporting nanny’s in families’ homes. After a while, I was back in the classroom teaching new entrants, team leader and the school lead for the kahui ako (community of learning) to find ways to help all students meet their full potential.

Like most parents, I knew having a baby meant I was going to have some bags under my eyes…I just didn’t know they would be quite so big! With my whole career being devoted to understanding children’s needs and development, I decided that I needed to understand their sleep more. I tried to stay away from good old Dr Google, and instead took time to read some books to understand why my little girl was struggling to sleep. What I found out changed our home life almost immediately, our baby was sleeping, and my partner I had time to spend together too. As I was reading and sharing what I learnt, a friend mentioned that I should consider getting a certification as a Sleep Consultant, and that’s exactly what I did. Every child is unique, yet the fundamental aspects of sleep are the same. Once we can understand the child’s temperament and personality we can create a plan for parents to provide their child (and family) with some well deserved consistant sleep.

I never liked the term ‘severe and challenging behaviour’, it’s a negative title for children that often need support and understanding. However, working for that team gave me the opportunity to help many children, families and their teachers to manage behaviour with a consistent and positive approach which met the individual child’s needs. This included delivering The Triple P Parenting Programme, Incredible Years (Teachers), creating individualised plans, and delivering professional development for teachers in order to understand behaviour and respond safely.

I continue to work part time in the health sector supporting families of children and adolescents with disabilities. My role often involves me becoming almost part of their family, learning about their experiences, skills and concerns. Together we create a plan to provide practical advice, theoretical understanding and guidance on how to safely manage their child’s behaviour to promote positive interactions and relationships.

I’m based in Lang’s Beach (just next to Mangawhai), New Zealand. I service Auckland to Whangarei via in person and remote online consultations. The rest of Aotearoa I support through online consultations.