Inspired by support

Mousumi Chowdhury is proud to play an important part in supporting children’s growing minds. She says VU provided her with the best preparation to become a kindergarten teacher, through the perfect combination of theory and practice.

“I always wanted to become a kindergarten teacher. I’d worked in the childcare profession for 11 years with various age groups and as an educational leader, so I saw the considerable demand for early childhood teachers.

I initially chose VU to gain my Graduate Diploma in Early Childhood Education because the online subjects fitted well with my situation at the time, having a six-month-old baby.

Another motivation was the incredible student experience my husband had at VU before me.

As a new mother, I worried about balancing parenting while studying and working. However, the course structure helped me keep up and feel less pressure. The coursework was creative and designed to set students up for success.

Ongoing feedback from lecturers further inspired my determination. They were encouraging and provided detailed feedback so we could reflect and improve. My husband and my centre director also gave me great support throughout my studies.

I believe that VU’s focus on industry placement is critical. During my placements at a primary school and at my workplace (Goodstart Early Learning), I gained confidence, and got to experience firsthand what is expected of graduate kinder teachers, and the specific challenges they face.

Since graduating I gained my full teaching registration and am now a kinder teacher. I’ve also continued with my leadership position, which has developed into learner facilitation; connecting and supporting other local teachers.

I love feeling that I’m helping to set children up for success in school, and I love learning and exploring with those little minds every day.”

Mousumi studied

Graduate Diploma in Early Childhood Education