Earlene Wood

Earlene Wood has enjoyed a fulfilling teaching career at Manukau Institute of Technology (MIT). In the early stages of her career Earlene was focused on secretarial work. Having the opportunity to teach adults for 6-12 hours a week at Community Education, Edgewater College for over 10 years, Earlene discovered a passion for teaching. She undertook tertiary teaching courses to further her knowledge and was employed by MIT as a part-time lecturer in 1989 and full time in 1995.

Earlene’s key specialist teaching area is medical administration and in this capacity has developed NZQA accredited medical administration courses. She has also organized industry student work experience placement agreements with Middlemore and Greenlane Hospitals. She has enjoyed mutually beneficial relationships with health providers in terms of course design, delivery, assessment, guest speakers, student work placement and assisting with graduate recruitment.

Earlene is passionate about teaching, her subject areas and students. She believes that she is privileged to see students’ faces light up as they succeed in their learning and receive their first job offer and feels a quiet pride when graduates participate in classes as guest speakers and continue to study at a higher level. Sharing in the success of her students’ graduation she concurs with McGee and Fraser “we are grateful for our part in the spell that stirs minds”.¹