EPeeps Kirsty Mills | Teacher Consultant

Kia ora koutou,
Ko Maungatautari te maunga
Ko Waikato te awa
Ko Purvis te hāpu
Ko Kirsty Mills tōku ingoa

I’m excited to be one of the teacher consultants at Education Perfect. I come from a previous life as a Chemistry teacher of over 10 years where my biggest passions were nurturing a love of science, learning and embracing your identity.

What are you most excited about?

I’m an enthusiastic nerd who would discuss my love of reading, video games and pop culture with students and colleagues. These connections helped to develop the most amazing working relationships with akonga. Even if my students didn’t always embrace science for their careers and future learning, the human connection and relationships developed still kept them in the Science class longer than they would have expected or leaving with a fond remembrance of their time.

I’m also an avid runner and exerciser who uses running as a good chance to listen to audiobooks and podcasts and it’s been a vital tool for my mental health and wellbeing.

My favourite teacher/student stories and proudest moments 

My teaching approach of sharing my passions, enthusiasm and humanising learning also has meant embracing myself and sharing vulnerability with students. This helped me develop a passion for LGBTQ+ advocacy with youth. I’m a bi/pan woman who can easily hide this, as I’m happily married to a wonderful man, and I have a beautiful 2-year-old son. 

However, hiding part of my identity never benefitted my health and wellbeing, nor does it help me teach my son and students the values I find so important. Amazingly, I found being myself entirely beneficial to my students too. It still amazes me how being out to my students when I didn’t initially feel I needed to be had such an impact. Quiet students who were scared to talk, or were trying to find personal connections resonated and found support. Being a teenager is so difficult and figuring out who you are is such a lifelong process.

I found joy in the Rainbow Club at the Girl’s High school where I previously taught. We found community and support. I’m lucky to be fully accepted by family and friends – but not all these young women, non-binary and transitioning folk were. We made our school a home and this has helped shape me as a person and an educator for the better.

Some highlights of this time were fundraising together for Rainbow Youth, participating in Climate Action and marches together, and all the games we played together during school break times.

What’s one thing that surprised you when you began working at Education Perfect?

I knew it was time for me to make a change and take on a new type of teaching challenge, but the biggest surprise for me moving to Education Perfect was just how much I really like everyone I work with. Even in the smallest interactions with EPeeps overseas or who work in different teams. The company makes space for us and encourages us to get to know each other and work with others outside our direct team. However, I do feel like I work with the best crew in EP overall.

Any last words you would like to share?

As I move from the classroom to being an EPeep, I’m now finding new connections and community. We have an amazing group of teacher consultants that I work closely with, the best team that exists in support, content, marketing, etc (I could go on…). Everyone I have met so far is inspiring me to make a change in this new role – I’m feeling boosted forward and if only younger, quieter me could see me now!