Nina Hood

It is a purpose that has guided her from teaching social studies and classics to rangatahi, to completing her doctorate at the University of Oxford, to founding two not-for-profits to better education in Aotearoa. 

“I wanted to give back to society and help people,” Hood says. “My work continues to enable me to do that, at different levels, and that is infinitely rewarding.” 

That same work has been recognised the world over, seeing her take part in international education and curriculum advisory groups, and this year even earning her a King’s Honour. 

Before she retrained as a teacher, Hood’s career path looked very different. She was in New York, completing a PhD in Art History when she decided to return to New Zealand to study teaching – not that her peers understood the decision. 

“Most people thought I was crazy,” she admits. “But, it turned out to be one of the best decisions I could make. It completely changed the trajectory of my life.” 

While completing her Graduate Diploma in Teaching at Waipapa Taumata Rau, University of Auckland, she says she found her true calling in education. 

After graduating with her diploma, Hood returned to the classroom to teach classical and social studies in Tamaki Makaurau secondary schools. 

“I loved it!” she says. “But I always knew that I wanted to undertake further study.” 

This desire led to her return to university, first completing her Master of Science, then a Doctorate in Philosophy at the University of Oxford. She returned to New Zealand, taking up an academic role at the University of Auckland, but wouldn’t be there for long: “I learned fairly quickly that fulltime academia was not for me”. 

During this time, Hood saw a gap in our education system between academic research and actual educational practice. In 2017, she founded the Education Hub, aiming to help bridge that gap. For Hood, this was a natural progression from her earlier teaching career. 

“I love engaging with research and having the chance to translate that to different audiences through my work,” she says. The Education Hub quickly flourished into an internationally recognised organisation which empowers and supports early childhood, primary and secondary school teachers. 

Looking back at those early days of The Education Hub, Hood admits there were times when it felt lonely at the helm. 

“One of the things that I would change, if I could go back in time, is that I would have tried to have had a co-founder,” she says. “Having someone alongside me that I could work with, bounce ideas off, and who could have brought a complementary skillset to my own would have been really valuable.” 

With growth also came compromise: “The bigger the organisation got, the further away I got from what I really love – the education”.

In 2024, Hood stepped away from The Hub to co-found The Teachers’ Institute, another not-for-profit, which trains teachers. 

“I think I’m happiest when I am teaching, engaging with education research, thinking creatively about education, and writing.” 

And when she’s not working, Hood is a devoted mother who delights in seeing how her two passions – teaching and family – connect with one another. 

“Having young children and seeing them learn and grow and develop provides a richer dimension to my work,” she says. 

Always committed to working towards a better and more equitable education system in Aotearoa, Hood still has some ambitious goals for the future. 

“There are several books that I want to write – I just need to find the time to do so,” she says. 

Publishing would add yet another milestone to an already impressive career, one which still fills Hood with wonderment. 

“There are times when I have to check myself, because I can’t quite believe that I’m doing some of the things that I currently am.”