From the Principal

Message from the Principal

Those Who Can, Teach Over this past year, seven trainee teachers have joined our staff for an eight week training stint to help prepare them for the rigors of classroom teaching next year. I have been impressed by the caliber of the teaching trainees that we have had at our college this year, their commitment, passion, and motivation is admirable. I believe that these trainee teachers could find success in many other career paths, but they have chosen to teach and fulfill their desire to become effective educators. From my observations of them, they have a positive outlook and are enthusiastic about their career choice.

I enjoy meeting with the trainees as a group to discuss key topics around their ongoing development as teachers. One of the most important factors is their sense of moral purpose. Teaching with moral purpose means having a commitment to making a difference in the lives and outcomes of students as a result of their experiences at school.

Teachers can accomplish this by working to constantly improve student achievement and ensuring that achievement gaps, wherever they exist, are narrowed. Other areas of discussion focus around what they see the key role of education to be; how they can make the New Zealand curriculum relevant to meeting their student’s diverse needs; what does a balanced student look like with respect to academia, sport and cultural pursuits; and what do they see are their obligations with respect to the Treaty of Waitangi. Pondering on these topics for discussion, I am reminded that teaching is not simply what happens within the four walls of a classroom, nor is it a 9.00 to 3.00 occupation. Teaching is doing a multitude of Mr Russell Gordon, Principal challenging tasks every day whilst always trying to extend our students whether it be in the classroom, on the sports field, on the stage, or wherever. Teaching is not for the fainthearted, nor is it a safe profession to commit to. Teaching is about creating a future by helping to influence the hearts and minds of our young people to become confident, connected, actively involved, lifelong learners who can make a positive contribution to their respective communities. I wish these, and all trainee teachers, every success as they enter this profession, and I offer my sincere and heartfelt thanks to our current teachers at Ōtūmoetai College who give their all to this challenging, but ultimately rewarding profession.