9 minute read
New Staff
New Staff Profiles
James McMartin
Why did you choose teaching as a career? I chose to teach because I wanted to work with young people.
List your extra-curricular activities / hobbies: I’m a sporty guy and enjoy keeping fit. Going to the gym, cycling and playing football are my usual go to activities.
What is your best experience as a teacher to date? This is difficult as there have been many… Helping to start a brand new school 1 year before it officially opened was pretty cool. What you are looking forward to this year: Getting settled back into NZ life and enjoying some normality after nearly 10 months of lockdowns back in Scotland.
A little known fact about you: My parents got married 9 days after meeting each other and could only communicate through an English - South Korean dictionary. They are still together 39 years later! Aaaaw!
Brittany Walker
Why did you choose teaching as a career? For the variety and challenge - no two days are ever the same when the centre of your job is people.
List your extra-curricular activities / hobbies: Snowboarding, hiking, running, reading.
What is your best experience as a teacher to date? Getting to take a group of students to Phuket, Thailand for an Athletics competition.
What you are looking forward to this year: Enjoying the first year of my journey at Otumoetai College with my lovely year 9 form class 9BRW. A little known fact about you: I recently lived and taught in Vietnam for two years. Unfortunately and fortunately COVID brought me home to the beautiful Aotearoa!
Corisha Hitchcock
Why did you choose teaching as a career? I enjoy working with people and always regretted not doing my teacher training when I first went to University. As such, I took the opportunity to retrain two years ago between having children.
List your extra-curricular activities / hobbies: Music, travel and plenty of beach time with my family.
What is your best experience as a teacher to date? My teaching placements coincided with the assessment of solo and group music performances and it was amazing to see so much great local talent. What you are looking forward to this year: Learning the ropes of teaching and getting to know our students.
A little known fact about you: The choir I sang with in London recorded at Abbey Road Studios (only once, but what an amazing experience).
Ella Jacob
Why did you choose teaching as a career? For the ceaselessly enjoyable staffroom banter. But on a more serious note: I’ve had some amazing teachers who have completely changed the way I think about things. I’d love to be that person for someone.
List your extra-curricular activities / hobbies: Bridge (it’s a card game that your grandma might play), Music, Pub Trivia (keen to get a team together if there are any enthusiasts!)
What is your best experience as a teacher to date? Well, on my first day, in front of half of the staff, I took a nice tumble. Great first impression. What you are looking forward to this year: A bit of a change in scenery for my family. We’re Aucklanders who have discovered the good life that you all beat us to. This is my first year of teaching too, so I’m also just looking forward to the year.
A little known fact about you: I have been playing bridge for about 10 years now. Because I got into Bridge at a young age, I have been lucky enough to play in World Championships all over the place. If you know any young card sharks, send them my way, we’ll get them on the national team in no time.
Kendall Harrington
Why did you choose teaching as a career? I chose teaching because I had a really awesome PE teacher in Y13 who gave us ownership of what and how we wanted to learn and allowed us to make mistakes and learn from them with no judgement and I thought that was really awesome.
List your extra-curricular activities / hobbies: My hobbies include anything that involves the outdoors, both on land and water. Trail running. Learning to skateboard and surf.
What is your best experience as a teacher to date? Planning and organizing a successful market day in a very uncertain year that was 2020! What you are looking forward to this year: I am looking forward to getting involved with the Duke of
Edinburgh award program and getting to know all the students and staff at Ōtūmoetai College.
A little known fact about you: I competed in surf boat rowing for Muriwai SLC and won a few medals.
Mark Thomas
Why did you choose teaching as a career? I chose teaching because I was attracted to a career offering challenge, opportunities to learn as well as work with people.
List your extra-curricular activities / hobbies: Mountaineering, rock climbing, white water kayaking, running and biking
What is your best experience as a teacher to date? Leading a Year 10, five day tramp around the Mt Ruapehu circuit, was an awesome experience that stretched everyone physically and mentally. What you are looking forward to this year: Finding my feet at Otumoetai College. Getting to know the students and staff.
Stevie-Jane Mutu
Why did you choose teaching as a career? My Mum was my main driver and told me to do something with Te Ao Maori. My passion comes from her and I enjoyed watching her teach Kapa Haka and run after school programmes with kids.
List your extra-curricular activities / hobbies: Kapa Haka, boxing, running and taking my son for walks at Mauao.
What is your best experience as a teacher to date? Taking my students to perform and welcome back the All Blacks from Rugby World Cup 2015 was awesome. The same year we also got to perform and meet Lydia Ko. I think the best experience for me personally was when I received a TeachNZ scholarship. It helped pay for my fees and I was able to purchase my first car. What you are looking forward to this year: Being a part of the Poutama whanau. I want to learn as much as I can from our department in order to satisfy my own personal and professional goals. I look forward to growing the use of Te Reo Maori with students and staff.
A little known fact about you: I volunteered to teach in Ghana for about a month. It was a very challenging experience because I had never worked in a school that had no toilets or electricity. I like to take risks and I believe that is where the real learning happens.
Alesha Ridealgh
Why did you choose teaching as a career? I discovered my love of history back in high school as a student at Otumoetai College. It was here that I decided to pursue Classical Studies and History at University. Finishing off my final year of my Bachelors, I chose to look into careers in education where I could share my love of history with others. Since then, I have not looked back.
List your extra-curricular activities / hobbies: I enjoy swimming and the occasional run. I am a keen reader of all genres and would love to get lost in the sights of foreign countries.
What is your best experience as a teacher to date? Big class debate with senior history students regarding the Cold War. What you are looking forward to this year: Getting involved within the school framework.
A little known fact about you: I used to be a student at Otumoetai College, graduating in 2013. Throughout university I worked two jobs, one of which, as a medical laboratory assistant at Tauranga Hospital.
Pip Palmer Business Manager
How would you describe your role?
Full of variety would be the key words. The Business Manager role has a wide range of responsibilities. I not only look after the budgeting and financial reporting, but also oversee the managing of property and equipment and property projects, the canteen, and all the Human resource aspects of the colleges support staff.
What is the thing you most enjoy about your role?
I love the variety of my role and I have a wonderful team in the administration/finance area who are champions in their roles and are very supportive of me.
What is the most interesting thing that has happened to you in this role?
Firstly, modernising the school’s financial systems which includes the implementation of Xero. We are now working towards being paperless – this has already occurred for our Accounts Payable. Secondly, visiting our Oteora Camp and doing the tramp that our Year 9’s are so lucky to experience when they start their journey through Otumoetai College.
What is the biggest learning you have gained in your role?
Being a qualified accountant and having worked in the corporate world it has been a huge learning curve to not being driven by profit. My main task is to ensure that we spend money received wisely, always looking to provide the best for our students.
Gwen Livingston Receptionist
How would you describe your role?
Often busy, with a mix of everything from meeting and greeting visitors, answering parent enquiries over the phone, face to face and via email, along with sorting and handling incoming and outgoing mail. Add to this receipting payments and tending to students with grazes, aches and pains! No two days are the same, some starting slow and steady and others on the run before you have even had time to sit.
What is the thing you most enjoy about your role?
I enjoy meeting so many different people, students, parents and visitors to the school, and the varying stories they come with.
What is the most interesting thing that has happened to you in this role?
I’m not sure about most interesting, but I have really enjoyed seeing the talent that our students have. Watching the school performances, talent quests and especially the production put on by the special needs students, it sometimes seems so amazing to see this talent coming from such young people. It is fantastic to watch their self confidence grow.
What is the biggest learning you have gained in your role?
To stay calm no matter what is happening.
