FUTURE GENERATION MEET THE TEACHER NAME: Terry Robinson SCHOOL: Westmere Primary CURRENTLY TEACHING: Years 5 and 6 - 28 students HOW DID YOU COME TO BE A PRIMARY SCHOOL TEACHER? After spending many years in the corporate wasteland of middle management, I finally found my true vocation. Witnessing the amazing develoment of my own (then) young children sparked an interest in something that I really wanted to be a part of. WHERE DID YOU TRAIN? I was one of the “mature” students at the Epsom campus of Auckland University hanging out with all the young late-teens and 20-somethings… trying to be hip and cool and groovy or whatever the in-words are these days. WHAT BROUGHT YOU TO WESTMERE PRIMARY? I was at Westmere on placement as a student teacher and fell in love with the whole environment. Great kids, fantastic staff and a terrific philosophy around teaching and learning. It was perfectly logical to beg for a job here when I finished at university. WHAT ARE YOUR FAVOURITE THINGS ABOUT BEING A TEACHER? Every day is a new day with always something different to…um… “challenge” us…sometimes even in a good way! HIGHLIGHT OF YOUR TEACHING CAREER? Lots of these all the time. The best are usually the little things, like when a kid says “Oh, now I get it…” or “That was so fun…” LOW POINT OF YOUR TEACHING CAREER? These are rare, but probably working late on a Sunday night getting organised for the next week… just ask my wife! HOW WOULD YOUR PRINCIPAL DESCRIBE YOU? Works too hard…needs a work-life balance…here he goes again rabbiting on about sport…blah blah blah… HOW WOULD OTHER TEACHERS DESCRIBE YOU? One of the token blokes around the school. Can make an okay plunger coffee. Good for a laugh but don’t take him too seriously. Loves to dress up…hmmmm HOW WOULD YOUR STUDENTS DESCRIBE YOU? That depends what sort of comments they want on their mid-year report. Bald. Funny…I’m hoping that’s in a good way. IF YOU COULD WAVE A MAGIC WAND IN YOUR CLASSROOM... Tidying up after an afternoon of paint, glitter, foliage, glue and paper masterpieces would be so much easier. FIVE TIPS FOR MUMS AND DADS OF PRIMARY SCHOOL KIDS 1. Listen to them and be an active participant in their learning. 2. Go to the sports days, concerts and cultural events, school trips, and school assemblies. Your kid will love you for it and you will see them in a whole different environment. 3. Remember that maths was taught differently in the olden days when we were at school. Your seven year old may actually know more about maths than you. 4. Let them be kids. They can’t captain the All Blacks, win an Olympic gold - medal, play the saxophone, invent the i-Phone 9, perform the Harrison Lift, and star in a music video, all by 4.30pm on a Friday. 5. Learn your child’s teacher’s favourite wine. PN
The World Belongs to the Dissatisfied
DEADLINE – 20TH OF THE MONTH July 2012 PONSONBY NEWS+
93