MEET THE TEACHER Andrea Bright Bayfield, Ponsonby and Takapuna Primary Schools and Private Speld (Specific Learning Disabilities) Tutor Currently teaching Bayfield Learning Support Students How did you come to be a primary school teacher? For several years I have relieved in class levels 0-6 at three local schools. I recently trained to be a Speld (Specific Learning Disabilities) teacher to assist those children who I could see struggling with everyday learning yet who were otherwise articulate, intelligent children. My pharmaceutical background taught me the importance of ‘evidence based’ practices and analytical skills. All these combined skills enable me to best teach students who require specialised assistance. Where did you train? EpsomTraining College in Auckland and Auckland University (where I completed a degree in child psychology concurrently). What brought you to teaching? I trained as a primary school teacher after leaving secondary school and after six years teaching primary school students I switched out of teaching and worked as a pharmaceutical product manager for 10 years. After having my own family, I was drawn back into teaching part time due to the hours and close proximity of work to home without travel.
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What are your favourite things about being a teacher? Facing 25+ unique individuals each day who have different personalities, strengths, hopes and fears, yet who all view the world with optimism. What has been a highlight of your teaching career? Watching children’s faces light up when they experience success. Working with such dedicated, compassionate professionals. What has been a low point of your teaching career? Seeing children struggling to deal with difficult, stressful situations that adults in their world have created. How would your principal describe you? Flexible, professional and reliable.
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How would other teachers describe you? Flexible, well organised and positive. How would your students describe you? The friendly relieving teacher with the ‘bubble and the box’- ask any child I’ve taught and they’ll tell you what this means. (It’s actually a behaviour modification programme that works well when you’re teaching different children daily). If you could wave a magic wand in your classroom... I would give all children the same environmental opportunities to succeed and watch those with the strongest innate desire step forward. Five tips for mums and dads of primary school kids 1. Talk with your children a lot about everything and anything. 2. Laugh with your children and let them see your inner “child”. 3. Try not to get caught up in “parent peer pressure” as all children will succeed at something and maybe that ‘something’ is being a really nice person - and the world needs a lot of these. 4. Find out what your child’s strengths truly are and not what you want their strengths to be. 5. If you’re helping your child at home with spelling, focus on one skill at a time. Once this is mastered then move on to the next.
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ST PAUL’S COLLEGE GYMNASIUM UPGRADE My colleague Jo Barrett and I were invited to St Paul’s College in Richmond Road for a ceremony to celebrate the upgraded work completed for the college’s gymnasium. We met Joe Cunningham, the 31-year-old PE Teacher, who will be one of many enjoying the wonderful new floor! Joe tells us that he keeps fit with regular exercise and diet. (MARTIN LEACH) F PN 1. St Paul’s College Head Boy Semisi Havili, Principal Mark Rice and Father Bernard Dennehy; 2. St Paul’s College pupils; 3. Joe Cunningham
108 PONSONBY NEWS+ September 2013
PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)