Lesley Anderson- McKenna – supportive learning from the best W ith three boys of her own and having spent most of her professional life working with boys, it is fair to say that the Head of Department (HoD) – Learning Support, Lesley Anderson- McKenna, knows boys very well, including how they operate, and their need for rules and routines and being able to understand what is right and wrong. So, have boys changed in the years since Lesley joined College as a 24-year-old English teacher? “Not hugely, but society has, and Christ’s College certainly has,” she says. “It’s a much gentler, kinder, and more inclusive place, and that’s wonderful.” When Lesley was appointed to the College English Department in 1981 – following three years of teaching at Stratford High School in Taranaki – there were just three other women staff members. “It was a very male-dominated environment, and I was a novelty in a way,” she says. “It wasn’t easy, but I loved the English Department, working with some wonderful men who expected a lot and who were very intellectually demanding. It was a very rewarding time.” For example, one of her first tasks was to lecture to all the Form 7 (Year 13) boys in the Old
Boys’ Theatre on the imagery in Shakespeare’s Othello . She took a 10-year break from College to raise her three sons, Thomas, Oliver, and Jack – “three under five” – and all Old Boys. However, she was soon back in force. Lesley’s role from 2006 as HoD of The Learning Centre developed from her long-standing work with the former Reading Development Department. These days, the five-strong department helps with examinations for 98 senior boys and works with at least another 80 junior boys on numeracy, literacy, and English as a second language. “Christ’s College has been ahead of the game for a long time in this field,” she says. “We were one of the leaders for offering
examination help and for recognising and catering for those with learning challenges. We’re privileged to have the resources to ensure that each boy can be at his best. Not only is it wonderful to see them make significant academic progress, but also make big strides in their self-belief and self-confidence.” Lesley believes patience is critical for her role, along with a sense of humour, and empathy and respect. Her retirement – coinciding with that of her husband’s – will allow her to see more of her sons and their families, travel, get involved in voluntary work, spend time in Central Otago with family, “and to do what I want to, when I want to”.
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