my first trainee placement and this led to a teaching position in the Biology department immediately after graduating. I have been HoD of Biology for just over five years, taking over from Graeme Worner in 2012. Outside of school I love being active in the outdoors. It doesn’t matter whether that is road biking, mountain biking, running, tramping or simply walking – as long as I am out there!
are never the same and I enjoy trying to challenge each boy, no matter what the circumstances. There can be hilarious moments, frustrating moments, moments when a boy suddenly understands. Sharing these makes teaching rewarding and exciting. I have been teaching at College since 2001. Before that I spent five years in south Auckland and four in another Christchurch school. Between my first two schools I spent two years working at the Christchurch YMCA, an experience that convinced me teaching was the career I wanted. Since being at College I have been HoD History, acting Senior Master, and Deputy Boarding Housemaster. I have also coached the 1st XI cricket team for 13 years and the famous Youth White Hockey “Academy” for over a decade.
Graeme Swanson
Science, PE and Health
This new role is very much about celebrating what we do well at College and supporting colleagues in their ongoing development as teachers and learners. The new coaching and mentoring programme has already begun delivering results in our learning area. We are also in the process of developing a shared understanding of best practice at College, which will be informed by the staff, students, parents and wider research. Once this has been completed it will act as a reference point for ongoing professional development. Personally, the most rewarding part of my Biology teaching role is having the daily opportunity to cultivate an enthusiasm for the subject I love and one I feel is incredibly important. There is nothing better than those “lightbulb moments” when it all starts to make sense for a student! I studied in Scotland at Edinburgh University, gaining a BSc in Ecology and a PhD in Ecological Genetics. After university I ran a consultancy company for five years providing deer management advice to landowners and managers. In 2004 I emigrated to New Zealand with a young family and trained to be a teacher at the NZ Graduate School of Education in Christchurch. College was
Warren Lidstone
Languages, Arts and Technology
It’s a privilege to be able to freely walk into a classroom and observe a colleague in their own environment, teaching and guiding young people so professionally. It’s a privilege second-to-none. All teachers are different; each possesses their own individual personality traits, strengths and techniques, and to be able to see them working in an area about which I’m not an expert, has certainly made me think about the key attributes that make them, and all teachers, successful. This has allowed me to gain a better understanding of the teaching process, and it has also made me think about ways in which some of these skills can be incorporated into other teaching areas. What stimulates me in teaching is walking into the unknown every day. Boys and classes
College Issue 34 2018
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