“He showed such belief in me…it shocked me out of myself…and, I find now in my teaching, I look for that in every student. If you can find that little spark to gift them, to give them that confidence, it’s just magical…and it’s certainly influenced my career.”
At about ten minutes into the interview, Jon Webster reflects on a moment where one teacher showed great belief in him and the extent to which that moment influenced his life and approach to teaching to this day. The moment serves as a fitting microcosm for the episode as Jon delves into a range of topics that relate to the individual teacher’s pivotal role in engaging our students and igniting their passions.
Jon is a highly regarded teacher and Head of Chemistry at Westlake Boys’ High School where he has worked for the past 14 years. In 2018, as a Within-School-Leader for the Pupuke Kāhui Ako, he devised and oversaw the highly successful Science Experience Days. Over the course of two days, more than 120 students and numerous teachers from several primary and intermediate schools within and beyond our community were able to experience learning in a high school laboratory context, while being taught and mentored by a group of Westlake’s current science students.
Jon with students from Takapuna Normal Intermediate on the first Science Experience Day
Links to topics discussed in this episode:
Teaching Today Podcast Episode 2: Teacher Wellbeing
