Some teachers might view remaining primarily in the classroom over the course of an entire career as something akin to a life-sentence. Maybe I’m an outlier, but I relish the prospect and see it as a privilege. My name is Dave Smale, and I’m an English teacher at Westlake Boys’ High School. I’m 46 years … Continue reading Reflections of an Across School Leader
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Inside the Career – Episode Three: Medical Technology (William Lin)
“Invest in yourself and understand who you are as a person, and spend time and investigate what the different career pathways might hold for you in the future…don’t be locked into any one pathway…essentially, just believe in yourself and go for it.” This sage, encouraging advice is given by William Lin towards the end of … Continue reading Inside the Career – Episode Three: Medical Technology (William Lin)
Inside the Career – Episode Two: Law (Bhavin Parshottam)
“My interest in law formed really during high school because my favourite subjects were English, History and Economics - and the basis of those subjects is a lot of writing and a lot of reasoning…but in terms of the job itself, it’s great to be in a position where you can really make a … Continue reading Inside the Career – Episode Two: Law (Bhavin Parshottam)
Inside the Career – Episode One: Medicine (Andrew Han and Josh Chang)
“From my point of view, it’s a great mix between science, or academic based thinking, and at the same time having that human interaction; and actually the people you work with, they make your day!” (Josh Chang) Andrew Han and Josh Chang join me in our first episode of Inside the Career, a new Pupuke … Continue reading Inside the Career – Episode One: Medicine (Andrew Han and Josh Chang)
Inside the Teacher’s Classroom – episode 9
“I’ve always maintained that I wanted to teach them to be the artist or to be the designer, as opposed to teaching them about art or about design. And, there’s a trade-off there, in that it’s more challenging, but for those that understand it then that spark has been ignited and there’s no stopping them … Continue reading Inside the Teacher’s Classroom – episode 9
Inside the Teacher’s Classroom, episode 8
“Who are the people that help you learn? What are the tools that help you learn? What are the places that help you learn? What are the interactions that help you learn?" Dr Brian Annan is the Director of Infinity Learn Limited, an innovative and ground-breaking education consultancy company which specialises in the design … Continue reading Inside the Teacher’s Classroom, episode 8
Pupuke Kāhui Ako Alumni Afternoon Tea
On Thursday 22 August, in the WBHS Staffroom, the inaugural Pupuke Alumni Afternoon Tea was held, attracting around 100 senior students from WBHS and WGHS. The event was an opportunity for these students to hear from a wide range of past and recent WBHS and WGHS graduates who, since leaving school, have gone on to … Continue reading Pupuke Kāhui Ako Alumni Afternoon Tea
Inside the Teacher’s Classroom, episode 7
“One of the things that interested me about Ida, that I will always remember, is that she talked to us about the benefits of reading…and she said, you can read while you are ironing…and that stuck in my mind that you could have a family and a career, which for her was a very successful … Continue reading Inside the Teacher’s Classroom, episode 7
Inside the Teacher’s Classroom, episode 5
“These ideas go back to Socrates and Confucius, it’s just that they simply have not been adopted at scale, particularly, in recent times when we have derated the goals of an education to what can be easily measured. And, what can be easily measured can be easily automated. And, now in a world of … Continue reading Inside the Teacher’s Classroom, episode 5
Inside the Teacher’s Classroom, episode 4
“It’s great to be able to chat with my mates in the literature department on one side of the dinner table, and on the other side hang out with my chemistry dudes…it’s just a great way to live your life.” When George Han makes this comment part way through our interview, he underlines his perception … Continue reading Inside the Teacher’s Classroom, episode 4
Inside the Teacher’s Classroom, episode 3
“If you are going to do something in teaching you have to be able to do it, not just talk about it, you must lead by doing.” In this episode, Simon Smith is our expert navigator, leading us on a path through history. One moment we are with him on a Whitbread yacht on the … Continue reading Inside the Teacher’s Classroom, episode 3
Inside the Teacher’s Classroom, episode 2
“One of the beliefs I always had was that you influence everyone you meet…so I was always wanting my influence to be a positive one.” Trevor Weal taught commerce at Westlake Boys’ High School for 35 years before retiring at the end of 2018. His influence on many generations of students was positive and profound. … Continue reading Inside the Teacher’s Classroom, episode 2
Pupuke Kāhui Ako 