Inspirational teacher makes all the difference

An early aversion to “guts and gore” turned University of Auckland Bachelor of Education graduate Izac Anderson away from dreams of being a paramedic to a different way to help people: teaching.

Graduating with a Bachelor of Education (Teaching) from the University of Auckland’s Tai Tokerau Campus, Izac Anderson joined 26 others celebrating years of hard work at Forum North in Whangārei on Monday 18 March.

Izac says because he mucked around a bit in Year 13, he didn’t end up getting University Entrance so he couldn’t get directly into university, which he felt “a bit bummed about” because his partner had just started her teaching degree, and he’d decided that was his way forward as well.

“Teaching felt like a profession that helped people and as I’d decided against being a paramedic, but I ended up having to do a year-long foundation course at Tai Tokerau to get into my teaching degree.”

However, despite it being during Covid lockdowns (2020), within the first couple of weeks he was “pretty happy” when he realised how good the course was and the main lecturer,  Mirko Wojnowski, in particular.

“Mirko was awesome. He was such a positive influence, which I really needed at the time; he kept me motivated to keep going and was the big reason I wanted to strive in that class.”

And to his surprise he finished top of his class, won two scholarships and was admitted into the three-year Bachelor of Education programme at Tai Tokerau the following year, during which his last placement was at his old school, Whangārei Intermediate.

“They had a job going which I applied for and got, and here I am. I can even see my old school, Whangārei High, across the field, I already know some of the Year 7 kids from last year and some of my friends’ nephews and nieces come here, so that’s pretty cool.”

In terms of specialising, he says it’s a bit early to say what interests him most, although he enjoys teaching health, and personally, has been a boxer and recently discovered an interest in Brazilian jiu jitsu.

He’s also planning to learn more te reo Māori.

“Around 25 to 30 percent of my students are Māori and I’d like to implement it wherever I can in the classroom, but I also just want to do it for myself.”

After a few weeks in the classroom in sole charge, he says one challenge has been the diversity of his students’ learning needs.

“There’s such a massive range; students with ADHD, autism, anxiety. It’s important to have empathy for their perspective and for their age as well, they’re only 11 and 12.”

He only has a teacher aide for a couple of hours a week. “So that can be a bit of a struggle.”

On placements, he got used to teaching in a collaborative classroom, alongside another teacher, but now he’s in a ‘single cell’ and says you have to be tight with your planning.

“You have to understand what you’re going to teach, be snappy and not spend too long up at the whiteboard, which I’m a bit guilty of.”

In common with all first-year teachers, he has a mentor, in his case a teacher of 25 years’ experience who he spends time with in and outside the classroom, getting advice and guidance.

“I've had awesome support from my mentor, I'm really grateful to her.”

Izac is one of four, with two sisters and an older brother, who flew in from Australia for his graduation.

He walked at the front of the procession to Forum North, proudly holding the Faculty of Education and Social Work banner alongside 16 other Bachelor of Education (Teaching) graduates, five who are receiving a Postgraduate Diploma in Health Sciences, four Masters of Nursing and one Master of Educational Leadership.