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Personal stories

Secondary teaching is a challenging and yet rewarding career.  The pay and conditions are competitive and the benefits are enormous.  It's the perfect opportunity to make the most of your passion for working with young people.  And you get to share the subjects you enjoy as well as your sporting and cultural interests.

All our teachers who feature here are inspirational and have a variety of stories to tell about why it is they love teaching - the flexibility, the fact that they can work indoors and outdoors, being able to pass on a passion for their subject and many more factors.

Read our teachers' personal stories to discover how satisfying secondary teaching is for them.

Karyn Dempsey
Karyn Dempsey
"I love my job and am very proud of it. I feel I'm using both my degree and personal skills in teaching."
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Denise Judson
Denise Judson
“To be teaching biology is magic! In my time, a person first landed on the moon. Students today have the human genome and I want them to be aware and knowledgeable in this area and realise its importance and significance."
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Stephen Nowell
Steven Nowell
“As a science teacher I aim to enthuse students about science and how it illuminates all aspects of our lives. I want them to see the brilliant opportunities for them if they choose to work in science.”
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Lixin Wan
Lixin Wan
"I teach because I enjoy it. I always think that if something is worth doing, then it’s worth doing well. I really love teaching – the feeling is so strong. And yes, it can be hard work for the first year or two if you are an overseas-trained teacher, but after that it gets much better."
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Alissa Morgan
Alissa Morgan
" I would definitely recommend teaching! It makes life interesting. What are the highlights of teaching? Getting students through their first year of assessment with the NCEA, that was great. When a student walks out of class and says, “thank you for teaching me.”
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Pauai Afele
Pauai Afele
“I really feel a driving force, a need for me to be here.”
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Star Ah-Kuoi
Star Ah Kuoi
“I tell my students that maths is everywhere. We all need to understand it. Maths skills open up so many different, exciting career options.”
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Morgan Rangi
Morgan Rangi
“I really still love the classroom because the kids are just so much fun to work with,” says Morgan. “I particularly enjoy helping them understand mathematics to the point that they will be able to use it in their own future in whatever direction they may be heading.”
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