Film and teaching are two of Naomi’s passions. Looking back, it seems odd to her that it took her as long as it did to come to teaching Film, the subject she’s passionate about. It seems to be a successful link, as students are clearly enjoying their Film courses, and interest in Film is growing at Hagley.

Naomi didn’t start her career in teaching. She feels that if she’d become a teacher first, she wouldn’t be the teacher she is today. She sees the process of trying out different pathways and finding out for yourself what is right for you as essential. That experience has given her an insight she can offer to her students, that life can be about “trying and seeing,” that students shouldn’t feel that they need to firm up early on one career or study direction.

After leaving Hagley, Naomi wanted to be a writer, and studied English and Psychology at Otago University; it was here that she also confirmed her love of Film. Naomi thought that it was amazing she could be studying something that she was so passionate about. For her, Film was one area where she was driven to complete research. After graduating, she studied Journalism, hoping that she could be a writer who was also providing a service to communities. After various roles in print and television, and with a growing interest in education, she moved into a journalist role within the public relations department at Massey University. When that too fell short of the fulfilment she sought, she traveled to Japan for two years, where she taught English. That experience fostered her desire to teach. Returning to New Zealand, Naomi completed her teacher training and post graduate studies in Film, Drama and English. Teaching positions at Queen Margaret College and Karamea Area School followed, then to Hagley to become Subject Leader of Film in 2016.

Naomi has an additional dimension to her view of Hagley, having been both a student and teacher here. Hagley was exactly the right fit for her when she enrolled in the Senior College. In Naomi’s words, as a student she was not making the connection between education and life outside school prior to arriving at Hagley. What helped her make that connection were the adult students in her classes as well as the culture established by her teachers. As an ex-Hagley student, Naomi is pleased to see the same culture is still alive and well. She looks at her students now and sees they have adopted the same mentality, even without the strong adult presence in day classes that existed when Naomi was a student here. Just as students were treated then, she observes that students in 2016 are treated and respected as individuals and that education is not done to you but for and with you.

Naomi’s looking forward to redeveloping Hagley’s Film programmes, including identifying opportunities to integrate production work into Performing Arts subjects as well as linked to school events.