Introducing Suzy Carnachan, Photography e-teacher and HOD from Orewa College.

Kia ora

I am Suzy Carnachan, Head of Visual Art at Orewa College. I began my teaching career in 2007 at Manurewa High School before moving to Orewa College in 2012. I hail from the small beautiful town of Waihi, and moved to Auckland after College to complete my Bachelor of Visual Arts degree at the University of Auckland. I live in the North Shore of Auckland and am a lucky mumma to two little one’s, aged 3 and 5.

I am currently teaching Level 2 Photography online with a lovely group of ākonga from all over New Zealand, branching from the North Island like me, all the way down to South Otago.

I have enjoyed feeling like I have been able to give back to the teaching profession that has offered me so much. Being able to offer a course to students who would otherwise not be able to learn this subject has been rewarding.  

Working with the Kōtui Ako students has actually strengthened my practice with the students I see face to face at Orewa College. From having to develop resources for students to use and understand remotely, I realised this practice also highly benefited the students I see at Orewa College and helped with barrier free learning, especially in regards to students who are away ill and those who struggle with their own time management. 

My advice to any potential online teachers is "Be yourself!". Break down barriers early on by letting students know who you are, why you teach your subject and your own aims for them. An introductory document has been beneficial and my students commented so early on about our similar interests. You are a new face to them at the start of the year, being online is new to them, so the more welcoming the better as they (and you) navigate this new way of learning and pedagogy.

Students benefit from online learning by being able to study a subject they have a passion for. They are all in the same boat together and can talk with and meet ākonga from around New Zealand, sharing their own world views and experiences.

Seeing students interact with each other from all around Aotearoa has been more rewarding than I expected, especially sharing experiences and getting to know people they would otherwise have never met. Students in these subjects have shared interests through their subjects. I often think how awesome it would be if they met in real life, perhaps at Uni one day, having studied online together in their teens.

Ngā mihi nui

Suzy