Today we meet another one of our new teachers, Mrs Naomi Wade, who joined our Mathematics learning area this year, with a passion for helping students overcome phobias about maths.

Where were you born and where did you grow up?

I was born in Cincinnati, Ohio and then moved by myself to Alaska for graduate school. My parents and brother also ended up moving to Alaska in the following years.

Where else have you lived besides Nelson?

Over the years I lived in several different places in Alaska, including a remote village just above the Arctic Circle and on a large island in the boreal rainforest of Southeast Alaska, which was known to have more bears than people. When I moved to New Zealand I lived in the Warkworth area, north of Auckland. This is my 6th year in New Zealand and have no plans to live elsewhere.

Why did you decide to be a teacher – and what drew towards becoming an Mathematics teacher in particular?

My Dad was a middle school science teacher and I followed in his footsteps. I wanted to be a teacher, but I also loved science. I liked problem solving and learning about how the world works. I ended up completing a Bachelor's degree in Physics and then went to Alaska for my Masters in Geophysics, studying glaciology. I was hired for my first teaching job just as I was finishing my degree and that was an adjunct professor at the University of Alaska teaching maths and geology. (It turns out that a degree in physics counted also having a minor in mathematics). I found I was teaching students in college who had math phobias or math trauma, and I realised I wanted to teach maths at a lower level to try and help kids before they felt like they had no hope in maths. After moving to teach at the secondary level, I never looked back. This is my 21st year teaching at the college level.

What do you like about teaching, and teaching at Nayland specifically?

I like teaching because it isn’t boring, I like the challenges, and it is rewarding to get to help students and hopefully get them set up for life beyond high school. Nayland College staff are very welcoming and down to earth. The kura feels like someplace I want to be and even on days that may be a bit stressful, I reflect that I enjoy teaching at Nayland and I am glad I took a chance and moved here.

What are your passions and areas of expertise? 

Maths is a passion of mine, because I love the logic, the problem solving and because there is so much to be learned by looking at numbers and figuring out the story they are telling.

I am also passionate about sustainability, not just environmentally, but also from social and cultural perspectives. Acknowledging and balancing the parts of sustainability is necessary for a thriving society and I think Nayland College stands out as a school that takes all those aspects into account, which I find very rewarding.

Who has inspired you on your own learning journey? 

My Dad inspired me initially, and then over the years, my daughter has also inspired me. Watching her progress through school, seeing the classroom from her eyes, has changed the way I approach teaching.

What do you like to do in your spare time?

In my spare time I like spending time with my husband and daughter, who is now 18 and heading off soon to do a tertiary programme. I am not ready to be an empty nester:) We foster cats and this past Christmas we got to provide a safe home for a pregnant cat who ended up having five gorgeous kittens. I like to engage with nature, do a bit of gardening, a bit of photography, collecting interesting rocks (I am a rock geek) and biking for recreation.

What were you like as a student at school?

In high school (and uni), I was in marching band and loved science. In fact, for my senior year, they created a special science class for the handful of us who were advanced in science. Alternately, I was told I didn’t quite test high enough to get into the advanced maths classes. I was an average maths student who went on to become a maths teacher. Maybe this is what gives me the perspective of what it is like to struggle with a problem and have to try and try again when I don’t get the right answer right away.

What did you do for a living before you became a teacher?

I used to work in the summer as a guide on a tour boat in Alaska. I got paid to look at whales and sea otters and eagles and to talk to guests about them. It was a great gig!

What is the most interesting thing you have done in your life so far?

We adopted our daughter from China. I would say that was the most interesting and bravest thing I have done. Whilst there, we climbed part of the Great Wall, took a boat ride down the Lijiang River in Guilin, and marvelled at the Forbidden City and the Summer Palace in Beijing. All of that while becoming instant parents to a child who spoke another language (which is why I know how to say a few things in Mandarin, like “I love you,” “do you need to pee?” and “mama is sleepy.”)

I also did an adult exchange program with our sister city in Japan and thoroughly enjoyed my three weeks spent there. I got to meet with the chief of the Ainu people, the indigenous people of Japan. I stayed at a wintery hot springs onsen located near a steaming volcano. I also got to do some taiko drumming and participate in a local festival.

Describe yourself with three words:

Funny, compassionate, and inquisitive.

If you could share one piece of wisdom with the students of Nayland College what would it be?

It gets better.

Question from our last interviewee Eva Bak: What’s the funniest thing or best thing that has happened to you since starting as a teacher at Nayland College?

The best thing that has happened since starting at Nayland is the fact that many students are genuinely friendly, take the time to say hello and chat, and seem happy to see you and introduce you to their whānau when you see them outside of school.

What question would you like to ask the next interviewee? 

A question for the next interviewee would be to reflect on how school is different now, then when they were in school, and then explain one thing they wished they could have done/used/learned back then, that we are now doing/offering at Nayland.