Each fortnight we have been getting to know some of our new teaching staff. Today we meet Henry Jones, our newest Teacher of Technology (Hard Materials).

Where were you born and where did you grow up?

I grew up on a small farm at Wai-iti, just out of Wakefield. It was an idyllic place with our own swimming hole out the back of the farm, a wrap around sun drenched veranda and pet lambs.

Where else have you lived besides Nelson? 

Quite a few places: Masterton, Greytown, Christchurch, Wellington, Palmerston North, Paraparaumu, Nagoya (Japan) and Oamaru.

Why did you decide to be a teacher – and what drew towards becoming a ……(Technology) teacher in particular? 

I get a kick out of passing on skills and knowledge to young people, and enjoy seeing the character development students go through from year 9 to year 13. It has always been a privilege to help young people find what inspires them, and to try and find new ways to meet the challenges of teaching is what I am also drawn to.

Who has inspired you on your own learning journey? 

To name but a few: Ernest Hemingway, Rafael Nadal, Helen Keller, Napoleon Hill, my friends, and my whānau.

What do you like to do in your spare time? 
In between renovating and landscaping our current place, I am usually designing and making things, playing tennis, tramping, and getting out into the outdoors whenever I can.

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

I would have to say living in central Japan, in a city called Nagoya. Each season in Japan is celebrated. The onset of winter brings to life once again the onsen, nabe, the kotatsu (think a heated coffee table with a blanket), hot vending machine coffee, and heated underground malls. In summer, vending machines serve iced coffee and mochi ice-cream, roof top beer gardens open, and people swarm the streets to see a mélange of shinto festivals.

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

If the opportunity to travel abroad comes along one day, take it. By going out and seeing the world, you will learn more about yourself, your culture and what you are truly capable of.

Question from Dayna Whiting: If you could go anywhere in the world right now where would you go and why?

It would have to be the French open at Roland Garros.

What question would you like to ask the next interviewee?

What is a little-known fact about you?