Conrad is a student teacher who will be spending the week with Te Pihinga, before returning for a number of weeks in Term 2.

Mihimihi

I whānau mai au ki Hastings        I was born in Hastings

I tipu ake au ki Tauranga             I grew up in Tauranga

E noho ana au ki Christchurch   I currently live in Christchurch

Ko Conrad tōku ingoa               My name is Conrad

I am looking forward to an exciting new career in primary teaching!

Initially I studied Marketing, completing a Masters in Marketing but after I started working in the field I quickly realised it wasn't for me. My wife has nieces and nephews who I love spending time with and so decided to retrain as an early childhood teacher, which I have been working as for the last 4 years. During my time working in Early Childhood Education (ECE) I have gravitated towards the older children as they approach school age. I have a great understanding of the ECE curriculum, Te Whariki and incorporating a free play programme as a way of learning. This has led me to continue my teaching career and study to become a primary teacher.

Having worked in ECE I know the importance of being inclusive of all children, their whanau and the wider community. It is also important to uphold the principles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi. I have a working knowledge of Te Reo and incorporate it daily in my practise, often through music and dance. My wife and I also spent 2 years in Spain as English language assistants in primary schools. This experience strengthened my views around why preserving language and culture is important and the role teachers play in this.

I have a keen interest in music and love to play guitar in my spare time and also at work with the children. I also really enjoy vegetable gardening and use this as a way to keep fit and active. I am married and have a 1-year-old daughter.

After completing my Masters in Marketing, I completed my Graduate Diploma in Early Childhood Education in 2014, obtaining my full teacher registration in 2017. Last year I renewed my teacher registration which is now valid until 2023. As part of being an ECE teacher I also completed several courses to strengthen my knowledge around child development and teaching strategies.

I look forward to working at your school as a student teacher and getting to know the children, whanau, staff and wider community.