Terrence O'Brien, Tuhoe
Graduate Teaching
There are times when it seems fate's trying to tell you something. That's what it was like for Terrence O'Brien.
Raised in Rotorua and with a strong music and performing arts background, O'Brien had taught music classes for children and found the experience rewarding. His own lecturers commented on Terrence's skill for communicating with and inspiring others. He had family role models who were teachers.
"There was no escaping it - all roads were leading me to this profession," O'Brien now reflects.
To realise his goal, he enrolled in Otago's Bachelor of Teaching (Primary). The experience, he says, was outstanding.
"I enjoyed the relaxed, informal atmosphere. Lecturers had an open door policy and we all used first names. There was a real culture of sharing information and extending each other's ideas."
In this environment, O'Brien thrived. He became interested in issues surrounding multi-culturalism and equal opportunities, principles he seeks to incorporate daily into his class at Balmacewen Intermediate in Dunedin.
Ultimately he'd like to take this interest further, by working in education policy and putting in place strategies to help under-privileged children.
But for now, O'Brien believes, as a second-year teacher, there is still much to learn through hands-on, classroom experience. And he's delighted with the career that chose him. "There's a lot of humour in our class, which makes learning fun. They're an awesome bunch of kids."