A little about myself and outdoor education at WBHS

I began teaching at Whangarei Boys' High School in 2016 and have been developing the outdoor education (OED) opportunities within the school. In the past four years we have seen the OED classes increase from one Year 12 class in 2016, to nineteen classes over all year levels in 2020. This growth has not been easy, but I have been fortunate to have had the support of the the board of trustees, senior management, and teachers. It's clear that there was a definite need for the OED program to be developed, with the subject exploding beyond our expectations. Last year we secured Ben Windsor and Joshua Loft as outdoor education teachers, and this year we have been lucky enough to also add Pete Taylor to the OED team. All of these guys bring with them a wealth of knowledge and experience which will only continue to improve the opportunities available to WBHS students.

Core values

For me, outdoor education is all about developing people, and their ability to communicate and interact with others in a positive way. Sure, we teach students technical skills which allow them to have adventures safely. I feel that these technical skills come secondary to the interpersonal skills which allow people to feel happy to learn from their mistakes, to be confident within themselves, and to gain trust in themselves and others.