It was 1998 when Joanne, a single mum in Auckland, packed up her three young children and headed to Gisborne. “I saw the job in the Education Gazette and I thought, ‘that’s for me’. I had never been to Gisborne but I knew it was right,” says the 35-year veteran of teaching. “We came from the city and I wanted a complete change, so we moved to Tiniroto. We just loved the peace and quiet of the country.”
Ben was seven, Livie four and Lucy two, and they very much became part of the Makauri whānau. They were there with mum before school, after school, at weekends and when there were staff meetings. “We owe Makauri a lot,” says Joanne. “They have grown us as a family. They’ve helped grow me as a person and the community who have gone through Makauri have made a huge difference to my life. It is something I will never forget. It is such a privilege to be a teacher and to be trusted by parents to help shape their children.”
Joanne and husband Vince are moving to Central Hawke’s Bay to be nearer to family, including their first grandchild Harrilu. Their three dogs Dexter, Henri and Marvin have all packed their bandanas and are ready to be farm dogs. “It’s an exciting new adventure for us.”
For Joanne, it is a bit of a homecoming. Canadian born, she, with her parents and four siblings, grew up in Pahiatua. Her strong, hard-working parents set the foundations that she carries through life.
She knows how much difference a teacher can make to the life of a student. “I am proudest of the difference I made for the children who needed it,” says Joanne. “It takes real skill and dedication to teach those who struggle or aren’t on that even playing field. Some just need someone on their side in the school environment.”
But that approach hasn’t always gone down well with those around her. “I have always led with my heart. I can see what kids need and while not everyone always agrees, I do what is right for the child.”
She knows the support is going to make the difference. “I always had a real passion for making things better for kids, teachers and parents.”
Joanne has fond memories of her own early teacher, Miss Foster. “She was a young and energetic teacher who believed in her students. I would have been eight when I had her and she gave me the courage to believe in myself. She encouraged and supported me to succeed. I modelled myself on that. The thing that makes the biggest difference for kids in their learning is a connection with the teacher . . . and that can look quite different in each child.”
Joanne struggled academically at school too. “I was a good student but struggled in learning, so I was sure that somehow I could make it easier for others.”
She leaned on that when she arrived at Makauri. There was no programme for new entrant teachers back then, so Joanne created her own. “I looked at what challenged me and what was needed to learn to read and write.”
In the end she had teachers from all over Gisborne wanting to learn from her and she was never without student teachers from Waikato, Christchurch and Gisborne. In those early days she had just nine students, then 20, and these days it is more likely to be as high as 35.
It’s now a very different world for teachers and their students. “Children are more challenging and their families have more challenges. It is the pressure of both parents having to work. Gone are the days of someone always being home. The cost of that is that children are not settled and they are coming to school with far more speech, language, communication, social and emotional challenges.”
She’s adamant teachers themselves need more support in the classroom to help children on their journey. “A teacher aide makes such a difference. I couldn’t do without the fabulous teacher aides I have had year after year. They have all been so dedicated and allowed me to continue to support challenging children across the school.”
Sometimes that meant working with outside agencies to support children.
Covid too has changed the landscape and made things harder and people less resilient, she believes.
Joanne treasures her peers and friends gathered since she first arrived in Gisborne as that very quiet single mum. “I keep reminding myself of all the great things that have happened along the way. I have enjoyed so much in my 35-year career.”
She feels Tairāwhiti, and Makauri, are the perfect place to raise children. “Makauri is big enough to give variety and challenge, but small enough to be noticed.”
Retired Makauri principal Judy Nicoll worked with Joanne for 20 years. “We worked really well together, and along with the other lead team members created a very special school,” says Joanne.
Judy describes Joanne as exceptional. “The first year at school is critical to future success and this was guaranteed with Joanne as the new entrant teacher,” said Judy. “She designed a cutting-edge transition to school programme, enabling a seamless start to learning for so many students.”
She had worked tirelessly to support students and was “the best advocate a child could have”.
Joanne is looking forward to her new journey. “I am excited to be going back to my country roots and putting time into learning things. I want to learn about animals – how to raise calves, and pigs . . . it is time for me to do some new learning,” she says. But it’s not without a few butterflies in her tummy.
“I do worry about who I will be when I am not ‘Joanne from Makauri’ anymore . . . it is such a huge part of my identity, but I know this is the right thing to do now.”
