KEY POINTS:
Name: Glenn Nicholson.
Age: 53.
Dual role: Deputy principal and occupational therapist (OT) at Sunnydene School.
Working hours: Around 50 hours per week.
Average pay: $60,000 plus a special duties allowance ($995 per annum) and management units.
Qualifications and institution: Diploma in Teaching through Auckland College of Education (now University of Auckland).
AUT Bachelor of Health Sciences (occupational therapy).
Otago Polytechnic Post Graduate Certificate in Occupational Therapy Practice (inclusive design).
Describe what you do.
I am deputy principal of Sunnydene School, a school for children with intellectual disabilities. I've been here four years. I'm also an occupational therapist, which involves helping our students engage more fully in their daily lives.
The two skill sets, therapy and teaching, work well together at Sunnydene.
As deputy principal I oversee a syndicate [group of classes], doing teacher appraisals and other senior management teacher tasks. I also oversee students' individual education plans, planning and ongoing reviewable resource scheme applications.
I also look after accessibility and safety which requires occupation therapy knowledge.
Another job, which covers both roles, is transitioning students into life and the workplace.
Describe Sunnydene School.
The school has a base of four classes in Mt Roskill and six satellite classes at other schools. It is holistic with teachers, specialists, occupation therapists, physiotherapists and others involved in education.
We work within the New Zealand curriculum according to our students' needs which are high so we're staffed more intensely. High needs students get one extra specialist teacher and very high needs get two.
We have around 60 students, aged between five to 21 years, with disabilities such as autism and down syndrome, angelman syndrome and global developmental delay.
Your history?
My first teaching position in 1976 was in a country school with a child with spina bifida and that experience hooked me into special education. I think if I'd known about occupational therapy then, I probably would have gone for it.
I taught, worked on a farm for a while then took on a special education job in Whangarei. I then started a special needs unit at Tikipunga High School.
I eventually decided occupation therapy training would dovetail with my special education background. I also thought I'd like to travel and therapists are needed globally.
What skills or qualities are important?
You need the ability to pay attention to detail, and have patience. You need to be practical. Another essential skill is learning to break down tasks so students can see progress.
You have to be an optimist. My personal philosophy is that there is nothing I can't do if I set my mind to it.
You need to be able to problem solve all sorts of things because you're dealing with a huge range of disabilities.
Highlights of the job?
Lots of things. Seeing progress for a student or seeing change that positively affects family dynamics, such as getting seating right so the student can sit at the table with their family.
We have a student doing work placement at a hairdresser and there is possibility of employment. That is huge. Transitioning somebody into a job is a huge success.
Two years ago, we had a ball. We felt every high school child should have the opportunity to go to a ball so we held one. It was fantastic, so will be doing it again this year.
I designed a playground for one of our satellite units as a postgraduate assignment. Designing a playground that would be inclusive of a range of disabilities in a limited space was difficult. We have since had it built, which is very satisfying.
Most challenging part?
Working out where to start with a student can be challenging. Then trying to get it right, trying to understand what is going on for them and trying to see how they see the world is also very challenging, particularly for students with autism.
Transitioning kids is a challenge. New Zealand's job market is very hard because of issues like the minimum wage and responsibility if something happens in the workplace.
Your advice to people interested in this type of work?
Learn about occupational therapy by volunteering for a couple of days in whatever your passion is; special school, spinal clinic, mental health.
With teaching you should visit a school, then make sure you get a placement in special needs when training.
What keeps you at it?
The job gives me such a buzz. There is so much variety and problem solving. If it doesn't work this way, how will it go this way? I love that.
