A Glass Full of Water

Last Wednesday Lucy, (a classroom teacher at Te Uku School) and I were in her classroom before the start of school. We looked up to see a large group of her students slowly and respectfully approaching us.  One of the students was carrying a cross. It was beautifully painted cross with a white background, bright flowers, a star and a love heart. On the bar of the front of the cross was written ‘In Loving Memory of Molly Dog’ and on the back were the names of the students in her class.  The cross was carefully handed to Lucy with young eyes watching in anticipation. With tears in her eyes and a breaking voice Lucy thanked them all for their kindness and caring at the passing of her beloved west highland terrier.  The compassionate connection between teacher and students was palpable.  Lucy shared with me this morning that Molly was a loyal, kind and mischievous member of their family. When Lucy was teaching in Auckland Molly gravitated to the tough boys. These same bo...

6.25am… 6.27am…6.29am. (Don’t be late Steve!) I wanted to be one of the first in line when the Mount Maunganui cafe opened at 6.30.  Dawn was breaking with a glowing sun behind me in my car rear vision mirror. Tay Street was now a hundred metres away. As I drove closer I glanced to my left to see a large crowd of young people milling around on the cafe steps.  After parking the car I crossed the road somewhat confused and wandered through the conviviality. Someone in the cafe yelled, “Wait time is about 30 minutes!” Too long for me. Fortunately, looking to my right at another cafe next door I noticed a young man running around putting cafe chairs out like a deck of cards. I realised that this cafe that normally opens at 7am was hoping for an overflow of customers. I joined their queue of 3 that steadily built in a few minutes. The lone barista immediately impressed me with the friendly way he greeted and treated each customer. We all got a smile and a genuine, “And how are you...

Last Thursday I was reading the paper in my favourite Raglan cafe and glanced up to notice a man walking towards me. He recognised me just before I recognised him. We hadn’t seen each other for over 12 months and after the usual handshake greeting we sat to catch up on the year.  A minute or two later when Graeme and I were deep in an animated conversation, to the side of our table a barely audible voice interrupted us. I looked in surprise and delight as a young girl stood there with a hand firmly on her dads arm and said to Graeme, “I love your T shirt.” I must admit the shirt was a wonderful mix of abstract shapes and hues of blue and white.  What a beautiful example of innocence, courage and kindness. The girls mum observed us from the corner seat and smiled. Good on the parents for allowing their three year old daughter to speak to my friend, who graciously accepted her compliment.  I asked the parents if I could write this blog story about what I had just seen ...

Every Labour Day holiday weekend in New Zealand for the past 19 years a group of keen families head around the east coast of the North Island to help with various jobs the locals want a hand with. eg. planting waterways with native trees, re-roofing an elderly persons house, doing up an RSA building or a beach clean up.  This year it was ongoing maintenance and development of a local marae situated near the beautiful and remote East Cape. A couple of weeks ago, they worked with the local community at the Awatere Marae inland from Te Araroa. Over the years, other local Marae have benefitted from joint collaborations.  Our daughter Ruth, husband Jake and their children, Ada, Patch, and Manny and Ada’s friend Nina joined the group and travelled from Mount Maunganui. On the Saturday Ruth sent us some photos of what they were up to, so in no particular order, Manny asleep in the wharenui (translated ‘large house’), Ada and Nina laughing and floating down a local river, Ruth, D...

‘Piano Man’ loved La La Land, a unique Raglan cafe. It’s next to an enormous pohutukawa tree. The cafe is small and filled with antique furniture and suitcases. The waffles are as divine as the coffee and it has the best hot chocolate ever.  I walked in this morning and Monika (the owner/ manager) greeted me with a warm smile and a playlist of piano music. Piano Man was an occasional visitor. He was a scruffy looking, 40 something, with holes in his T shirt, baggy pants and no shoes. He always asked to use the piano and Monika said he was kind, humble and considerate. She knew that when Piano Man started playing she would be drawn into an emotional experience and that it was like every key played was a tear from his soul.  Once Val and I experienced his artistry with the piano too. Playing by ear, fingers flying. Mesmerising music. The sort of music that goes straight to your heart. The feeling and beauty of it as we were transported to an ethereal place. Piano Man then stood ...

The teacher’s message.  I was one of those teachers doing much pouring. ie giving and making a difference in the lives of many, without being poured into. ie encouraged.  During a lesson, Emma placed an envelope on a table. I opened this taonga (treasure) only to burst out crying at the aroha (love) held within. She has certainly filled my cup to overflowing. Emma writes.  I realise I have shaped my (RTLB) role around acts of service. It is not an extra thing I do; it is how I do the job. I am conscious of kaiako (teacher) capacity, so I try to show care in practical, human ways: knowing their coffee order, checking in, keeping paracetamol handy or sending a quick note to say, I noticed that lesson. It was beautiful.  It means turning small deliberate acts of service into threads that hold our relationships together. It is about pouring into others, not to fix or add more to their load but to remind them that they are seen, valued and enough.  Sometimes the smal...

My niece Emma is an RTLB (Resource Teacher of Learning and Behaviour) in Auckland. RTLB’s are trained specialist teachers who work with schools and kura so they are able to meet a broad range of learning, wellbeing and behaviour related needs of their students.  She writes.  I saw a Facebook post that made me pause. It read: There’s a validation deficit in education. Teachers pour into others but rarely feel poured into. You’re told to be more, do more, fix more, but almost never told, ‘You’re enough’ (Dr Brad Johnson).  A few days later I was talking with my Dad, Chris, about teacher burnout and how simple acts of kindness, like a few encouraging words, can make a world of difference. I asked for one of his beautiful bird cards (beautifully created cards with Chris’ original artwork on the front) and I knew exactly who I wanted to give it to; a Kaiako (teacher) I had been observing.  She is an extraordinary teacher. Patient, creative and endlessly kind. Her classroo...