When asked what the most rewarding thing about working here is, what makes all the challenges worth it, Tracy answers with “The challenge. The challenges are the drawcard.”

It takes a certain kind of person to work at Te Maioha o Parekarangi Youth Justice Residence, says Tracy, Assistant Principal. Tracy started teaching in 2001, and spent time teaching in primary school, and secondary, in New Zealand, the Cook Islands, the Cook Islands – Aitutaki and Rarotonga. After a history of teaching the ‘naughty class’ she realised that she likes working with the kids who could otherwise fall through gaps.

Teaching at Te Maioha o Parekarangi is a different and unique teaching experience. The students are contained within the residential centre and it’s difficult to take them off site. Risk is constantly being assessed – there may be times when you are can’t use pens. How do you create an engaging, interesting program for 13 – 17 year olds within these limitations?

“I would never have passed this at [mainstream] school” she hears from a student – Tracy has lots of proof that, nonetheless, Kingslea teachers do succeed at putting together amazing programmes. Current highlights for Tracy are building go-karts (pictured) and running the school cafe, where students make meals to share with others. Lots of fun practical stuff, which the students love and engage with. But Tracy is also proud of her students who have excelled at book work, some on par with mainstream students. Lots of students leave Kingslea School with NCEA level literacy and numeracy.

Tracy says: “These are students who have been let down all their lives, and they know that you’re there for them. You’re trying your hardest to show them another way. ‘We’re here to give you another chance, show you something different.’ The engagement is a huge reward in itself.”

There are other benefits to joining special schools like Kingslea School. You are given opportunities to grow, and teach in other areas. Very different to Tracy’s experience in mainstream teaching, where she found her path was restricted. And then there are lots of ‘mainstream’ after-school duties and tasks that you no longer have to put up with – you stop working at four… words to make any teacher jealous!

Who should consider teaching at Kingslea? Tracy says that you need to come in without an ego, be genuine, and be yourself with the students. They will immediately know otherwise! And most importantly, you need to care for the students. If you have love for them, you will find that you’re in the right place.

Sound like you? Please check our Vacancies page, or follow us on LinkedIn for new openings.

“I work with 76 of New Zealand’s finest young men.” You can tell that Rachel could talk about them all day – although she stresses that there’s no way to get across what the experience of working at Kingslea School is really like. You have to experience it!

Some of New Zealand’s most vulnerable rangatahi, often with inter-generational issues and little or no family support or safety net – and yet, 76 of New Zealand’s finest. Rachel has been with Kingslea since nearly its beginning in Tāmaki Makaurau, four years ago. “The first year, when we walked in to start class, everyone was like ‘f*** off, why do we have to do school? School sucks!” She vividly recalls the first day when a whole lesson passed and not one F bomb was dropped about teachers or school.

Rachel is beaming when she talks about prize givings. “When they go up on stage, they often turn the certificates outwards, so everyone can see the writing on them. It’s beautiful.” They have often never had success at school before, never received awards. One student asks Rachel: “Can I please have two certificates? I have two kids, and I want one for each of their bedrooms. I want them to know that their dad is a success.”

Some of these rangatahi pass their Level 1 NCEA. They pass vocational courses in first aid, Site Safe and skills with scaffolding, fork hoists, and drivers licences. At the recent Christmas Market they raised $1,500 for Papakura Marae. “When we passed over the money the boys were gobsmacked, that they could raise that much”. Rachel laughs. “But you should see them selling – they are amazing hustlers!”

There are challenges. The personal resilience required of teachers is high. In mainstream schools, teachers are the ‘boss’. It can be quite a shock to come into Kingslea, where the students will let you know what they can cope with – “Don’t come in thinking that these rangatahi are going to follow your plan. If you’re planning to work on literacy, but Johnny wants to work on numeracy, you’re going to be doing numeracy.” Rachel takes positive strength from these adversities as well – “you do a lot of soul searching”.

When asked if teachers stay on for long, given all the challenges they face, Rachel is definitive – everyone who is a good fit – stays, or would have liked to stay. Kingslea offers a good work-life balance, and the job is suited to those who are busy after school or have weekend sport schedules, like Rachel. You rarely take work home, and ’none of that horrible Sunday afternoon marking’. A lot of this is down to the class sizes, Rachel says. Class sizes of five to ten – compared to some class sizes of 32 in mainstream.

“It’s not an easy gig… your superpower has to be adapting and working with vulnerable rangatahi.” Rachel muses. “But it is exciting!”

If that’s your superpower, please check our Vacancies page, or follow us on LinkedIn for new openings.

Our students at Puketai Residence were tasked with creating some poems following a set format, encouraged to express what they enjoyed, hated, learned, missed, and so on.

The results are wonderful. Some are immediately relatable to everyone, some are joyful, and some are representative of our rangatahi’s unique situation of being away from family during an already difficult time.

Here are a few selections:

[I] did not miss having busy days

It was difficult not to be sad when my family didn’t answer my calls

I missed my mum

When this is over I will never take for granted how people feel

I learnt that I can be patient

You can read all the poems here: COVID19-poems