Teacher inspires 40-year career
Mike Deavoll credits a high school art teacher with seeing potential in him as a teenager and ultimately inspiring his 40-year teaching career at Geraldine High School.
Deavoll retired from the school last week, but he will still be involved with its Te Whare Ako students from the learning support arm of the school, and with past students, as the volunteer chief executive of No Laughing Me Publications.
‘‘I didn’t say I’ll be here for 40 years – it was just one day after the other,’’ Deavoll said.
It was his Xavier College, Christchurch, teacher Ria Bancroft, a 70-yearold sculptor from Florence, Italy, who pushed him towards the art world after being intrigued by a portrait he had made of a face broken into geometric shapes.
‘‘It says a lot about the power of older people who are passionate about teaching,’’ Deavoll said.
He went on to complete a diploma in fine arts at the University of Canterbury. At the age of 24, he went to teacher training college, also in Christchurch.
He was second choice for the job at Geraldine High School in 1980. When the person who was offered the job pulled out, Deavoll stepped in and has been there ever since.
He said he had never thought of leaving as he liked the family-oriented feel of the school and the support offered to students and staff.
‘‘The school strives for excellence. It has high standards and is family-based, and they’re the reasons I stayed.’’ In his four decades there he has taught two or three generations of the same family.
At the age of 26 Deavoll met his wifeto-be, Kaye, at his brother’s 21st celebrations. They have two children.
In his spare time Deavoll paints and does assemblage sculpture using rubbish such as sticks and bike spokes.
He exhibited 32 sculptures at the Aigantighe Art Gallery in 2018 in a show titled Risen, and he also likes to paint.
‘‘I look at things and develop ideas. It’s my take on it – a version of what I’ve seen,’’ he said.
No Laughing Me Publications, the publishing company established by Deavoll, publishes books produced by Te
Whare Ako students. It is an independent company that is self-funding.
The students are halfway through their next book, The Puppy Air Bus, and it will be launched in March next year. The first book was published in 2017. ‘‘We have plans for at least one other book.’’
Looking back over his long teaching career, Deavoll said the biggest change was technology and working on the books had been a highlight.
Geraldine High School principal Simon Coleman said Deavoll put into practice what he taught.
“That is a wonderful way to connect with our students.”
He said Deavoll was known nationally as the art teacher to visit if teachers wanted ideas or guidance.
“Mike’s influence on the students at Geraldine High School has seen many go on to successful careers in the creative industries both here and overseas.”
Coleman said to his knowledge no other high school in the country had created, published and sold books by students with special needs who came up with the ideas, wrote and did the artwork.