Teaching special students a joy
Cameron McKenzie has worked his entire teaching career in the special education sector. He’s new to Goldfields School in Paeroa this year. The Waihi Leader caught up with Cameron last week at their first Wearable Arts Show, to talk about special education
How many staff at Goldfields School, and your roll?
We currently have 73 on our roll, but we are growing quickly. We have around 52 staff members including contracted therapists, teacher aides, teachers and office staff.
What’s the satellite class system and where are the classes?
Goldfields base school has around 28 students. The rest operate from satellite classes. They are still Goldfields students and taught by Goldfields teachers, but the class they go to every day is in a mainstream school. We have satellite classes in Miller Avenue School, Te Aroha Primary, Miller Ave School, Paeroa College, and a new classroom opened at Thames South Primary last week. Our satellite students still benefit from the small class sizes that Goldfields offers (usually seven in a class on average) but they benefit from the leadership that mainstream students offer and they interact in breaks and special events such as assemblies and sports days.
What does it mean for you to work in special education?
I have been in special education for over 16 years and could never think of doing anything else. The students are often some of the most challenging. I am proud that I can make a difference in the children’s lives and the lives of their wha¯nau.
What makes it so rewarding?
It’s watching our tamariki learn and grow into young adults. The progress they make is often not huge, but over time I see the positive effects we are having of them and that’s what gets me out of bed early in the morning. For many, Goldfields is like their second home as we cater for five to 21-year-olds, so we become a big part of their lives. It is hugely rewarding to know that I can contribute to moulding the lives of these learners and supporting their wha¯nau through what can be very tough times.
What sort of feedback do you get from parents?
Parents are fully supportive of Goldfields School. Many of our students just cannot cope in a mainstream setting and we’re able to offer small classes and a high staff ratio. We do our best to ensure that the wishes of wha¯nau are met by creating individual education plans for each student, every year. These help us understand the aspirations wha¯nau have for their tamariki so we can shape their programmes to meet these goals. It’s important that we work together as a team, school and parents for holistic education.
Are there any issues facing special schools?
Nationally there is an issue around catering for students with complex behaviour needs. Unfortunately they do not access funding and we can not enrol them into Goldfields and the mainstream schools struggle to meet their needs. While we have an outreach service, this funding is often not sufficient.
Is there a good representation of special schools across the country? New Zealand has some excellent special schools however most of them are full. The stigma they had in the past is gone and parents now understand that we can provide quality education and care.
Your background:
I graduated teachers college 2000 and went straight overseas to teach English in Korea. In 2003 I moved to London to a special needs school and have been in that area ever since. I taught special education in Abu Dhabi and Cairo before returning home to Rotorua in 2010 where I got a job at Kea Street specialist school. .