NAME: Sally Griffin
DUTY: Kindergarten head teacher
BASE: Northland
- What is your education superpower?
My optimism and genuine interest in children’s learning.
- Who is your educator superhero, and why?
Beverly Kaye, my past head teacher, because of her playfulness around tamariki. Also Anne Hohmann because she always puts tamariki first and still inspires me today after teaching with her for 13 years. I thank them both for helping to grow my genuine love of teaching and learning. They’ve taught me about the true meaning of ako.
- If you could have any other superpower, what would it be?
Sprinkling empathy on everyone who walked through our kindergarten door, young and old as the world needs more of it to create greater understanding and acceptance of our differences.
- What gets you flying out the door to work in the morning?
Seeing the delight on children’s faces when they achieve something for the first time; the pure joy of learning.
- If you had magical powers and could change one thing in the education world, what would it be?
A system where businesses don’t profit off children’s right to high-quality early childhood education.
- If your superpower was slowing the sun, how would you use the extra hours in the day?
To write more learning assessments that celebrate children’s learning for them to share with their whānau.
- What superpowers do tamariki have that you wish you did?
They live in the moment and see joy in the small things and their flexibility!
- Every superhero has an origin story – what’s yours?
I remember Nigel Latta saying at a talk once that for a teenager to succeed in life they just need one adult to believe in them. I was lucky enough to have a friend’s parent encourage me to go to teachers’ training college because she thought I was good with children and she wouldn’t listen when I said I wasn’t smart enough!
- If you could call in a superhero sidekick for the day, who or what would it be?
Robin Christie – I’d like to bottle and pass around his passion for STEM in ECE.
- What’s your ‘kryptonite’ (something that challenges your superpowers) and how do you work with it?
Our current ratios in ECE. I feel genuinely sad every day that I can’t spend more time engaged in teachable moments with tamariki due to the need to be constantly scanning and intervening in our environment ensuring all tamariki are safe.
- In the middle of your daily missions, where do you find your ‘Fortress of Solitude’?
Sometimes listening to some calming music, reading stories with tamariki and massaging lavender oil into our hands to create a calm atmosphere for everyone, especially after lunch.
- What do you like to do once you’ve hung up your cape for the day?
I like to get out and hono ki te taiao, experience nature. I love hiking and taking time to stop and listen to the manu.
Do you know an education superhero who deserves to be featured here? You can nominate them by emailing us at ako@nzei.org.nz.
