There probably isn’t a person on earth who doesn’t get bored with doing the same job day after day, year after year. Where once you were passionate about your chosen career, now you seem to be in a rut from which you can’t escape. And, so it often is with teachers who may see different faces each year, but the subject matter is always the same so that it becomes a real challenge to make things exciting for each new class. Why not step out of your comfort zone and teach overseas for a year or two? New Zealand would be the ideal location as there is much to see and do at any time of the year.
1. Visit as Many Islands as You Can
The main thing to know about New Zealand is that the country consists of approximately 600 islands, with most of the population being on the largest two. Some of the smaller islands are inhabited, but a great number are not. When teaching in New Zealand, it would be fun as well as educational to visit as many islands as you can where people actually live.
2. Enjoy the Warmth of Pacific Coast Beaches
As an island nation to the southeast of Australia in the South Pacific, the climate is considered temperate. Most of the country is coastal beaches, and being largely in a subtropical climate, you can enjoy the warm, sunny beaches most of the year. Whether you just want to relax and enjoy the beautiful scenery or want to swim, snorkel or dive, you will find what you are looking for here.
3. Visit Reinga at the Northernmost Point of New Zealand
One of the most interesting things for a teacher to see is where two oceans meet. In New Zealand, that place would be Reinga. At the lookout on Cape Reinga you will see the awesome forces of the Tasman Sea to the west and the Pacific Ocean to the east converging. Some teachers liken the experience to watching nature do battle with itself and pictures of this marvellous spot can be shared with students back in the UK.
4. Lounge in the Natural Hot Spring at Kerosene Creek
If you’ve come to New Zealand to enjoy the warmth, the hot spring at Kerosene Creek would be one of the most awesome experiences you can find. Wade in the warm water where a freshwater stream and a hot spring converge. This is an activity you can use to unwind and relax or thrill in the adventure so unlike anything you would find back home. It is also the perfect spot for a photo shoot as the backdrop is nature at its most spectacular.
Image by Robert Montgomery via Flickr
5. Go for the Ride of Your Life on the Rere Rock Slide
On the outskirts of Gisborne you will find the Rere rock slide. Perhaps this is where toymakers got their inspiration for those Slip ‘n Slide garden water slides, but at any rate, you’ll want to hang on and go with the flow. Here is another great spot for photos because it’s unlike anything you’ll ever enjoy in colder climates and the kids back home will love seeing their teacher acting like a rowdy teen.
Image by Arapaoa Moffat via Flickr
As a teacher, it’s good to get away for a year or two so that you don’t go stale. Great teachers inspire their students but it’s hard to be inspirational if you are burnt out. Why not teach a year in New Zealand and while you’re there, take time out and have a bit of fun in the sun? You’ll return home refreshed and ready to share experiences that will, in their way, inspire your students to want to explore as much of the world as they possibly can.