Peter Allan’s automotive workshop has some rather unique décor.
The Motueka High School head of technology teacher is much loved by many of his past students, but possibly slightly less so by those whose phones he impaled by nail gun to the wall.
“I hate cellphones,” he explains cheerfully.
Peter retired at the end of last year, although The Guardian still found him at the high school this week, tying up loose ends and cleaning up “34 years of rubbish”, as he put it.
Peter studied at Christchurch Teacher’s College, getting into teaching “via the trades”, he says. After a two-year stint at Kuranui College in the Wairarapa he arrived in Motueka, and there he has stayed for more than three decades.
“It’s been fun. God, it’s been fun,” he reminisces.
Although he is looking forward to his retirement, and spending more time with his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren, retirement is obviously a little bitter-sweet.
Peter is a 2006 winner of the prestigious Crystal Apple in the National Excellence in Teaching Awards, which acknowledges “outstanding teachers who’ve gone above and beyond for their students”. He also won Rotary’s top award – the Paul Harris Fellow – which was “just amazing”, he says.
His stories tumble with memories of driving kids to work experience at the crack of dawn, and finding ways to engage those who were about to give up on school.
He ran Motueka High School’s Good Behaviour Programme, which ensured that the students who were not making waves were also not overlooked. This involved a frantic day-trip for 30 children and four teachers across to Wellington and back on the ferry, annually, for 15 years.
There was also his work helping RSE workers learn practical skills to take back to their home countries, and his out-of-hours contributions assisting ex-students to complete their apprenticeship paperwork.
“I always tell kids that learning doesn’t finish on the bell,” he says. “Learning is continual.”
He is passionate about trades because he says that, statistically, only five percent of Year 9 students go on to university.
“So then you’ve got to consider, what are the other 95 percent going to do?”
His ultimate delight in teaching comes from the delayed joy of seeing what becomes of his students after they head off into the world.
“If I look at this town, and I look around at all the guys I’ve taught and all the trades they have, it’s absolutely brilliant.”
One of his favourite memories is taking the junior students paintballing, as an end-of-year activity. Apparently, the students adored it too.
Were you a good target? The Guardian enquired.
“Oh, I was a good shot,” he clarified, with a sly grin.
