Star singer celebrates New Zealand teachers

Star singer celebrates New Zealand teachers

Steve Broad is best known for singing the hits on X Factor.

But singing is not his only passion. The 29-year-old is also a teacher, and he thinks other people should make teaching their passion too.

Steve, along with our celebrities including Shortland St actors, students and teachers, has joined the University of Auckland’s #MyTeacherMoment campaign.

Launched on Monday, #MyTeacherMoment is a social media campaign and competition, developed by the Faculty of Education and Social Work to help raise the status of teaching in New Zealand while celebrating the incredible things our teachers are doing in our schools and communities. The competition will also see one lucky school win $5,000 worth of technology.

People can enter the competition by uploading a short video or photo of their most inspiring teacher moment either through the competition entry form on www.topoftheclass.ac.nz or directly onto their Twitter and Instagram using the hashtag #MyTeacherMoment as well as #the-name of a school or early childhood centre they want to win. The public can vote on their favourite moment, and every vote is an extra entry into the prize draw.

As well as Steve, Shortland Street stars Sam Bunkall, who plays surgeon Boyd Rolleston, and Matthew Chamberlain, who plays Murray Cooper, have also shared their teacher moments.

For Steve, his teacher moment came while sitting in a law lecture at the University of Auckland. He had plans for a big career in law, and was even considering a lucrative job in advertising, but something stopped him.

“I remember my lecturer, he just challenged me on the importance of educating myself about the world around me, to be an active and engaged learner and to participate in this world.”

“My movement into teaching came from a conversation within me. I was 25-26 when I was asking myself these questions; what do I want to be able to say that I did when I leave my job each day, or at the end of the year?”

“I want a life that is beyond myself, that wasn’t just about me, but was about giving back.

“I wanted a life lived where you’ve given back or you’ve helped assist someone on their own journey, these are things I put value on.”

He enrolled in a Graduate Diploma in Teaching and got a job at Southland Boys' High School in his home town of Invercargill.

Teaching is in his family, his dad Michael was a teacher, and his sister Kirsten teaches at Aurora College in Invercargill.

That’s not to say the job didn’t come with its challenges. His first classroom was a year 8 class of 30 pupils aged 12 to 13.

“You put a smile on your face and do your best,” he says.

Steve is now enjoying relief teaching in Invercargill while he takes a post X Factor break. But, he says, as well as giving current teachers the praise and credit they deserve through the campaign, he thinks more people should become teachers.

“I love it, it’s a great job, I like it and I am hugely passionate about it. I think because of that I know how rewarding it is and I also want to see people coming into teaching who have never considered it.

“For me it’s a career where you get to see the impact that education and learning has on the world around you and you can inspire.

“I am a dreamer, and I am still dreaming at 29. It’s a pretty cool career to kind of spread your dreams in other people.”

Already hundreds of people are taking the time to share their teacher moment. It could be the moment a teacher opened up their heart and offered their support during a tough time in your life, or it could be the moment you realised you wanted a career that changed lives.

Learn more about this campaign or, even better, get involved yourself by going to www.topoftheclass.co.nz

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