The rest, as they say, is history and young Alan Cooper not only went to college, he would return to become St George's principal in 1982. In between, there were many varied education roles. After starting his career as a primary teacher in Palmerston North, he taught social studies and physical education at Waiouru army base. His career took him to Gisborne Boys' High School, Scots College, Porirua College and Palmerston North Boys' College.
While working at Scots College, he met Margaret, a kindergarten teacher from Pahiatua, whom he married in 1959. The couple have three sons and a daughter and are grandparents to nine children.
He would return to Waiouru as an educator for the Defence Force for three years and would later become a house master at Lindisfarne in Hawke's Bay and Hadlow College in Masterton.
"When I became headmaster of St George's, the roll was 130; when I left in 1999 it was up to 300.
"The classroom environment was changing and we were the first new Zealand school to formally adopt learning styles."
The recognition of different learning styles was beginning to be recognised in the education curriculum in the early 1990s and Mr Cooper has enjoyed seeing wider recognition continue.
He is a strong proponent of encouraging emotional intelligence in young learners, and Manaiakalani education which personalises learning through establishing a classroom culture of empathy and utilises mobile technologies.
"A group of children were asked who their best teacher would be and the students replied that it would be someone who is interested in them as a person.
"When they were asked what the worst kind of teacher would be they said one who thinks they have to be friends with everyone."
Mr Cooper regularly writes for Australasian quarterly magazine Teachers Matter as well as contributing to educational blogs and forums.
He has recorded a 21-minute video in which he chats with Joshua Freeman of Six Seconds, an international forum providing teacher education online.
"I discuss the emotional drivers that can promote or impede learning and how even small stressors can push learners into fight-flight-freeze."
The video means that Mr Cooper can be "in the room" with international learners in their working spaces around the world.
"Digital learning is meant to enhance the lesson, not replace it: to be a part not the complete lesson," he says.