He remembers the first computer at the school, he's older than most of the buildings, and he still gets joy from that moment the 'penny drops' for students.
NZME has launched On The Up – a national campaign showcasing amazing stories of inspiration, success, courage and possibilities. In this story, reporter Brodie Stone talks to Alan Bayly, a respected and loved teacher who last week celebrated 40 years teaching at Te Kamo High School.
When Alan Bayly walks through the bustling courtyard of Te Kamo High School between bells, students greet him with fist bumps and smiles.
“That girl drew me a picture the other day,” he pointed out after yet another eager wave.
The grin that was plastered on his face was probably the biggest sign of why he has been teaching at the school for so long.
He moved to Northland aged 22 after graduating from Massey University and his first practical teaching experience at Auckland Grammar School.
Bayly remembered Te Kamo High School’s first computer, which only two people knew how to operate.
“It sat in the library like a shrine,” he laughed.
Back then, the high school was very semi-rural, which felt like home as he came from a farming background.
Bayly’s Taranaki roots meant it was not unusual for students to see the teacher in shorts and a polo top during winter back in the day.
“I ended up here in Northland because they told me it was warm and didn’t rain.
“I think it rained from Easter through to Labour Weekend that first year,” Bayly said.
After rarking up students during assembly, several students' ultimate payback was to place "Mr Bayly's" car on a bench, much to his amusement and slight worry. Bayly is pictured left, next to his car.
From the moment he stepped foot in Te Tai Tokerau, he got stuck in. He coached and played for the Kamo Rugby Club, worked as the school bus co-ordinator, joined the local church and Surf Life Saving Club at Waipu Cove.
He even met his wife through the surf club, and one of their first dates was the school ball.
Despite Bayly’s extensive community involvement, it was probably within the walls of Te Kamo High School where he made the biggest difference to people’s lives.
Well-known local businesses, such as Active Attitude, started within those very walls.
“You get parents that have said my child has never talked about school, and now they come home every day and talk about it,” Bayly said.
He was also involved in writing the first Financial Literacy Unit Standards for NZQA that have been used in schools and institutes countrywide.
Daughter Mikaela Sweeney, who also teaches at Te Kamo High School, was once a student of her dad’s in Year 13.
Alan Bayly came in to Te Kamo High School on his 40-year anniversary to find a wall of comments from people who all knew him - speaking of the impact he'd had on their life. Photo / Brodie Stone
She recalled how once he had a stack of chairs on top of desks and climbed on top to visually demonstrate hierarchy.
Sweeney had posted on Facebook asking for people to comment on their favourite memories of the famed “Mr Bayly”.
What followed were hundreds of comments and private messages, outlining little to big moments that made a difference in students’ lives.
She printed off every single comment and put them on a wall in the staff room in celebration of his 40 years.
“All the feedback was very much that he made sure every student could understand it, and taught in a way that every student was able to learn and grow,” Sweeney said.
Many students were grateful that Bayly’s class had been a safe space where they could be themselves.
Bayly said it was truly humbling to see the impact he had made.
“I can’t reply to them all, but I was just like, ‘wow’.
“I’m so honoured to be part of people’s journeys.”’
Brodie Stone covers crime and emergency for the Northern Advocate. She has spent most of her life in Whangārei and is passionate about delving into issues that matter to Northlanders and beyond.
