Taupō Primary School’s only male teacher reckons more should get involved

'Mr Harvey' with his Year 2 class at Taupō Primary School. Photo / Dan Hutchinson

Trevor Harvey, the only male teacher at Taupō Primary, says he doesn’t know why more men don’t get into the profession but he’s happy he did.

He’s not even sure why he took up teaching, but after 23 years at the same school, the impact on those who have passed through his class is clear from the nods, waves and greetings he gets from former pupils.

He is now teaching the children of children who once came through his Year 2 class.

Harvey’s contribution was honoured with this month’s Harcourts Taupō Good Sort Award by a parent who described him as “unbelievable”.

“He goes above and beyond for the kids in his class. My daughter needed work on certain words, Mr Harvey, in his own time, printed out cards of the words and more for us to use at home.

“All the teachers at Taupō Primary are great but Mr Harvey, wow, the number or kids who say they love him is a true testament to him. I take my hat off to him.”

For Mr Harvey, it could be a lot to do with “karma”.

“I don’t know what inspired me to be a teacher. I actually hated school when I was at school ... I was not the best student at school so there is a bit of karma coming back to bite me.”

He has found his true vocation though and it is more than just teaching.

“I love working with little kids. They are wonderful and they give you so much energy and they are just so fun to work with and I do have a lot of fun working with them.

“Because I have been there so long I know a lot of the families, especially around Nukuhau way because that is where our catchment is.

“I get young fellas coming up to me in the street who used to go to school 20-odd years ago and they will shake your hand – ‘oh Mr Harvey, how’s it going bro?’.”

Apart from the principal and the caretaker, Harvey is the only male staff member at the school.

“I’ve been the only male teacher there for 10, maybe 15 years ... some of these kids don’t have a male role model at all in their families, so it is a bit scary. I’d love to have more male teachers.”

Another thing Harvey enjoyed about the job was watching his former students progress through the school, and he knows the names of most children there.

“I’m teaching kids’ kids. I’ve got a little boy in my class actually and I taught his dad many years ago and that has been happening the past five years or so, maybe even longer.”

He said there were some amazing teachers at the school and support staff.

“They are all there for the kids. We are there for the kids and are there to help them.”

He said he was still learning too, and some days could “throw a real curve ball”.

“Each kid is an individual and they have all got their different personalities so it gets to a point where you become experienced at dealing with different behaviours.

“You don’t know their baggage, you don’t know what they are bringing to school each day. Some of them come to school with no lunch and you think ‘poor thing’.

“You are just there to support them really. And sometimes that’s all you can do. They are not going to learn anything on a particular day because they haven’t had sleep or they haven’t had breakfast or they haven’t had lunch so you just do what you can for them.

“That is the primary job. You are there to support the kids, to help them, guide them and make their lives easier and along the way they are supposed to be learning something.”