From a Dutch Colony to a New Zealand Classroom : The Teaching Story of Will Potter

Teachers matter. Stories matter, too. However, in the context of education, teachers’ stories matter even more.What happens in classrooms -in New Zealand and elsewhere - affects not only the teachers and pupils concerned but also those interested in teaching pedagogy and teaching in general.Teacher stories are a way to tell others about the personal experiences that inform educational environments.From a Dutch Colony to a New Zealand Classroom: The Teaching Story of Will Potter tells part of the personal and teaching story of one post-primary commerce teacher - Will Potter - who taught in New Zealand from 1958 until 1976.He was also Jacqui Burne’s father. Will’s story has unique features: he was an immigrant who came to teaching later in life at age 51 without a degree or teaching qualifications, English was not his first language, and he went on to write textbooks in his chosen subjects.He also began teaching in the 1950s - a time when school enrollments were increasing, but facilitie