By Hayley-Ann Pawson

I am Hayley-Ann Pawson, a passionate second year teaching student, but I am also so much more than that. I am a person who loves to dance, travel to new places, read, bake delicious treats, enjoying nature and going on walks.

I selected to go on the exchange to have new experiences that promote my growth as a teacher. Being pushed into a new environment where I will learn a completely new way of life, and expand my personal and professional development. It will increase my understanding that I have for the ākonga in New Zealand, who have moved from overseas to experience an entirely different way of life. Having to learn new customs, languages, and countless other aspects. However, in this case, I will be the new person finding my way. This means I will have an increased relatability with ākonga. Relationships are the foundation of teaching. If you do not have strong relationships, it often does not matter how well you have planned your lessons, the engagement, motivation and interest in learning will not be there in the same way. Relatability is a first step to having a strong relationship, because you have something in common and a connection that you can build on. Furthermore, it will present me with the opportunity to learn different teaching styles that may not be available to me in New Zealand, but would produce wonderful results within my classroom interactions, and teaching practice with future ākonga. Overall, this opportunity will significantly impact my growth, confidence, and the kete of knowledge I bring as a kaiako.

There are many reasons why I have selected Singapore as my ideal place to complete an exchange. Firstly, when I was a year 13 student I was fortunate to attend a history and geography trip to Vietnam and Cambodia. The culture, worldviews, interactions, and experiences I had, truly shaped who I am today. While traveling in Cambodia, we visited a rural primary school, where they tried to do their best to provide a stable community and education for their ākonga. Since visiting, I feel passionate to complete my teaching degree, gain a few years of experience before teaching in Cambodia and creating a difference in the experiences children and families living there. This exchange gives me the opportunity to experience what it is like to teach in Southeast Asia, as well as further insight into the shared culture and beliefs they will have. Additionally, I have a deep appreciation and am in awe of Asian culture with its strong relationship focus, looking at the community as a whole rather than being individualistic. It is a different way of life than what we experience. Their countries are a lot older in comparison to New Zealand, which means they are embedded with such a rich history.

There are many aspects I hope to gain out of this exchange. As I mentioned previously, being on this exchange will give me the opportunity to learn in a country where the customs are quite different from our own. This means that I will have new strategies, and ways of teaching to be able to apply to my own teaching practice back home. Additionally, it allows me to step out of my comfort zone, and practice what I preach to my students. We are often telling students to give things a go even when we a scared or nervous, and that is exactly what I plan on doing. Moreover, this exchange allows me to meet a wide range of new people and make connections all over the world. Although the exchange is only in Singapore, this exchange program is offered to students from all different countries, who I am sure I will also learn from along the way.