WSA Tutor: Vivien Hendy

Teaching young people is a privilege as the impact that a teacher can have on young lives is profound in many situations and this is my attitude in the classroom. When I have students in the classroom we are a family, a whanau who supports each other and respectfully shares the time spent together. I believe that the parents are a part of this ‘whanau’ as it is their regular driving the children to class, looking at what the children are showing of their work, encouraging their endeavours , providing portfolios and framing work for the home – this all adds up to a recognition that art is important. I believe whatever profession we are in sometime there will be a place for artistic expression and a grounding in the principles of design and colour is a building block along the way. For this, I the tutor, have to do my bit and be prepared with knowledge and resources about what I am teaching as that is my role. My background is strongly in the sciences, especially of the world around us and therefore that is apparent in my teaching. I am also a sociologist so that is an important factor in my approach to my students and parents and how we learn about other people and their art. Above all, I believe we should have fun in the classroom so the students want to be there and are not ‘sent’ and that missing a class means that they are missing out on something important in the weeks activities. I enjoy the company these classes provide me with not to mention the challenges, but that is what teaching is all about. Vivien teaches a Monday 10-15 year art class after school and two 8-13 year classes on a Tuesday and Thursday.