Below is the interview transcript, as published in the 2024 edition of the Salamander Magazine, recognising Bernard Harris after his years of service at Freyberg.

Mr Bernard Harris is retiring from the position of Deputy Principal at the end of 2024. The Salamander Magazine Team's 2024 Teacher Feature will focus on Mr Harris, his career, his next steps, and his sage advice for the future. It is with the greatest of respect that we wish him all the best for his future (semi-retirement!)

Interview with Mr. Harris Transcript. Interviewer: Eava Salt

E: Mr. Harris, what made you get into teaching, and what drew you to Freyberg? 

B: Well, a number of things. I was inspired by the desire to help students learn and make sense of the world and themselves. I guess it wasn’t my first choice of career; I first trained as an electrical engineer but found that a bit too impersonal, I suppose. Then I pursued social work or community work, but that wasn’t very well paid. As I was about to get married and start a family, I looked for something that could blend my love of working with people and my training in technical subjects like engineering, math, and physics. So, I went with teaching. I studied for teaching here in Palmerston North and applied for several jobs. Initially, I worked at Queen Elizabeth College for three years, but then a promotion opportunity arose at Freyberg. It was a step up for me, and I wanted to stay local, so it was a really easy transition from QEC to Freyberg. 

E: Nice, and that was in? 

B: That was in 1991—I started here. 

E: Nice, what a good year! What have been the highlights of your career at Freyberg, both academically and socially? 

B: Um, I’ve just found that teaching physics to teenagers has been a blast. Pretty early on at Freyberg, we got a new principal, Russell Trethewey, who was looking for young teachers to step up into roles. He let me take on some responsibilities related to putting the school timetable together, and I have really enjoyed the challenge of fitting one thousand students, eighty teachers, and eighty-something rooms together and making it all work each year. I’ve really enjoyed doing that. 

E: So you still do it? 

B: Yep. 

E: I wondered who does it… I always think about that because it must be so difficult. 

B: You get to know how the system works, and I always try to make it fair. People come and ask for what they want, and all the students say what they want, and all the teachers say what they want. The challenge is to make as many people happy as you can. There are some other things I’ve really enjoyed; back in the days when I was fitter, I participated in some staff vs. student football games, which were really great to be a part of. A couple of years ago, there was a staff debating team, which was just a fun thing. Those kinds of activities let you step out of your role and interact with students. 

E: As the current co-deputy principal with Mr. Watling and Miss Stead, what advice would you give to whoever assumes your position? 

B: What advice would I give? Gee whiz. I would say whoever gets the job should know that relationships are the key. Having a good relationship with both staff and students is essential. I recommend not taking yourself too seriously; obviously, you should do a competent professional job, but don’t take yourself too seriously. 

E: It’s very interesting. It must be fun, but also sometimes difficult to work in the same position as two others. Do you have specific projects that are your own, or do you all work collaboratively on the same things? 

B: We all have our own portfolios. This year specifically, Mr. Williams has given me a special project to explore a couple of new ways to enhance student learning and achievement. We may implement a Vocational Hub where senior students can be out of school for a couple of days if they attend U-Skills at UCOL. It’s very hard for them to be part of the regular timetable, so instead, they might be out for two or three days and then come to the hub for the other two or three days, where they can catch up on what they need to do, as well as their U-Skills. Additionally, there are kids in the junior end of the school who struggle to keep up with their age level, so we hope to add a room and start with another teacher to support those kids and build their learning up to where they need to be to succeed in secondary school. 

E: Do you think that will be implemented in the coming years? 

B: Yeah, hopefully early next year. I won’t be that teacher, but I still have a bit of work to do to make that happen. 

E: What is the funniest conundrum that has happened at Freyberg? 

B: A few funny things have happened…what would be appropriate?! After school on Fridays, we sometimes have a social session, and I went along one Friday. I went in to have a drink and was talking at the bar with another teacher. Beside him on the bar was what looked like honey-roasted peanuts, which I thought he had been eating, and there was also a bowl of olives there. I thought I’d have some of those honey-roasted peanuts, so I picked one up and bit into it. It was so, so hard. Usually, they’re crunchy, but I couldn’t bite it. I looked at the other teacher, and he was looking at me funny, smirking. Then I realized it wasn’t actually honey-roasted peanuts but the stones of the olives he had already eaten, and I had just put one in my mouth! 

E: That’s hilarious! And what did you do? Coil in embarrassment or run away? That’s what I would have done. 

B: I believe I just ate an olive and had another drink. 

E: With the current boom in technological advances with AI, what do you believe the future of teaching will look like? 

B: Oh yeah, um, I think, as always with technology, teachers will slowly embrace it and find out what AI can do to help them. I think they will learn that there are some foolish aspects of AI, but there are also very useful ones. I hope they consider the environmental impact of AI too; you press a button, and it goes to a bunch of servers, using up a lot of energy and stuff like that. 

E: What do you think about that? Considering the potential reduction in paper use, it could eventually even out, I guess. I don’t know if there have been studies on that, though. 

B: Yes, I get the feeling we haven’t fully embraced a paperless society. Hopefully, it does move in that direction. However, I do hope that technology doesn’t take over human thought because that’s what makes us unique as a species—the ability to think, talk, problem-solve, and create. 

E: That is very true. I agree with you. It’s always important to have actual human opinions on things because AI is so generalized; it almost picks everyone’s opinion, but it’s not individual. 

B: Exactly! There are issues like racial bias and that sort of thing because of what is mainly out there. 

E: Yeah, it almost loses that sense of individuality that is so important to the way our society functions as a whole. What do you believe is the most important aspect of keeping the relationship between our school and the government positive, especially with the upcoming elections and the uncertainty surrounding the future of education? 

B: I think keeping communication channels open is essential, and you have to utilize every channel available. The principal group must keep talking with the minister, and the teacher group, perhaps the unions or other teacher groups or subject specialist groups, must keep talking and leading the people who are making decisions. This way, those decision-makers understand the implications of their choices and the impact they have on students and teachers, which will ultimately lead to the best outcomes. 

E: Making sure that the government sees not just the statistics but the people behind those statistics as well, I think. 

B: Indeed, yeah. 

E: Is there one piece of advice you’ve been given in your life that has stayed with you and that you would pass on to others? 

B: We had a speaker here, someone I had heard at other conferences, talk about modern brain research. He mentioned that the first one thousand days of a person’s life are crucial for setting up their ability to learn and their emotional stability. Relating that to my roles here, one of my responsibilities is working with the director of our teen parent unit. I think it’s an amazing place. Young mothers, who are either with or without a partner, need a lot of support. I think what they do over there is just awesome. 

E: That’s very important. Do you remember what year the Teen Parenting Unit was established at Freyberg? It definitely wasn’t 1991, was it? 

B: No, it was in the early 2000s. 

E: Do you remember the thought process behind that? What was the conception of that idea? 

B: It wasn’t a Freyberg initiative; it was a government initiative. The idea was that, in the past, teen parents faced a lot of stigma and students wouldn’t normally stay in school. These individuals still need learning and education to have successful careers. So, having a special place where they can go—understanding that they have a baby or toddler that needs feeding—is essential. I think it’s important to have a space like that where people can still pursue their education because education changes lives and provides success. 

E: That’s very true. I think it’s vital that Freyberg has made the unit a positive environment focused on learning. I think it’s really cool. What do you believe is the most important thing Year 13s should take with them into the big wide world? 

B: Oh gosh. I guess a big thing is that although formal school is finished, learning hasn’t stopped. I hope they take resilience with them because there will be ups and downs, and being able to bounce back from those downs is important. 

E: Definitely. Making mistakes is so important. 

B: I heard that the other day at our assembly. Someone said, “Make mistakes, make lots of them.” 

E: That was Anabel, I believe. “Make them quick,” she said. So, after your 34 years of accomplishments, what are your plans for retirement? 

B: Oh well, it’s a bit hard. What I do know is that I don’t want to just stop and do nothing. That’s why I’m hoping to have some sort of part-time role here at Freyberg next year; I’m talking with Mr. Williams about that. I just look forward to having time to keep fit in my body and my mind. 

E: Will you join some sort of cycling class? 

B: I probably won’t join a class, but I will probably go cycling and walking. 

E: Do you have any last comments for students and staff? 

B: Well, I think it’s just like I said yesterday: Why have I been here this long? I have really enjoyed and am grateful for the connections with students and their families, as well as with all the staff. You know, lots have passed through; some students are now parents of students who are here. It’s lovely to have that long-term connection and to think that students I have taught are sending their own children here, which is great. 

E: Yeah, that is lovely. A few of my friends' parents went here, and we are doing some of the same things that they did, like Spirit Week, and they love to see those traditions upheld. I think it’s really cool. 

Bernard was indeed successful in talking with Mr Williams to secure a part-time job here this year and we are very happy to still have him and his quick wit around.

Both Bernard and Helen Green (Careers Advisor of 26 years) were  farewelled at the final full school assembly of 2024.