Windsor , UK

Qualifications

2001 Bachelor of Science (Hons) with QTS
1995 HNC in Computing
1993 BTEC Certificate in Management Studies
1992 NVQ Level 2, Information Technology
1988 Qualified as a Master in the craft of Cabinet Making
1973 City & Guilds, Advanced Craft

I'm Barry Watts, a 53-year-old Pommy cabinetmaker turned teacher, now in my fifth year of teaching. I finished my teaching degree the day before we (myself, my wife and our 18 year old daughter) left the UK (June 2001). For the first 18 months of our NZ life I worked as health & safety coordinator for a Timaru joinery company until NZQA approved my teaching qualifications. I now teach technology here at Waimate High School and love every minute of it.

Current Interests

Out of school I‘m rebuilding and extending a house we relocated in December 2003. This project takes all my spare time at present (and for a long time to come, I suspect).

Professional Interests

My ICT skills are just enough to get by on, in many areas, so I'm participating as a Lead Teacher to improve on those skills, learn a heap more and, hopefully, help others along the way.

I'm also challenging my own teaching practice at present as I'm increasingly aware that our students are a product of the digital age and I suspect that they need to learn in a manner radically different to traditional methods.