Introducing...

Hello there, carpenters and citizens of Dunedin. You may remember me- I have bumped into most of you over the past week and seen you in action, building, making and on the computers. I have introduced myself briefly to most of you, but I am aware that I haven't had a proper opportunity to introduce myself to you as a group.

Briefly (I will tell you more next week when we meet as a class) my name is Aaron Blaker and I grew up in the North Island, in Gisborne. I moved to Dunedin in 2001 to study, and have been here ever since. I fell in love with Dunedin's social and cultural life, its stone buildings, its fierce winter weather, its beaches and its people- so full of beans! I played football for Caversham for eight seasons, but now I have a dodgy knee and am awaiting an operation. I am married, and I have a three year old daughter and a thirteen year old step-son. I am a busy man.

As far as teaching goes, I am a trained secondary school teacher (English and Drama) but decided that schools were not quite the place for me, so I trained as an ESOL teacher and have been teaching international students and migrants in Dunedin for the past eight years.

When I'm not teaching or riding my bike or hanging out with my family, I'm studying Spanish or writing short stories.

My main purpose for being here, on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday afternoons, with you the Trades students of 2012, is to work alongside you as you do your written and reading and course work. I will be providing encouragement, assistance and extension if needed. We will also look at some interesting ways to communicate verbally (by speaking.)

I look forward to supporting you as you work toward your goals in Semester Two, 2012.

Suerte!

Aaron