Rohan Smith - Who Am I?

 Kia ora, my name is Rohan Smith. 

 
Freshly having finished my Bachelor of Arts majoring in English and history, I have taken my final steps toward my lifelong dream of becoming a teacher. Currently residing in Rosedale / Albany in Auckland's North Shore, I was raised in Hawke's Bay for the first half of my childhood before moving up to Auckland where I have remained since. My primary teaching subjects are in history, with junior subjects in English and social sciences. 

 

I am an avid enjoyer of history, from the Classical Era of Greek and Roman philosophers and military geniuses to the legendary saga of the Eastern Roman Empire, through to the Napoleonic Era, and of course, the First and Second World Wars. More recently, however, I have begun looking into the 20th-century conflicts that involved New Zealand, and how these conflicts have shaped our national identity via the ANZAC corps during World War One, and the NZEF2 during World War Two. I thoroughly enjoy walks and being out and about, especially in nature, and finding the many tucked-away nature walks hidden throughout the North Shore. However, when I'm not being proactive, I comfortably relax with my adorable cat Nika, named after one of my personal favorite Emperors from history, Nikephoros II Phokas!  

 

Teaching has been an aspiration of mine since my early childhood, where I witnessed firsthand the profound impact that a teacher can have on a student, steering them towards greatness, or exploring a new subject that may not have been taught well prior. My teaching philosophy is that each student need not strive for greatness, but instead, strive for what makes them whole; in doing so one finds greatness inwards.  
 
I look forward to stumbling forward into greatness, alongside you all.