Teacher inspired by Navy and Air Force experience

A Papakura teacher says she returned from the recent Defence Force teachers camp inspired by the stories of personnel becoming the best versions of themselves.

Jane Encinares-Cruz, who teaches years 7 and 8 at Redhill School, was one of 30 teachers attending the School to Seas and Skies teachers’ live-in camp in January, hosted by the Royal New Zealand Navy and Royal New Zealand Air Force at their respective bases in Devonport and Whenuapai.

The camp was themed around ‘influence the influencers’, offering teachers of year 5 to 13 students an exposure to the world of the New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF).

Over six days, the teachers were given hands-on experience in the maritime and aviation industries, designed to provide them with new educational tools and ideas as well as demonstrate career opportunities for their students.

Encinares-Cruz says she knew it would be a challenging week, but she wanted to share her experiences with her family and her students and show them there is so much more to the military than they might have realised.

“Honestly, before this, I wasn’t sure if it was the best option. I would usually advise students to go to university, but there is so much the military has to offer.”

“I met and talked with some of the personnel during the week, and it inspired me how they found their purpose in life. They were unsure of what they wanted, but after joining the military, they changed for the better.”

“When I finished high school, I didn’t know what to do. We were told to go to university and graduate. But I would say, if you’re 18 and don’t know what to do, but you’re ready for a challenge to change your life and be the best version of you, check out the military – you might find the structure you need.”

During the week, the teachers visited HMNZS Aotearoa, the Navy’s polar-class maritime sustainment vessel, and experienced a flight over Auckland in a C-130J Hercules. They were taught about strategic military skills, taken on maritime and aviation missions, shown first-hand the technology enhancements NZDF personnel are currently using, and taught firefighting, navigation and leadership skills.

She saw how many of the structures in the Defence Force applied to her own teaching practice.

“Small things matter. Like missing one step in preparing an aircraft could have massive consequences. For me, small details in a classroom, like a tone of voice or the way we position the desks, change the energy. Every student deserves my best effort, down to the smallest detail.”

She says that teachers don’t always make the best students.

“To take us on for a week would have been challenging. We were spoiled and kept busy with activities that were all helpful to us. Our summer vacation was as perfect as it could be in experiencing such amazing things and meeting the wonderful people in the Navy and Air Force.

“This was not just a life-changing experience – it was also super-inspirational.”