Kaye Interviews her DVC Teacher

Kaye talked to her DVC (Design & Visual Communication) teacher, Mrs Maunder, at Whangarei Girls High School about how she got into teaching this subject.

“So I never did DVC at school, I did art and completed a Bachelor of Design at Unitec.

After working for a few years in the graphic design and magazine industry I decided to move back home to Whangarei and to go teaching. While studying to be a teacher, I had to choose two subjects that I could teach and graphics (DVC) seemed like an obvious pairing with my art background. 

I did 4 teaching placements and discovered a love for graphics upon meeting a very passionate graphics teacher here at WGHS. A job came up here and as a baby teacher I took the position, teaching myself and learning from others.

I love learning new stuff and practicing my skills, I love to share my skills and knowledge with others and explore different materials. I love making, creating and designing. I enjoy giving things I’ve made, I love to see the creative outcomes of my students and the pride that comes with success. I love that every day is different, I love the people that I work with who are all like minded.” – Mrs Maunder

Kaye on why she enjoys DVC so much…

“The reason why I chose to interview Mrs Maunder is because DVC is my favourite subject and my favourite teachers are mostly all my DVC teachers from year 10 to now. It’s a different teacher every year but they are my favourites because they are the funniest teachers I’ve ever met. I love them because first of all they let me talk during class and they are not like other teachers that are too serious and too strict. Lastly they love my craziness and weirdness when it comes to just being me or my plans on our projects. 

DVC is my favourite subject because it helped me find what I like doing and it is the reason why I chose to take the path to architecture. DVC is where I can be myself and express or share my own ideas. It is where my thoughts or wonders just come to make sense or turn into 3D. 

If you know me I’m not really good at explaining things but because of DVC and my DVC teachers I learnt to explain not by just using words but models.  DVC taught me even when things seem hard to create or doesn’t make sense, trust yourself and don’t say anything, just make it. 

If you fail, that’s good because it means your learning rather than nothing. Every failure shapes not only your idea but also you to perfection.”

Design and Visual Communication helps to prepare students to make contributions to our modern technological society by developing their graphic communication and creative problem solving skills. DVC students are given the opportunity to generate inventive and innovative ideas in response to briefs and to communicate their ideas through drawing, modelling and other visual means.

More about Whangarei Girls High School…