Prof Notman (68) will retire as the University of Otago College of Education dean late this month, nearly 45 years after starting his teaching career at Taieri High School.
There he taught English and French, and later Latin, classics, and physical education. He later taught in London, in Hounslow and Brentford, before returning to Dunedin’s Bayfield High School for several years in senior leadership roles.
Prof Notman yesterday acknowledged the growing pressures on New Zealand’s secondary schools, including rising workloads, higher community expectations, and financial challenges.
He was impressed by the high quality of current and future leaders emerging in many roles throughout early childhood education, and in primary and secondary schools.
‘‘There’s marvellous people coming through.’’
School principals were doing ‘‘really well’’ in responding to changing circumstances, growing demands from the community, and ‘‘policy requirements’’ from government.
He and his wife Julie Notman, who is also stepping down as a senior lecturer in business at Otago Polytechnic, will remain in Dunedin in retirement, but plan to travel.
‘‘It’s always mixed emotions,’’ he said of retirement.
‘‘I will really miss the people I’ve been privileged to work with.’’
The university college produced ‘‘quality student teachers’’ who were in demand in the workplace.
The work of the Otago Centre for Educational Leadership and Administration, which he had directed since 2010, and its courses for teachers in a wide range of roles had been a ‘‘contributing factor’’ to school leadership in Otago-Southland.
In 1990, Prof Notman was seconded to the then Dunedin College of Education to become the secondary director of School Advisory Services.
There, he ran INSET (in-service training) courses for Otago and Southland teachers and supported a team of advisers seconded from schools around New Zealand.
Prof Notman has long been a member of several international organisations, has published extensively on school leadership, and has long been involved in professional development courses.
He has several Otago University qualifications and completed a Massey University PhD while at Otago, the latter on school principal development.
He had enjoyed learning from others, and had most enjoyed simply ‘‘the people — their integrity and desire to make a positive difference’’.
His research on effective school leadership had been undertaken partly via the International Successful School Principalship Project, and he had evaluated the leadership needs of principals in a high-needs school context as part of the International School Leadership Development Network project.
In retirement he plans to do some education leadership consultancy work, including abroad, and to travel.
A keen tramper, he also hopes to complete more of New Zealand’s Great Walks, to enjoy biking, music and spending time with his children and grandchildren, and ‘‘attend more rugby matches’’.
