I’m a full month and a half into my New Zealand Fulbright Experience. As the title of this entry says, I will reflect a bit on where I came from before I arrived.
Mountain Mahogany Community School
For the past 5 years I have been teaching at a beautiful public charter school in Albuquerque, New Mexico USA called Mountain Mahogany Community School. If not for my experience at MMCS, I likely would not be in New Zealand now on this Fulbright Scholarship. Mountain Mahogany Community School is where my integration of music/teaching/learning was truly nurtured. About a week before I began teaching there, Kendra Toth (school director) asked me how I was going to begin my first day of school with the kids. After years in public education, my trained response was, “I will sit everyone down, and I will go over the class rules.” I was surprised to see Kendra’s expression so skeptical.
“Hmmmm. No,” she replied, “I think you should greet them at the door with your guitar and begin by singing them a song.”
Music Gear
You can imagine how surprised I was to have this most pleasing suggestion from my boss. In the past, I felt I had to “hide” musical activities and only squeeze them in here and there if extra time allowed. This may have been in my own head, but that was the impression I had. Mountain Mahogany was my first experience where I really felt that using music was embraced and encouraged. So, I just want to give a public thank you to Kendra Toth (director), Baylor Del Rosario (administrator), and all the MMCS staff, students, families, and friends for welcoming the music I have been incorporating in my role as a classroom teacher and member of this inspirational community.
That’s a bit about where I came from. Now, stay tuned, and I’ll tell you what I’ve been up to here in New Zealand for the past several weeks.
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Seth Hoffman
Community Publishing will be publishing a Multimedia Book written and Illustrated by Seth Hoffman titled, Janie and the Hummingbird. Seth is a musician, artist and educator based out of Albuquerque, New Mexico. Follow his adventures here every Tuesday.
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Welcome back friends to another episode of Seth in New Zealand. So begins my Fulbright experience. Here we go with orientation on February 3rd. It’s been really nice getting to know my new Fulbright family. We will hear many wonderful and informative speakers.
The next day we saw a waka (canoe), built in the authentic Maori style. This waka is actually used from time to time.
The hongi is a traditional Maori greeting or parting gesture. It is done by pressing one’s nose and forehead to another’s. In the hongi, the ha (or breath of life) is exchanged. The breath of life can also be interpreted as the sharing of both party’s souls.
It was exciting to attend my first lecture at Victoria University, taught by my fellow Fulbrighter Shahnaz’s advisor Bruce Carey.
fond of ping pong. I’m so lucky because so is 
Tim! Here we are after a wonderful afternoon session at the Karori Campus at Victoria University studying – the art of table tennis.
Being a 
Arts
