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My innermost dream is to see my children growing up happy and content, to be successful and resilient enough to overcome blockages and to value life.
I feel that I have achieved what I wanted to do in regards to travel and education. I would like to become a black belt before I am 50 years old. I'd love to do a gig in a small pub somewhere, one day. I have a perfectionist streak and I know I won't step up until I'm good enough to perform.
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I have an immense respect for all teachers around the world and I am particularly in awe with each and every teacher at our local school.
Their passion and dedication are to be commended. Our children will turn into some beautiful human beings because of all these amazing teachers, who work the longest hours. Their work does not end when classroom is dismissed. In fact, last night at 10pm I witnessed them tirelessly packing up the props and costumes at the end of another fantastic musical production.
They are all my favourites but this time I am going to introduce you to José, or Mr. A, as everyone calls him.
Our school community has seen him working together with the children in many extracurricular activities as well.
When I first met José, he was training a group of children in sports activities. Although my children were a lot younger than the group, he included them as well and gave them tasks appropriate for their age.
We also have a great bike workshop, where children learn how to put together and how to maintain a bike.
- "I wear many hats during a day: I am a dad, I am a husband, a public servant, a musician, I am a teacher and a trainer - I have many roles.
I think I like my Dad hat the best. I love being with my children and spending time with them.
I knew what I wanted to be in life from a very young age. I knew that I was going to be a teacher when I was in primary school. At some point, I also wanted to be a musician. I have considered police or military roles for a while, but deep down, I always knew I was going to be a teacher.
When I was little, my favourite story was "Puss in Boots" - my grandmother used to read it to me. It was a Spanish version, "El Gato en Botas". As I got older, I really liked “The Wizard of Oz”.
In our childhood, pre-video era, we didn't have so many programs or choices; we only got to see the movie once a year, which made it even more special.
With my own kids, particularly with Lola, we went through a stage where we would watch it over and over again. We still watch it at times and it’s still special.
Coming out of high school, my heart was still set on becoming a teacher. I also wanted to travel; I wanted to see things and explore the world. I wanted to be in a band and together with my friend Tim, we set up our own band. We called ourselves The Hot Tamales. We are just having our 25 years reunion soon.
Back in those times, I would always have my drum kit in my car and we made cassette tapes that we would play over and over again.
When we went to Uni, we played with other people too. But we always had our own band. We were named after an old blues song and it's the name that stuck.
We play many things; Tim loves blues. I love country and heavier rock but we seem to find a happy medium, playing Cream, Jimmy Hendrix and Deep Purple covers. Then we sprinkle some individual things too. But I have to say, my guilty pleasure is country.
I don't know if I really had a dream or whether I had a plan, coming out of high school. I wanted to be an art teacher, but then I changed my mind.
I love art and I love making things. I wanted to teach and to be happy. I am a simple person.
I didn’t have a plan. If you love plans, this makes it easier to miss opportunities. I guess my thinking was that I wanted to see myself growing into someone who will be happy and content, as opposed to someone with just a career. We spend so much time asking kids what they want to be, when they finish school. I think it is important that we let them know that it's OK to not know straight away, that it's OK to explore options. Even as a teacher, there are still so many more things I could do.
Some kids do know what they want to do, but others need to explore.
I am a simple man. I love who I am. I say that with no false modesty. I really love who I am. It’s hard to fully love and help other people if you haven't become aware of your own self and if you are not happy with who you are.
That's not to say that I am perfect. I strive to be better, but we are all works in progress.
My innermost dream is to see my children growing up happy and content, to be successful and resilient enough to overcome blockages and to value life.
I feel that I have achieved what I wanted to do in regards to travel and education. I would like to become a black belt before I am 50 years old. I'd love to do a gig in a small pub somewhere, one day. I have a perfectionist streak and I know I won't step up until I'm good enough to perform.
I don't have any hidden dreams, I am an open book.
- What keeps José going and where does he find his motivation?
- It's too difficult to choose one motivation. Inside me, there is something that keeps me going no matter what. Elijah is a good example: whenever I don't feel like doing something, I think of his determination and that motivates me to strive to be better.
Robin, Lola, my entire family are a good motivation. They deserve a good husband and father.
I'm also motivated by the fact that I like being good at what I do. I am lucky, motivation comes easy, it comes from inside.
-What is a better motivator, Success or Failure?
I think I like my Dad hat the best. I love being with my children and spending time with them.
I knew what I wanted to be in life from a very young age. I knew that I was going to be a teacher when I was in primary school. At some point, I also wanted to be a musician. I have considered police or military roles for a while, but deep down, I always knew I was going to be a teacher.
When I was little, my favourite story was "Puss in Boots" - my grandmother used to read it to me. It was a Spanish version, "El Gato en Botas". As I got older, I really liked “The Wizard of Oz”.
In our childhood, pre-video era, we didn't have so many programs or choices; we only got to see the movie once a year, which made it even more special.
With my own kids, particularly with Lola, we went through a stage where we would watch it over and over again. We still watch it at times and it’s still special.
Coming out of high school, my heart was still set on becoming a teacher. I also wanted to travel; I wanted to see things and explore the world. I wanted to be in a band and together with my friend Tim, we set up our own band. We called ourselves The Hot Tamales. We are just having our 25 years reunion soon.
Back in those times, I would always have my drum kit in my car and we made cassette tapes that we would play over and over again.
When we went to Uni, we played with other people too. But we always had our own band. We were named after an old blues song and it's the name that stuck.
We play many things; Tim loves blues. I love country and heavier rock but we seem to find a happy medium, playing Cream, Jimmy Hendrix and Deep Purple covers. Then we sprinkle some individual things too. But I have to say, my guilty pleasure is country.
I don't know if I really had a dream or whether I had a plan, coming out of high school. I wanted to be an art teacher, but then I changed my mind.
I love art and I love making things. I wanted to teach and to be happy. I am a simple person.
I didn’t have a plan. If you love plans, this makes it easier to miss opportunities. I guess my thinking was that I wanted to see myself growing into someone who will be happy and content, as opposed to someone with just a career. We spend so much time asking kids what they want to be, when they finish school. I think it is important that we let them know that it's OK to not know straight away, that it's OK to explore options. Even as a teacher, there are still so many more things I could do.
Some kids do know what they want to do, but others need to explore.
I am a simple man. I love who I am. I say that with no false modesty. I really love who I am. It’s hard to fully love and help other people if you haven't become aware of your own self and if you are not happy with who you are.
That's not to say that I am perfect. I strive to be better, but we are all works in progress.
My innermost dream is to see my children growing up happy and content, to be successful and resilient enough to overcome blockages and to value life.
I feel that I have achieved what I wanted to do in regards to travel and education. I would like to become a black belt before I am 50 years old. I'd love to do a gig in a small pub somewhere, one day. I have a perfectionist streak and I know I won't step up until I'm good enough to perform.
I don't have any hidden dreams, I am an open book.
- What keeps José going and where does he find his motivation?
- It's too difficult to choose one motivation. Inside me, there is something that keeps me going no matter what. Elijah is a good example: whenever I don't feel like doing something, I think of his determination and that motivates me to strive to be better.
Robin, Lola, my entire family are a good motivation. They deserve a good husband and father.
I'm also motivated by the fact that I like being good at what I do. I am lucky, motivation comes easy, it comes from inside.
-What is a better motivator, Success or Failure?
- Failure motivates me better. Be that actually failing or fear of failing is motivating. I am certainly afraid of failure. Always willing to do things without fear of failing but when I did fail, it motivated me immensely.
I don't make plans in advance. Wherever life and its opportunities take me, that's where I will be in 5 years’ time.
I don’t really think of having 15 minutes of fame. I'm fortunate in that as a teacher, I meet many people and I have many opportunities to positively influence and shape young life. That is one of the best things about my job.
Like Elijah, I think I would use those minutes of fame to let people know that there is hope and that nothing is permanent.
- My first role model was one of my teachers at Spence Primary. I was year 3 or year 4 and Mr. Wong has been a big influence on me. We stayed in contact for long after I finished school. Unfortunately, he passed away quite young and I was very affected by it.
Another first role model was Paul Kelly and his music. Then I understood my father better and he became a role model too. As a youngster I didn't understand him very well back then, but I have started to see him in a completely new light.
Both of them are still my role models to day. Then there is Elijah. He really inspires me; I'm a better person for having a son like him because he is stronger than I am.
Sometimes when teaching children, I am wanting to be better and to learn everything I can from them. There is so much to be learned from children.
There is a number of children at Fraser Primary that I got a lot from. They don’t realise what a strong impact they have on people.
Lately, I am also inspired by LeBron James. He opened up a school in his home town, but it’s far from being just a school. He worked out an entire support network for students and parents coming from underprivileged backgrounds. The students are provided with meals during the day, as well as services to help them deal with stress.
The school provides services to families, which include job placement assistance for parents and an on-site food bank from which parents can take food to prepare at home.
It's amazing to see a guy who came from a tough background giving back so much to his community. He has never been in trouble with police, never been in the media for the wrong reasons. I love good role models like him.
- My favourite books are "The Prophet" by Khalil Gilbran and “To Kill a Mocking Bird” by Harper Lee. I haven’t yet read the sequel; I have heard mixed reviews of it.
I also love reading autobiographies, I am interested in people and their journey in life.
I also like dark things and anything do to with psychology, particularly people who are different to me. I loved reading “Silence of the Lambs” and I loved the movie, too.
- My favourite movie is still “The Wizard of Oz”.
Then there is "Hi fidelity", a movie that will always be on my top 10 favourites for a few different reasons.
In a way, I see myself in that movie. I think about the time when I was preparing for travelling and I had this CD holder that I was going to take with me. I remember trying to pick what could cover me while travelling around the world – you can only take so much, when backpacking.
- My biggest regret? It’s very easy to answer that question; my biggest regret is talking Elijah into sky diving the morning when the accident happened. Of all the things we could have done, wecould have made different decisions and have different outcomes.
This is closely followed by deciding not to see Nirvana in 1991 at the ANU bar. I remember saying to my mates “I'll see them on their next tour”. There wasn't a next tour, as we know now.
Life is full of regrets but in most cases they are learning opportunities.
- I feel at peace when I am at home. I am at peace either around my friends or completely alone.
I am an introvert and I like being alone. There are so many things I could do when I am by myself - I can listen to music, I can read, I can draw. I have also started to restore drum kits.
- If I had to describe myself in a word, that would be "Hopeful".
I don't make plans in advance. Wherever life and its opportunities take me, that's where I will be in 5 years’ time.
I don’t really think of having 15 minutes of fame. I'm fortunate in that as a teacher, I meet many people and I have many opportunities to positively influence and shape young life. That is one of the best things about my job.
Like Elijah, I think I would use those minutes of fame to let people know that there is hope and that nothing is permanent.
- My first role model was one of my teachers at Spence Primary. I was year 3 or year 4 and Mr. Wong has been a big influence on me. We stayed in contact for long after I finished school. Unfortunately, he passed away quite young and I was very affected by it.
Another first role model was Paul Kelly and his music. Then I understood my father better and he became a role model too. As a youngster I didn't understand him very well back then, but I have started to see him in a completely new light.
Both of them are still my role models to day. Then there is Elijah. He really inspires me; I'm a better person for having a son like him because he is stronger than I am.
Sometimes when teaching children, I am wanting to be better and to learn everything I can from them. There is so much to be learned from children.
There is a number of children at Fraser Primary that I got a lot from. They don’t realise what a strong impact they have on people.
Lately, I am also inspired by LeBron James. He opened up a school in his home town, but it’s far from being just a school. He worked out an entire support network for students and parents coming from underprivileged backgrounds. The students are provided with meals during the day, as well as services to help them deal with stress.
The school provides services to families, which include job placement assistance for parents and an on-site food bank from which parents can take food to prepare at home.
It's amazing to see a guy who came from a tough background giving back so much to his community. He has never been in trouble with police, never been in the media for the wrong reasons. I love good role models like him.
- My favourite books are "The Prophet" by Khalil Gilbran and “To Kill a Mocking Bird” by Harper Lee. I haven’t yet read the sequel; I have heard mixed reviews of it.
I also love reading autobiographies, I am interested in people and their journey in life.
I also like dark things and anything do to with psychology, particularly people who are different to me. I loved reading “Silence of the Lambs” and I loved the movie, too.
- My favourite movie is still “The Wizard of Oz”.
Then there is "Hi fidelity", a movie that will always be on my top 10 favourites for a few different reasons.
In a way, I see myself in that movie. I think about the time when I was preparing for travelling and I had this CD holder that I was going to take with me. I remember trying to pick what could cover me while travelling around the world – you can only take so much, when backpacking.
- My biggest regret? It’s very easy to answer that question; my biggest regret is talking Elijah into sky diving the morning when the accident happened. Of all the things we could have done, wecould have made different decisions and have different outcomes.
This is closely followed by deciding not to see Nirvana in 1991 at the ANU bar. I remember saying to my mates “I'll see them on their next tour”. There wasn't a next tour, as we know now.
Life is full of regrets but in most cases they are learning opportunities.
- I feel at peace when I am at home. I am at peace either around my friends or completely alone.
I am an introvert and I like being alone. There are so many things I could do when I am by myself - I can listen to music, I can read, I can draw. I have also started to restore drum kits.
- If I had to describe myself in a word, that would be "Hopeful".
I live in hope and always have. Maybe it's hope that motivates me. There is always this hope that life will be better. If I didn't see hope, there wouldn't be motivation to teach or to be better. Without hope, why do anything at all?
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