Maniototo Area School teacher Sam Stevens is shifting his focus as he prepares to leave the classroom for more time on the land.

Sam, who farms at Poolburn, has decided to leave his regular teaching role of almost 20 years to spend more time farming, but will still provide assistance to students in an agricultural capacity when required.

His teaching career started in Invercargill in 1998 where he trained as an English and art history teacher.

Tempted by opportunities overseas, Sam left New Zealand for England in 1999 where he taught children with learning difficulties in London.

In 2000 he went on to teach at a school in Kent, which had a 20-30 acre farm attached.

“So, I did some general farming stuff there and teaching.”

He returned to New Zealand and went on to teach English and art history at Southland Girls’ High School in Invercargill from 2001 to 2002, and in 2003 Sam and his wife, Deb, who is also a teacher, bought their farm at Poolburn, prompting their next move.

By 2004 Sam was dividing his time between the farm and Maniototo Area School where he had taken on a role as a relief English teacher.

However, half way through that year he had welcomed another role as an art teacher and over the years also enjoyed teaching agriculture.

“It’s only a wee farm [at Poolburn] so we were always going to need to do some teaching as well,” he said, of why it was never just one career, or the other.

Sam said there is plenty he will miss at Maniototo Area School, but nothing more than the people.

“I will miss the kids - always the kids - and the staff, there’s good people there.”

The school’s new $11 million rebuild, which is now complete, is also something he was going to miss.

“There’s nice facilities,” he said.

“It’s a shame I’m getting out just when it’s all new.”

However, he is not giving up on teaching entirely. 

Instead, he will be working for Primary ITO in a relief capacity at Dunstan High School and Maniototo Area School, sharing his knowledge with Central’s next generation of farmers.