Behind the whiteboard

Small Ones. Big Questions. There is something uniquely vulnerable about being responsible for a tiny human. Not just because babies and children can become sick quickly, but because parenting is often carried out while exhausted, overstimulated, second-guessing yourself, and trying to make decisions under pressure when your brain went to bed 4 hours ago. Add conflicting advice, social media panic, and well-meaning opinions from everyone around you, and it can feel overwhelmin

I can't count how many times we've heard this same story, before class and during class, in private and out in the open. "I can't do exams. They make me freeze, or I can't read, or I have dyslexia." Even within my own family some became the class clown, because being funny and getting sent out was easier than failing. So many carry that same fear and bring it along to first aid training. We get it. We understand and have been there too. That fear is why we are so relieved tha

I’ve taught first aid in a lot of places. Boardrooms, community halls, tents, aircraft hangars, and garages, once under the watchful glass eyes of a mounted deer head named Bruce. Bruce never blinked or said a word. That’s what I call excellent focus. I’ve rocked babies to sleep in my arms, or walked around the room with them trying to get them to sleep, while watching their mama complete her assessment on the mat in front of me. I’ve worked around dogs, toddlers, and at leas

I'm so far behind the whiteboard this week I'm sitting at my computer in the office. Today I'm Office Gail. One of the team that answers the emails, fields the phone calls, and apparently makes videos in between. So when I'm not Teaching Gail, I'm Office Gail or NZQA Gail. And the question that lands in our ears more than any other is: “Which course do I actually need?” So I made a video. Here it is. But if you'd rather read than watch, here’s the simple version. The short an

Every Wednesday I'm going to write something real from the classroom. No tips, no press releases - just honest stories from behind the whiteboard. This week, we're starting with why you should never be afraid to say the wrong thing in class. Spoiler: nobody says worse things than me. "Put your kids under your cars". That's what I said. Out loud. To a room full of adults who had paid money to be there in my first aid class. What I meant was: pop your child manikins under your