Matua Peter Nolan

Hard Materials
petern@ngaruawahia.school.nz

Tena Koutou Katou


Ko Karioi te maunga
Ko Tawatahi te awa
Ko Whāingaroa te moana
No Glen Massey ahau
Ko Peter toku ingoa

Kia ora! My name is Matua Pete, and I teach Hard Materials and Digital Technology – basically, I help students turn big ideas into real things (sometimes with hammers, sometimes with laser beams).
I grew up in Melville and went to all the local schools there. In the early 2000s, I married a local Ngāruawāhia girl, and we packed our bags for Ireland, where we lived for six years. These days, I call Glen Massey home – a peaceful spot that keeps me grounded between tech builds and student projects.
I love teaching Technology because students actually get to make stuff with their hands instead of just staring at screens… although we still use screens to laser cut some seriously cool projects. In my class, you can expect sawdust, bad dad jokes, and the occasional moment of pure genius – usually from the students, sometimes from me.
We use tools, tech, and a bit of good old Kiwi ingenuity to create products that reflect what’s happening in the real world right now – no birdhouses from 1972 here.

I’m dyslexic and have ADHD, which means my brain often moves faster than my handwriting, and I usually start three projects at once (don’t worry, I finish them… eventually). It also means I really understand students who think differently – because I’ve been there too.

When I’m not teaching, I’m probably out on a motorbike, in the bush, playing guitar badly, or trying to convince my two boys that I’m still cooler than I look (the jury’s still out).

Ngā mihi,
Matua Pete