Harold the Giraffe: Behind the Mask
Source: Supplied / Nicky Wise.
After a hectic and sweaty Jump Jam session in the school hall, a creative writing piece on the details of your weekend, and a big fat marmite and lettuce sandwich, the time would roll around to enter the Life Education den.
There is something magical about the way a giraffe and an educator can mysteriously arrive on a truck in the middle of the night, and we’ll sit with our legs crossed and arms folded and listen intently to a puppet.
Now, we all know Harold is a pretty chill dude, but when it came to drugs – that’s when shit got serious.
The little ones learn about reading emotions and navigating resilience, but as the hormones started to increase, we were taught about cyber bullying, puberty, and many university students’ favourite recreational activity: drugs.
Life Education Trust educator Nicky Wise is one of those special people that bring magic into the classroom in a way that’s fresh, exciting, and inspiring.
“I just fell in love with the whole ethos, the philosophy, the holistic approach, just the vibe of the classroom and stars and Harold and went, ‘this is where I want to be’,” said Wise.
It’s a good feeling knowing your educator was just as obsessed with the stars as you were. Wise has worked alongside her best bud Harold for 20 years now, tackling the Waipā-King Country region one child at a time.
“He's real, he’s safe, and he’s non-judgmental. Harold allows people to visit their creative world as he believes in them, and they can feel it straight away. Plus he's hilarious!”
With the online world growing bigger and stronger, Wise can sense the pressure building on children walking into the classroom, proving the need for the educators to constantly adapt to the changing times.
“We're always updating, always researching and making sure that we've got everything up to date.”
Harold and the educators work through the effect of drugs on the brain, the battle of peer pressure, and standing up for yourself. The growing brains of year 7s and 8s are taught about the complexities of drugs in a manner that aims to educate them about the potential risks and consequences.
Going on a “journey” together as a group, Wise takes the children through the drug chat in a way that’s visual and thought-provoking. The experience is designed to be impactful, encouraging the pre-teens of Aotearoa to make informed decisions if drugs make their way into their lives.
“Should the occasion occur that someone offers you a drug, what we say is to delay the decision,” Wise said.
The den where Harold teaches. Source: Supplied / Nicky Wise.
“A lot of the time, the 11 and 12 year olds will describe a dodgy person. Then then we say, well, we're at a music festival, what's everyone else wearing? And they'll work out that someone who's selling drugs will look just like everyday people, that they aren't strangers and that we might know them,” shared Wise.
I remember this epiphany vividly, when we all slowly prowled our eyes across the classroom thinking, “which one of you is the imposter?”
Taking children out of the classroom and away from their normal educational environment creates a somewhat euphoric experience. The lights, documentaries, the visuals, Harold – it’s all so nostalgic in a way that can’t be put into words.
The sense of safety and trust that inhabits the four walls has a massive part to play in the learning that carries on in the playground.
After covering the drugs and substances section of learning, one of Harold’s students was offered a drug on the way home from school. But as Harold taught them, they delayed their decision.
“They told the school management that they thought about doing it, and then they thought, ‘what would Nikki and Harold say?’ And it stopped them from doing it.”
Nicky with her bestie Harold. Source: Supplied / Nicky Wise.
Despite this example of their teachings being put into action, Wise said, “that's not saying they all do. I mean, come on, I'm a realist. I've got kids.”
Apart from the loads of cards and beautiful artwork she and Harold receive, it appears that Wise most treasures the laughs, and the moments of pure excitement and vulnerability.
“We were going into space, and it was so realistic for this kid, that he just sat there, and he just screamed, ‘holy shit! holy shit!’ He was so in the moment, it was fabulous.”
“The fact that you can have some real tough nut kids, but Harold can tell them to sit and they will sit, because they'll do anything for Harold. Just the love and the belief they have in Harold, no matter who they are or where they're from. Yeah, it's just amazing.”
Wise said that Harold has been so eager to get in touch with all his previous rangatahi, so he’s written a letter to all his favourite ex-pupils.
Hey you remember me, it's Harold the giraffe!
We met when you were five most slightly at your local primary school on that big bus that would mysteriously arrive in the middle of the night. I might have taken up to space for a couple of days or weeks. I'm thinking you the same belly feels as I did. Me, looking forward to meeting or seeing you again. You, perhaps the excitement of the stars while going into space.
I know loads of you love the safe space of no windows or the disco light. We had an instant bond. Nicky and I met 20 years ago and have since met trillions and trillions of kids, and every single one of you dudes are so special in our hearts, true story. Nicky wanted to specialize in rangatahi and health, so became a specialised teacher and the rest is history.
One of the main things that me and Nicky wanted Elsie to know is how our amazing brain works. How drugs and alcohol affect the brain. When Nicky and I first met, smoking was the most rangatahi were using at high school, now it's vaping for teenagers. We work really hard at making sure that what we teach is fact based. And we're really close with the school.
There’s a fine line between giving an info and creating interest. We're very aware of age group and helping to understand the future. University can be tough, but it gets even tougher if your brains not functioning on all its cylinders. Your brain needs you right now, your body needs you right now. Find your tribe and surround yourself around those who see the greatness within you.
Love ya, miss ya
Harold Xx