About Mike

Mike Fenwick (MA Educational Leadership, Framingham State College, BEd, Auckland University) is a teacher with over 20 years of classroom experience in Primary and Middle Schools. He is currently the Academic Manager, Head of Wellbeing & Positive Education, and an English teacher, at Middle School West Auckland. He has worked across state, private, international and charter education systems.

Prior to returning to New Zealand, Mike taught in schools in South Korea and Hong Kong. With 16 years of international experience, Mike brings a unique understanding of cultural diversity and third culture students. His own heritage as a Cook Island Maori has made Mike passionate about using strengths to build engagement and achievement in Maori and Pasifika students. This passion led him to be a successful recipient of the Pasifika grant through CORE Education, a charitable not-for-profit company focused on providing services to the New Zealand Education sector. This grant is funding Mike to research the impact of his ‘Positive Wellbeing on Pasifika families’ project.

After completing his Masters in Educational leadership, Mike’s passion for positive psychology led him to complete the Positive Psychology in the Classroom course through Coursera. Mike applies the science of positive psychology into his own classrooms and leads whole-school positive psychology approaches through his role as Head of Wellbeing & Positive Education at his current School.

In addition to being trained by Professor Lea Waters as a Visible Wellbeing™ facilitator, Mike was an invited presenter at the Hong Kong Vocational Training Center, speaking on strength-based perspectives and wellbeing in schools with specific reference to classroom application and whole school development.