Humans of Carey: Kaitlin Young

Middle and Senior School English and Humanities teacher

At seven years old, I already knew I wanted to be a teacher. In a childish scrawl, I had written, ‘When I am big, I want to be a teacher’ next to a drawing of myself as a slightly deranged-looking adult. I quickly got onto the business of preparing for my future career by lining up my teddy bears, outlining their learning for the day, and handing out detentions left, right and centre. Thankfully, my views on education have evolved since then.

My own education played a significant role in shaping who I am. I went to an all-girls secondary school in Canberra, where I had a passion for English and the Humanities. Despite never being held back because of my sex at school, I was aware of the injustices sometimes experienced by girls and women. As soon as I arrived at the Australian National University as a 19-year-old student, I joined the Women’s Group.

In 2018, after four years at university and two years teaching in the United Kingdom, I moved to Melbourne and began working at Carey. I soon saw the shared passion for English amongst our students and started the Classic Chats Book Club. Over four years, the range of students attending our fortnightly gatherings has expanded and they frequently recommend compelling books that I would never ordinarily choose to read. I also help to organise and facilitate the annual Carey Poetry Evening. Now in its fourth year, we saw an eclectic group of students share original poems in response to the theme ‘Everyone has a story to tell...’, a timely reminder of the variety of life experiences within our community.

As co-facilitator of the Carey Gender Equity group, I love hearing the passionate voices of young people committed to improving the lives of girls, boys and gender-diverse students. I was thrilled to take part in a panel discussion on gender equity at this year’s International Women’s Day assembly. But what I am particularly excited about is the way in which increasingly diverse voices are being heard in all areas across the School.

This past year has seen a long overdue conversation about sexism and misogyny in Australia. It has reminded us that toxic behaviours affect everyone – girls, boys, women, men and everyone in-between. I have also learnt a lot from my students during this time. I recently discovered that ‘lit’ is apparently no longer a part of the adolescent lexicon (I honestly can’t keep up). I was told that what were once known as ‘bum bags’ are now colloquially known as ‘satchels’ and are apparently considered cool again (I beg to differ). But I have also learnt that young people aren’t afraid to use their voices.

While I sometimes miss the quiet compliance of the teddy bears I taught as a seven-year-old, I have realised that it is actually the loud and determined students who have the power to make the most change. My hope is that the Carey community can continue to harness our students’ fervent call to action and work together towards building a more inclusive world for all.

Kaitlin knew she wanted to be a teacher at seven years old.