60 seconds with… Mr Gavin Sinclair

26 MR GAVIN SINCLAIR

Director of Mathematics Enrichment Mathematics Teacher

Have you always been a teacher or have you had other careers before teaching?

I was a computer programmer for about eight years after finishing university, and it’s a skill I dabble in to this day, including at school— generating class lists, processing marks, tallying carnivals, even making random seating or grouping arrangements.

What led you to a career in education?

A combination of interest in the subject matter, passion for learning more about it, and a belief that a better future requires a better-educated populace. I prefer the big-picture focus of my current career over the small-picture focus of my previous one. After my father died when I was in my twenties, I realised you only get one life so you’d best focus your energies on something meaningful to you.

What has been your greatest challenge in the classroom?

The early years posed significant challenges in relating to the great variety of students in a positive and productive way. Nothing can prepare you for the fish-out-of-water sense of being in “your” classroom for the first time, and probably no other job takes a newbie, throws them in and expects them to perform like someone who is experienced. My favourite saying from that time is: good judgement comes from experience, and experience comes from bad judgement!

What do you enjoy most about being involved in education?

A collegial environment is a great thing. Teachers are generally giving people, and it’s wonderful to be part of a team (both faculty and school-wide) that blends so many valuable skills and focuses on the benefit of others. I also enjoy having variety, autonomy and the opportunity for creativity.

What do you find most rewarding about teaching?

There are many answers I could give, but I’ll choose this one: seeing students take on great challenges. I care not for the results, but for the personal growth they experience. Also, it’s no exaggeration that I’ve learned as much from students over the years as they’ve learned from me.

Do you have a most memorable career point to date?

I’m pleased to have done many things while at PLC Sydney and it’s all beginning to seem a blur. Having a greater focus on enrichment these last two years is great because it’s so important (and rewarding) to try to push students to think beyond the structures that are created for them.

“I’ve learned as much from students over the years as they’ve learned from me.”

Who has been your greatest influence?

It’s hard to pick a “greatest”— I’m a magpie when it comes to influence. There are just so many admirable people in the world. It’s cliched but true: my own high school Maths teachers were a significant influence in myriad ways. I remember fondly the no-nonsense dry humour of Mr Becker, the kindness of Mr Barrett, the straight talking of Mr Ottery. And from university, my wish is that everyone can have a teacher as good as Dr Peter Brown.

What is your motto in life?

Try to leave the world a better place than you found it.

Do you have any interests/hobbies?

Certainly! Behind the cool facade, I’m actually quite a nerd. I love gathering knowledge in any area of interest, and there are many. A small sample, in no particular order—I follow major chess tournaments, love the music of many centuries, do crosswords, and learn about the history and current practice of typography and typesetting. Above all, the art and craft of mathematics and computer programming provide boundless interest.