Stories From Our Community (Winter 2019)

Stories FROM OUR COMMUNITY

A visit to ELCHO ISLAND, a remote new placement region in the Northern Territory MATT BRAY shares his passion for woodwork through public speaking

WINTER 2019

FROM STRUGGLE STREET TO ROLE MODEL With the support of her teachers over three years of Year 12, Hannah Gandy turned her attitude towards school around.

Now, she’s paying it forward at La Trobe University KYLE O’CONNOR remembers the day his teacher changed his outlook on school

And featuring more stories and interviews with Edwina Dohle, Erin Hortle, Alisha King, Emma Lindsay, Chloe Nelson, Laura Newman,Viveka Simpson, Bridget Staude

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CONTENTS Introduction

03

From youth worker to teacher

04

A rough start pays off

05

Do you respect wood?

06

From the coalface to Canberra

08

From struggle street to role model

09

Ten years of Teach For Australia

12

Language and lore

14

A passion for words

16

Making a difference at the top end

18

Message from Melodie

Meet Viveka Simpson Cohort 2012, Leadership Development Program

Meet Kyle O’Connor, former student of Michael Briggs-Miller Cohort 2010, Leadership Development Program

Meet Matt Bray, former student of Daniel Marget Cohort 2013, Leadership Development Program

In conversation with Edwina Dohle Cohort 2010, Leadership Development Program

Meet Hannah Gandy, former student of Melanie Henry Cohort 2011, Leadership Development Program

Timeline

Visit Elcho Island with Alex Payne and Isaac Jansens Cohort 2019, Leadership Development Program Meet Erin Hortle Cohort 2019, Leadership Development Program

Meet Alisha King Cohort 2015, Leadership Development Program

Redefining student success 19

By Emma Lindsay Cohort 2017, Teach To Lead

Taking the helm ` 20

Meet Bridget Staude Cohort 2016, Leadership Development Program

Teaching for STEM success 22 In conversation with Chloe Nelson Cohort 2014, Leadership Development Program

Empowering young changemakers 24 In conversation with Laura Newman Cohort 2013, Leadership Development Program

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A DECADE OF POTENTIAL

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Message This year, Teach For Australia celebrates its ten year anniversary. This milestone is an occasion for us to reflect on our origins, journey and what we have achieved as a community over the past decade.

In this special retrospective edition of Stories, we hear from students, Associates, Alumni and Fellows about their journeys in education. Kyle O’Connor remembers the day in 2013 when his Maths teacher Mr Briggs-Miller changed the track of his life: when Mr Briggs-Miller put the day’s lesson aside to open up about his own past and experiences to the class.

That same year, Matt Bray was in his senior year at Horsham College when he decided to join the public speaking team with a friend – and his speech about our declining respect for woodwork wins him competitions around the state of Victoria.

You’ll also meet Hannah Gandy, a driven young woman who found support and encouragement in her teachers, who over the three years it took her to complete Year 12, helped her realise her potential. She’s now a role model for students in similar shoes.

Looking back at a decade of stories of perseverance, dedication and successes, it's natural to wonder what the next ten might hold. We enter this decade with a community 831 strong of Associates and Alumni. As a community, we’ve reached over 235,000 students so far and the next decade holds more potential than ever.

As we embark on this next phase, we’re launching a community consultation and asking you to think about: what are your hopes and aspirations for education in 2030, and what will it take to get there? If you have any ideas, big or small, I encourage you to submit them online at teachforaustralia.org/community2030.

You can also get in touch with Bri McLoughlin (briannon.mcloughlin@teachforaustralia. org), who is Head of Alumni and Community Engagement, to learn more and discover how you can get further involved with this important project.

FROM MELODIE

As we look back at the stories that make up our history, let’s also think of what’s now possible together.

Thank you for your commitment so far – and all the best as we go forth into the next decade.

Melodie Potts Rosevear Chief Executive Officer

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From

YOUTH WORKER TO TEACHER

GETTING CLOSER TO THE CRUCIAL POINT OF EMPOWERMENT

I

n 2010, Viveka Simpson was living in Warrnambool, working with the National Green Jobs Corps (NGJC), offering unemployed young people a six-month training program. The program offered accredited, on-the-job training to prepare young Australians for work in emerging green and climate change industries.

MEET VIVEKA SIMPSON Cohort 2012, Leadership Development Program Viveka Simpson was a science teacher at her placement school, Manor Lakes P-12 College, for five years. She is now working as a Teaching and Leadership Advisor at Teach For Australia, coaching new teachers across Victoria.

“It was really difficult to get engagement from the participants and to get them to feel any sense of achievement,” Viveka recalls.

“My days consisted of driving to everyone’s houses to get them out of bed, and get them to come out and do the work, then dropping them home.”

“It got me thinking: how can you be 18 and not have choices available to you? You’ve lost the ability to make choices for yourself because the access to your benefits hinges on your participation in this program, and this isn’t a program that you are particularly interested in.”

Viveka had a sense that she wanted to work with younger people and empower them sooner. “What happened up to this point?

I’m working with people who are 18 to 20 years old, but at this stage, it’s probably too late. What happens when you work with students who are 13 to 17, or 10 to 13?

Where is the crucial point that you can have those conversations to empower students to start making better choices?”

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She’d first heard of the Leadership Development Program through her motherin-law who happened to be Principal at a Teach For Australia Partner School that had just taken on Associates for the first time.

Initially, Viveka thought she would never become a teacher.“ Both of my parents were teachers and my dad always said, ‘Be more than a teacher,’” says Viveka.

I’m working with people who are 18 to 20 years old, but at this stage, it’s probably too late. What happens when you work with students who are 13 to 17, or 10 to 13?

However, constantly surrounded by people who were making a difference in young people’s lives, it was inevitable that she would follow in their footsteps. “While all of the main influences around me were teachers, I do still truly believe that it was the work I’d done previously that made me want to explore the earlier experiences of young people before they got to that point.”

Viveka taught science at Manor Lakes P-12 College for five years, and currently works at Teach For Australia as a Teaching and Leadership Advisor, helping to coach new Associates as they fine-tune their teaching practice. “I really enjoy the engaged discussions and buy in that Associates have into what is best practice education, what that looks like and how we can help achieve that.”

A ROUGH START PAYS OFF

AN UNINSPIRING ASSEMBLY BRINGS OUT A HEARTFELT LECTURE ON THE IMPORTANCE OF EFFORT

“I saw a bit of myself in him. I was able to tap into a few things and get him to see that you can fight the fight if you want, but you’re only hurting yourself.”

While most people can remember a great teacher, some can even remember the exact day that teacher changed their lives.

MEET KYLE O’CONNOR Former student at Horsham College, a Teach For Australia Partner School Kyle O’Connor is studying a Bachelor of Commerce at Deakin University in Geelong.

AND MICHAEL BRIGGS-MILLER Cohort 2010, Leadership Development Program Michael joined Teach for Australia’s inaugural cohort after completing an arts/theology degree and working in the youth sector. He taught Maths, English, Humanities and Philosophy at Horsham College from 2010 to 2013, until joining the staff at TFA in 2014. Drawn back to the classroom, Michael returned to Horsham College as Acting Assistant Principal, and later became Principal at Warracknabeal Secondary College. Michael is now back at TFA as a Teaching and Leadership Adviser, supporting Associates and schools in Western Victoria, while also balancing his time with his young family.

In 2012, Kyle O’Connor was taking maths with Michael Briggs-Miller at Horsham College in regional Victoria. Briggsy, as he’s affectionately known, had moved to Horsham from Melbourne and was in his third year of teaching. The two didn’t hit it off straight away.

“I had Briggsy for Year 8 Maths, if I remember correctly. I hated Briggsy at the start. I didn’t really care about school, and I didn’t really care about anyone else. I just wanted to be out of there.”

The day that sticks with Kyle started with an unimpressive school assembly. “We had a special guest come in who was an old basketballer from America,” he remembers.

“He spoke about his life story and the mistakes he had made but it never actually went anywhere.” Briggsy remembers it too.

“We had a motivational speaking group come out, and give this big, flashy presentation about someone who had done something.

I looked around the room and you could see the kids’ faces. It was going way over their heads.”

The kids got back to class, and the maths lesson was put on hold. “When we went back to class,” Kyle says, “Briggsy told everyone about his life story, and the people around him who had made mistakes. You could hear a pin drop. It was an eye-opener.”

“What happened to him was sort of what was happening in my life, in a way. I was starting to go down a bad track.” As young people in a country town, Kyle says “we were all focused on footy at the time. Briggsy had people around him getting drafted. What he told us that day really broadened our ideas of education and putting in effort. It was all about having respect and making good decisions in your life. There is more to life than just coming to school and mucking around, you actually have to pull your head in to try and succeed.” From that moment, Kyle saw Briggsy – and the purpose of school – in a whole new light.

Academically, Briggsy wanted to see Kyle try harder. “Maths always came quite naturally to him a little bit. He could put in five per cent effort and you would get 85 per cent out. What I was really working on with him over the course of the year was saying – that’s actually not good enough. You need to put in more.”

“I saw a bit of myself in him. I was able to tap into a few things and get him to see that you can fight the fight if you want, but you’re only hurting yourself.” Briggsy’s methods seemed to be working. “It seemed like less things were coming through the Year 8 office with Kyle’s name on them.”

In Year 10, Kyle received a football scholarship and left Horsham to attend boarding school in Ballarat. Now, he’s studying a Bachelor of Commerce at Deakin University in Geelong.

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DO YOU RESPECT WOOD?

Student shares his passion through public speaking

MEET MATT BRAY Former student at Horsham College, a Teach For Australia Partner School

AND DANIEL MARGET Cohort 2013, Leadership Development Program

Matt grew up in Horsham in a single parent family and completed high school in 2013.

He worked as a furniture maker across Melbourne for two years while also working at a supermarket at night. He relocated to Ballarat to undertake a double degree in business and commerce with double majors in management and commercial law. He has since recently completed a six-month internship with Hanson Concrete as a project manager and will complete his university studies at the end of this year.

Dan entered the world of teaching in 2013 via Teach For Australia after having completed a commerce/honours degree at Melbourne University. His placement school was Horsham College in western Victoria, where he’d spend three years learning the ropes as a teacher and connecting with some exceptional students and staff. After that time, he moved to London for a while before returning home and taking up a position as a Leading Teacher at Werribee Secondary College, where he currently works.

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“Everything’s IKEA or thrown together without too much care at all. The unsustainability of it – this is a throwaway society.”

I

n 2013, Matt Bray was in his last year of high school at Horsham College.

Daniel Marget, a first-year teacher at the school and the Public Speaking Coordinator, had put a call out for students to compete in the local Lions Clubs’ Junior Public Speaking Contest.

“I’d never done public speaking before,” Matt says. But he and his friend Greg went over to the junior side of the school and gave it a crack. That first day, the students had to brainstorm what they were passionate about and give a practice speech – just five minutes. “There were a whole lot of Year 8s running around the corridor, making noise. I just could not do it at all – I couldn’t rehearse, I couldn’t talk about it. I didn’t have a reference point, and I didn’t know how to make the whole five minutes flow and how to structure it with a start and end.”

Mr Marget helped the students brainstorm, trying to pinpoint their particular passions that would make the five minutes seem short to them and their audience.

Mr Marget had never met Matt before, and would never formally be Matt’s teacher.

That day, talking with Matt at that first practice session, it became clear that Matt had a passion for woodwork. Larry David’s line “Do you respect wood?” from satirical comedy Curb Your Enthusiasm came to mind. In the episode, Larry whinges about somebody putting a drink down on a very nice wooden table without a coaster, which leaves a watermark.

“Do you respect wood?” was Matt’s sentiment about the status of the world, exactly.

“I thought I could talk about woodwork for hours with people and bore them out of their brains,”Matt said.

When you’re going through school at 18, you’re going through things like ‘where do I want to be from now, where do I see myself in five years, what am I going to do when I leave school?’

But instead of boring people for hours, Matt’s speech progressed him from the regional competition, on to district, and then state.

Talking to Matt more than five years after he’d made his speech, he can still bring that passion to life in conversation. “We’re not using traditional, timber joinery techniques anymore,” he explains. “Everything’s IKEA or thrown together without too much care at all. The unsustainability of it – this is a throwaway society.”

Hearing Matt talk about this issue again, his instructor Mr Marget is brought back to those rounds of competitions. “Matt’s speech was really unique. We never heard the same thing twice. He didn’t have it on cue cards, he didn’t memorise it from a piece of paper.

He said the same thing but it was very much ad-libbed, very conversational. He was always walking around the front stage, really interacting with the audience.”

“I really remember you could see parents of these other competitors mouthing the speeches that their child was saying because they had to memorise it themselves, and they’d practiced it so many times.

That was what set Matt apart because he demonstrated that the most effective way to speak publicly is to connect with your audience.

“So not only did he speak about a topic that he was incredibly passionate about, he did it in a way that wasn’t quite obviously rehearsed. It felt like it really came from the heart. He did that so well time and time again, and I think that’s why he kept moving through these different stages.”

Mr Marget travelled with Matt around Victoria for the competitions and the whole experience has stuck with them both – even so many years later. Matt remembers fondly, “He dedicated his time, he stayed overnights across different places across the state – and I wasn’t even his student. That’s a testament to him. He’s probably one of the more influential teachers that I’ve had. Dan completely treated me as an adult. When you’re going through school at 18, you’re going through things like ‘where do I want to be from now, where do I see myself in five years, what am I going to do when I leave school?’ You need the sort of guidance that isn’t strictly academic.” For Matt, Mr Marget was a mentor at a time when he needed guidance.

After graduating high school, Matt is now doing a double degree in Business and Commerce, majoring in Management and Commercial Law. Dan Marget is currently teaching at Werribee Secondary College. “I have so many fond memories of my time in Horsham in and out of the classroom, but I don’t think any of them really rank as highly as that experience did. No one had succeeded to the extent that Matt had in this kind of thing at our school - he was up against some of the highest of high, private school, super-academic kids and he just showed them up time and time again. When he won through to that state final, it was just incredible.”

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FROM THE

Coalface

TO CANBERRA Making an impact in education through public policy

“Education is the foundation stone, and it’s the place where you get the biggest returns on investing your effort and time. ” What made you join Teach For Australia?

IN CONVERSATION WITH EDWINA DOHLE Cohort 2010, Leadership Development Program Edwina Dohle had finished her Law degree with a passion for social justice, and wanted to use her skills and qualifications for good. She joined Teach For Australia in its inaugural cohort, and taught at Bundoora Secondary College. After four years of teaching, she felt the need to have an impact on education more deeply – at a federal policy level. In 2014, she moved to Canberra for a graduate program at the Department of Education, and hasn’t left the education policy space since.

I think TFA offered an amazing opportunity to get right to the coalface of social justice issues in Australia straight out of university.

The opportunity to test yourself and develop while doing whatever you can to improve educational opportunities was really compelling.

I’d done Law at university and was pretty uninterested with the Collins Street approach, and the chance to get into the community and work with real people and begin to understand the challenges that they were facing was great.

What led you to the Department of Education?

I felt that there were a lot of issues in the education and public policy space that have a huge impact on life opportunities in the community.

Being able to examine where we are and develop solutions that can actually move that forward, I think is something that is quite unique to the public service. There’s huge impact and real change that happens from advice within the government so I wanted to get involved and learn as much as I could about what that policy making process looks like in practice. Working with the Commonwealth, having that lens across the whole country in a stewardship role in the education space with the states and territories was really interesting.

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In 2014 I did two grad rotations through the Department of Education. The first one was in the early learning and childhood space where I worked on the development of an early learning languages app to introduce languages training for preschoolers.

Then I moved into higher education, to consider what the sector would look like in the future and what the government’s role in disruption of tertiary education might be.

Do you think you would be doing what you are now if it wasn’t for Teach For Australia?

Teach For Australia really solidified that education is the foundation stone, and it’s the place where you get the biggest returns on investing your effort and time.

What are your big aspirations and hopes for education in Australia for the next ten years?

I would really like to see the breaking down of barriers between different types of students and different schools. I think there has been an increasing demarcation of different types of education sectors, and the thing we want to do is maximise people’s freedom to pursue whatever is meaningful to them. At the moment, there’s a very strong focus on academic outcomes, which I think sometimes devalues social contributions to a range of different professions. I’d like to see a system that engages individuals to understand their personal strengths and preferences so that they can realise the individual pathway that is best for them.

FROM STRUGGLE STREET TO ROLE MODEL TEACHERS HELP STUDENT FIND THE CONFIDENCE TO EXCEL

I could see that Hannah had a lot of potential and that drove me to become quite ambitious with the goals we set.

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“Her influence in helping me realise that I was smart, drove me to get high marks.”

I

grew up with a single mum. She raised me and my brother and she had a pretty hard life. She used to work in business but then when she became a single mum she started cleaning.

We had it pretty hard when we were little.

I remember she used to ride her bike from house to house cleaning because we couldn’t afford a car.

MEET HANNAH GANDY Former student of Teach For Australia Alumni Hannah Gandy attended the Pavilion School in the northern suburbs of Melbourne, which is a school for students who have been disengaged or excluded from mainstream education. She studied Year 12 over three years. Encouraged by teachers who pushed her potential, she is now studying a Bachelor of Laws/Arts (Politics) at La Trobe University.

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There were periods of time when my family suffered homelessness. When I started school in primary school everything seemed quite normal. I’d grown up thinking that this is how normal families function. In primary school I loved going to school and seeing my friends – I was really engaged.

It was about half way through Year 10 when one of my teachers started to make a genuine effort with me. Her name was Danielle Norton.

She was really helpful and was my teacher for a number of years. She started giving me work from the Distance Education Centre.

I completed Year 12 over three years. In my first year of Year 12, I was taught by Mel Henry.

She was really supportive and understood that I was smarter than I thought. Although I’d been re-engaged back into education, she gave me a belief that I was actually capable of doing more.

In Year 7, I started hanging around bad crowds of people and not going to school.

By the time I was in Year 8, I’d transitioned through three separate schools and that’s how I ended up at The Pavilion School. When I went to that school, I was the youngest person they’d had.

She convinced me to take two university subjects while I was in my second year of Year 12. At this point I wasn’t thinking about going to university, I was just doing it as part of my VCE and I think her pressuring me a bit into tackling uni subjects made me realise that I was smart. In that program, I actually ended up getting the highest mark out of all schools that participated for two Law subjects at La Trobe.

For the first couple of years I wasn’t really attending school. Lots of my friends had got into drugs and even I battled a bit with addiction. It was actually the breaking down of friends’ lives around me that made me start going back to school.

Her influence in helping me realise that I was smart, drove me to get high marks. Mel was helpful in making me way more productive and actually putting the pressure on to do well. I remember being in her class and everything was always a big operation.

I hope that when she goes out and advocates for education, for everyone’s right to a high-quality education, that I had a small part in influencing her values and belief.

We had students working on different things at different times and everyone was always really productive. It was like organised chaos every day. Mel showed me it’s cool to be smart.

I’d never realised that before I had her as a teacher.

That’s how I got my entry into university. I was the only student from the Pavilion School who has ever gone through the process of finishing VCE. At university, I was surrounded by private school kids and even I was a bit shocked when they gave me an award for getting the highest marks. I thought, “Wow, I didn’t think that would happen.”

Since graduating from school, I’ve been working at the Fair Work Commission and at La Trobe University as part of the school partnerships program. We introduce students from disadvantaged schools in the northern suburbs to university and I share my story with them about where I came from and how I got to university. I was also working with the VCE plus program for a while, mentoring students who were taking Year 12 subjects while in uni.

I still work with a lot of the students at the Pavilion School. When they come out to La Trobe, I tell them, “I went to your school and now I’m here.” Sometimes they turn around and say, “I want to go to uni, too.”

MEET MELANIE HENRY Cohort 2011, Leadership Development Program I first met Hannah properly in 2015.

What I remember most about that year was how willing Hannah was to give my quirky classroom ideas a go. I feel immensely grateful for the trust she placed in me for our class and for her own future.

Even better, she had been offered a place at La Trobe in her first choice – Arts/Law! I cried when she gave her graduation speech – she sent me a video sharing how I had influenced her path (unfortunately I couldn’t attend because I was having a baby at the time).

I could see that Hannah had a lot of potential and that drove me to become quite ambitious with the goals we set.

I’m so glad that I have been able to keep in touch with Hannah and watch her grow and progress. I hope that when she goes out and advocates for education, for everyone’s right to a high-quality education, that I had a small part in influencing her values and belief.

I left the Pavilion at the end of 2015 but kept in touch. I was so proud to learn that she had achieved her goal of completing VCE and with an ATAR of 80.80 no less!

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TEN YEARS

OF TEACH FOR AUSTRALIA •

Teach For Australia begins partnering with the Northern Territory, placing six Associates in Tennant Creek and Katherine.

•

Teach For Australia receives formal recognition and certification as a charity, allowing the addition of philanthropic funding.

•

Teach For Australia’s first cohort graduates and becomes Alumni.

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100th Associate joins the program.

•

•

20102010

Teach For Australia expands into the Australian Capital Territory.

2011

•

The Australian Government supports Teach For Australia through a multicohort agreement.

•

The first cohort of Associates begin teaching in Victoria, the first state to partner with Teach For Australia.

•

After establishing a partnership with the University of Melbourne in 2009, Associates begin their Postgraduate Diploma in Teaching through the university.

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2012

The Australian Government announces a multi-cohort agreement with Teach For Australia, thus continuing its support of the program.

2013

2014

•

The Australian Government releases an independent evaluation of the Teach For Australia program conducted by the Australian Council for Educational Research, finding “TFA attracts exceptional teachers… and has a big impact on student performance, teacher quality and teacher retention.”

•

The Australian Association of Graduate Employers ranks Teach For Australia 19th on the list of most aspirational employers as the only not-for-profit organisation.

•

Teach For Australia receives formal recognition and certification as a charity, allowing the addition of philanthropic funding.

•

Teach For Australia begins its partnership with Western Australia, placing 13 Associates there in one year. This number will triple in the next year.

•

Associates now earn a Master of Teaching Degree through a newly-established partnership with Deakin University.

•

Michael Briggs-Miller (Cohort 2010) becomes principal, Teach For Australia’s first Alumnus to do so, of Warracknabeal Secondary College.

•

Teach For Australia’s recruitment marketing campaign “Pass it On” is awarded the prestigious Most Popular Integrated Marketing Campaign 2015 award by the Australian Association of Graduate Employers.

2015

•

Teach For Australia begins partnership with Tasmania, placing 13 Associates at nine partner schools in the first year.

•

The Australian Government releases an independent evaluation of the Teach For Australia program, finding that “Teach For Australia is substantially delivering against the Australian Government’s key objective of placing high-quality teachers in schools serving low socioeconomic communities to meet specific skill requirements, for as long as possible.”

•

100th school partners with Teach For Australia.

•

A three-part documentary, Testing Teachers, airs on SBS, following the year-long experience of six Teach For Australia Associates: Fiona, Emmanuel, Stephanie, Will, Kitty and Sasha.

The documentary brings unprecedented awareness of the organisation and issue of educational disadvantage, with over 1 million people watching the series.

2016 •

The Australian Government reaffirms its support of Teach For Australia with another multi-cohort agreement.

•

Teach For Australia launches its Teach To Lead program, with its first cohort of Fellows.

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Teach For Australia is ranked 36 among the 2016 GradAustralia’s Top 100 Graduate Employers, the only non-profit on the list.

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Teach For Australia launches its Ambassador program with 29 Ambassadors from across the country.

2017

2018

2019

•

Teach For Australia turns ten.

•

Cohort 2019, Teach For Australia’s tenth and largest cohort to date, steps into the classroom for the first time.

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The Australian Government announces continued support for Teach For Australia, awarding the program funding through the new High Achieving Teachers Program.

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Teach For Australia partners with ACU to deliver a Master of Teaching (Secondary) (Professional Practice), in a fully integrated academic and employment based program marking a bold innovation in teacher training.

•

Teach For Australia launches its enhanced school Mentor Development Program, thanks to the generous support of the William Buckland Foundation.

•

For the first time, Teach For Australia places the majority of Associates (54%) in regional andStories remoteFrom schools.

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•

Language and lore

Learning “both ways” on Elcho Island

MEET ALEX PAYNE AND ISAAC JANSENS Both Cohort 2019, Leadership Development Program For the first time in 2019, Teach For Australia placed Associates on Elcho Island in North-East Arnhem Land. Northern Territory State Manager Amy Sharp took a trip to Elcho Island, visiting Cohort 2019 Associates Alex Payne and Isaac Jansens.

Located 550km north-east of Darwin and hugging the coast, Elcho Island is lapped by the waters of the Arafura Sea to the west and remote Cadell Strait to the east. One of the biggest Indigenous communities in North-East Arnhem Land, Galiwin’ku, is centred on the south-western tip of the island and has a population of more than 2200. That’s where you’ll find Shepherdson College. It’s also where you’ll find Cohort 2019 Associates Alex Payne and Isaac Jansens.

Multilingual Shepherdson College provides education for around 700 students from early years to senior years, and educational services to four Homeland Learning Centres.

The centres are located varying distances from Galiwin’ku with often seasonal accessibility, and delivering education to small groups of students unable to attend the central school because they live further away from the school.

Djambarrpuyngu and Gupapuyungu are the most commonly spoken Yol u Matha languages, however there are more than 22 different language dialects spoken in the community.

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96 per cent of Shepherdson’s students speak a language other than English, with many of the students speaking more than one language.

Alex teaches the senior boys English and Humanities.

“This is my Yol u language wall,” Alex says, showcasing a collection of notes stuck to his classroom wall. “These are some essential verbs for the classroom. We have mukthun, be quiet; galkun, wait; malthun, follow or go with; nama, to listen, and nhama, to look.”

The school is a “Learning on Country” school which aims to raise their children “both ways” – Yol u and Balanda (white people) focusing on traditional Rom (lore) to bring meaning to the national curriculum and English lessons.

The staff of around 36 has been boosted this year by the arrival of the two Teach for Australia Associates, who have moved to the island with their partners.

Teach for Australia’s Northern Territory State Manager Amy Sharp visited Elcho Island in March, getting a personal insight into Alex and Isaac’s lives.

IT’S FAIR TO SAY THAT THE BEAUTY OF ELCHO ISLAND, ITS PEOPLE AND THEIR RICH CULTURAL, ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL HERITAGE, HAS WELCOMED ALEX AND ISAAC ON THE FIRST YEAR OF THEIR REWARDING, ALBEIT CHALLENGING, TEACHING JOURNEYS. Alex, Isaac, and their respective partners, Andie Clements and Bridget Woods, live in neighbouring houses on what’s known as Teacher Street. Their properties back on to the school, making for a commute most city slickers can only dream of. The pair have all the comforts of home, including a Hills Hoise plonked in the middle of what Alex describes as a great Territory garden; lush, green and fragrant in the tropical heat.

“All the teachers live along here – hence the name – and we back onto the school meaning it’s an easy walk to work every day”, Alex said, showing Amy around his property, which includes a carport for the all-important 4WD vehicle that provides access to many of the island’s more remote spots.

However, not all areas of the island are accessible to non-Indigenous people due to cultural norms. Alex and Isaac point out that as Balanda – white people – there are parts of the island off-limits at certain times.

“One of the interesting things about being here on Galiwin’ku is me, being a Balanda – a white person, not quite knowing the cultural protocols of where I can go and where I can’t go,” Isaac says, showing Amy around a local billabong that Balanda are permitted to go.

“Welcome to the beautiful freshwater swimming hole at Mission Beach Galiwin’ku,” Isaac says with a wry smile standing next to the sign and gesturing towards the ocean.

“Down there, just covered by the high tide is a favourite spot for dogs to come and lap the fresh water at night time. And also a favourite spot for crocodiles to eat the dogs that lap the fresh water at night time. Hence the sign."

“Back home I could always go down to the beach, go surfing, go hiking, go bushwalking wherever I wanted to. Here there are so many beautiful places that you see in photos but knowing who you need to talk to and ask permission to go to which lands at which times of year is really an interesting challenge,” Isaac says, proving that the learning on Elcho Island isn’t limited to the schoolyard or the young people attending Shepherdson College.

At neighbouring Mission Beach though, the closest beach to home, the area is governed not by Indigenous cultural norms but by some decidedly unfriendly locals.

Crocs aside, it’s fair to say that the beauty of Elcho Island, its people and their rich cultural, environmental and social heritage, has welcomed Alex and Isaac on the first year of their rewarding, but challenging teaching journeys. Journeys that will prove to be truly an experience in learning “both ways”, especially for the djamarrakuli (children) as the community and Associates navigate the line between Yolngu and Balanda cultures in the years ahead.

Alex shows Amy the beachside swimming hole, located disconcertingly in front of a crocodile safety sign which reads “Djaga Bäruw – Be Croc Wise.’”

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Aforpassion words

ou can hear the passion in Erin Hortle’s voice when she talks about writing. As a soon-to-be-published first-time novelist, Erin balances her writing work with her role as a Cohort 2019 Associate who is placed at Rosny College, a senior secondary school overlooking the eastern shore of the Derwent River in Hobart.

MEET ERIN HORTLE Cohort 2019, Leadership Development Program Erin Hortle finished a PhD in Creative Writing late last year. Her novel, a self-described work of “Tasmanian ecofeminist literary fiction”, will be published next year. As she works on the final edits of her novel, she is also at the start of a whole new journey as a secondary school teacher in Hobart.

Erin’s path to publishing her first fiction novel, The Octopus and I, began around four years ago when she wrote a section of what would eventually grow into a fullyfledged book as part of her PhD through the University of Tasmania.

“It’s a novel about a breast cancer survivor who develops a really deep fascination with some octopuses at Eaglehawk Neck on the Tasman Peninsula. [The octopuses] try to crawl across an isthmus to get to the open ocean to breed,” Erin said.

“In a nutshell, I guess from a theoretical perspective, you could call it a work of ‘Tasmanian ecofeminist literary fiction’. It is deeply interested in humans and animals, and in the landscape and women’s bodies.”

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“I can talk to my students almost on a peer level, given that we’re all writers in the classroom. The students have responded really well to that sort of relationship and can see it is genuine and authentic.”

Erin finished her PhD early last year, and spent the remainder of the year working as a freelance writer, before diving headfirst into teaching as part of the Leadership Development Program.

“I just love writing so much. I’m so passionate about it and it’s something I feel constantly impelled to do. It’s how I make sense of things, but it’s [also] such a solitary and lonely thing to be doing,” Erin said, describing the process that saw her take to the classroom.

Erin found that the solitary life of a writer made it difficult for her to thrive. She found herself craving the interpersonal contact that you get from the workplace, and knew that if she wanted to work in any sort of interpersonal way, she wanted to work with words or around language, helping other people to find their passion and joy for words.

Hence teaching made sense to her.

“Teaching is really fulfilling that need and I’m absolutely loving it.

“My goal in the long run is to find a balance between teaching and writing that allows me to have both of those lives,” Erin said.

Erin is presently working on edits to her manuscript and Rosny College has been supportive of their newest recruit, allowing her to tack a week of unpaid leave onto her mid-year break to complete the book edits.

Editing a publication is fraught and Erin needs the downtime to focus on completing the complex work effectively.

“You have to hold the entire thing in your head all at once in order to make any small changes, because it has such a ripple effect.

Editing requires a particular kind of mental clarity that doesn’t sit that well alongside teaching and doing a Masters. It’s been kind of hard to keep all three going at once, especially at this final stage,” Erin said.

“It’s pretty full on at the moment. I feel like TFA life - the Associate life - is huge, and trying to rewrite a novel on top of it is a ridiculous undertaking. I got the edits back from the publisher in the last lot of school holidays, so I was able to spend a week working on them then, and I’ve had a couple of days across weekends working on it, but in the end I had to approach the school and say, ‘look can I take a week’s leave without pay?’ just so I can get the edits finished.”

Erin’s novel is due for publication next year.

Once the editing process is done and the manuscript is handed over, Erin will find the remainder of 2019 taken up with focusing more fully on school work, which includes teaching creative writing to Year 11 and 12 students. Erin has taken to heart key learnings on developing teaching personas and having genuine and authentic relationships with students on an interpersonal level, and that sits at the centre of her approach to teaching creative writing.

“When I’m teaching the students writing, I’m drawing on my own experience. I can talk about how the writing industry works and how I approach writing particular types of things. I can talk to my students almost on a peer level, given that we’re all writers in the classroom. The students have responded really well to that sort of relationship and can see it is genuine and authentic,” Erin said.

The rest of Erin’s time in the Leadership Development Program will involve a bit of juggling of her two lives – the writer, and the teacher – but it’s a concession that she firmly believes will bear fruit in the long term.

“For me teaching is just making so much sense in so many ways and I absolutely love it – but writing also makes sense to me, too.

When I can get to do them in balance it will be ideal,” Erin said.

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MAKING A DIFFERENCE AT THE TOP END IMPROVING INDIGENOUS STUDENTS’ ENGAGEMENT IN SCHOOL AND SCIENCE

As an Associate, Alisha King (Cohort 2015) taught in the Northern Territory, where she developed her passion for Indigenous Education, something she continues in her new role with the CSIRO.

MEET ALISHA KING Cohort 2015, Leadership Development Program Alisha completed a Bachelor of (Advanced) Science (Honours) majoring in Geography/ Geosciences at the University of Sydney in 2014. In 2015, Alisha joined Teach For Australia as an Associate, teaching Science and Humanities in Darwin. Last year, she joined the CSIRO as a Coordinator for the Inquiry for Indigenous Science Students, helping to develop resources and train teachers to deliver science inquiry lessons with a traditional knowledge focus.

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“Our objective is to develop resources and train teachers to deliver science inquiry lessons with a traditional knowledge focus.

The program develops teacher capacity and confidence to include Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people's perspectives.

Aboriginal people and Torres Strait Islander people are Australia’s first scientists. From intricate knowledge of ecosystems to more complex development of resources, the abundance of scientific research supports that the scientific process of inquiry was thriving in Australia long before European contact.”

“Teach For Australia harnessed my passion for science and uncovered my passion for education.”

Working with CSIRO is a natural fit for Alisha following the Leadership Development Program, as “they do a lot of evaluation, they have a heavy focus on data and impact, as does Teach For Australia. The program has data–backed results to show it improves engagement and achievement of Indigenous and Non-Indigenous students.”

In this role, Alisha believes she can have an impact across many schools and that she can assist in building respect and understanding for Australia’s First Peoples.

“I would say that my work for TFA at Nightcliff Middle School was what interested me in Indigenous education, my first class was 45 per cent Aboriginal and 5 per cent Torres Strait Island students. I learnt so much from those students and felt motivated to be a part of a program which worked towards better outcomes for those students, and all students.”

She is excited about the CSIRO program and the potential it has to improve Indigenous students’ engagement in school and in particular in science. The program seeks to build a pipeline of passionate students who are equipped to share their knowledge with others and take up the jobs of the future.

Alisha champions her time as an Associate teaching in Darwin. “I don’t think I’d be where I am today without Teach For Australia. The people I’ve met through the program are the most incredible, focused, dedicated people that I know,” she says. “Teach For Australia harnessed my passion for science and uncovered my passion for education.” Going through the program gave her exposure and understanding of some of the hard issues that education in Australia is facing. Alisha remains focused and passionate about continuing to understand more about educational disadvantage and seeks to work in fields that continue the work started at Teach for Australia.

REDEFINING STUDENT

Success VALUING THE PATHWAYS OF STUDENTS’ CHOOSING

I started teaching in 2009, when I had a big career change – I used to be a publicity manager at a record company. I’m currently in a Deputy Principal position but I have this really long job title – Manager Learning Design Innovation – which essentially means that I look after all current staff professional learning, beginning teachers, the technology pedagogy, senior students, among other responsibilities.

MEET EMMA LINDSAY Cohort 2017, Teach To Lead Emma Lindsay is Deputy Principal at Sarah Redfern High School. She was a Cohort 2017 Fellow of Teach For Australia’s Teach To Lead program, a professional development program for teachers with formal leadership roles in schools serving low socio-economic communities.

If you can impact the way these students raise their own children; be a good person and give back, then that’s the only way that we can break cycles.

When I came into teaching, I knew that I wanted to work in a hard-to-staff school, in a disadvantaged area. That was one of the things that really appealed to me about Teach To Lead: it’s a leadership program focused on developing leadership within those that were most committed to working with our most needy communities.

Through my Impact Initiative (a Teach To Lead component in which each participant designs and implements a long-term project with the aim of raising student achievement) I looked to redefine what success is in terms of post-school pathways through strengthening the perception and calibre of our transition stream, which is focused on employment and training post high school.

For our school, this meant valuing success outside of attending university. A lot of teachers only really value those statistics, so internally we had a lot of marketing around the school and constantly sharing success stories of students who have transitioned into apprenticeships or traineeships, and sharing stories of those students five years down the track.

I believe in empowering staff and students because that shared vision will not translate to successful outcomes to the kids if it’s a one-person show.

Principals and senior leadership/ management definitely need to be at the chalkface with their colleagues – they have to lead by example. You can’t just delegate everything, you need to be able to live and breathe it and generally talk about it and form the relationships with the staff and the kids so that they build trust at all levels.

This is my tenth year at Sarah Redfern and I feel so connected to the kids and community.

I’m at the point where in ten years I would love to be the principal of my own school but it would definitely have to be in a low SES area. I would love to go regional in New South Wales.

It’s the stories in low SES communities that really draw me in. You can actually see the impact. It’s so exciting when you bump into former students with their families and they’re telling you about what they doing for work. With the Impact Initiative that I worked on, it spoke to my heart because we are talking about life beyond school – teachers get so obsessed with the 13 years that students spend in our institution – but life is so much more than the bricks and mortar. If you can impact the way these students raise their own children; be a good person and give back, then that’s the only way that we can break cycles.

How could you work anywhere else?

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Helm

TAKING THE Why did you apply for the Leadership Development Program?

Why choose Teach For Australia instead of another pathway into teaching?

Throughout my university course I spent a lot of time volunteering with an organisation that tutors primary school students in rural and regional areas called Teach Learn Grow, which, incidentally, I have recently started working for. During trips to regional schools I began to see how huge of an issue educational disparity is in this country.

Once I had decided on teaching, I couldn’t wait to get straight into the classroom and TFA gave me the opportunity to do that.

Learning on the job also really appealed me – I learnt so much from being in the classroom every day and the support from my school and my mentors and TLA allowed me to consistently reflect on and improve my practice. The key to high quality teaching is about establishing positive relationships with students and that’s not something you can learn at university. Textbooks cannot teach you how to engage with your students and their parents, it’s something you learn on the job and from being part of their community.

What were you doing before you joined the program? Why did you change careers?

IN CONVERSATION WITH BRIDGET STAUDE Cohort 2016, Leadership Development Program Bridget was recently appointed as Chief Executive Officer of WA-based not-forprofit Teach Learn Grow, which provides mentoring and tutoring services to students in regional and remote areas. Bridget spent her Leadership Development Program placement at John Paul College, in Kalgoorlie in rural Western Australia, where she taught humanities and social sciences.

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Prior to the program I had finished my undergraduate degree in Politics and International Relations and spent some time travelling and working overseas. I was considering careers in international development or law. However, throughout my university course I had spent a lot of time volunteering with Teach Learn Grow. I've always been interested in social justice, and I wanted to make a difference.

The vision of Teach for Australia is that all children, regardless of background, attain an excellent education, and this really struck me as something I wanted to be involved in.

If you could give the younger you at the very beginning of the program some advice, what would you tell her?

I would tell her not to worry about the small stuff! Just focus on building the relationships with the kids, and the rest will come. It’s easy to get caught up in syllabuses and assessments but at the end of the day, teaching comes down to building a connection with another person, so that should always be the main aim.

What are the most valuable skills you developed during the program? How have you applied them to your career?

I learnt so much through the program, about myself, my students and the education system overall. The program really helped me develop as a leader and gave me the skills required for effective leadership. I learnt effective communication, problem solving, conflict resolution and developed my confidence and resilience.

Having been recently appointed as CEO of Teach Learn Grow, the non-profit organisation I previously volunteered for, I know these skills are incredibly important and I am so glad I can apply what I have learnt to a new challenge and continue to work towards improving educational outcomes for rural and remote students.

What was the most challenging aspect of the program for you? What was the most rewarding?

It’s an incredibly tough job, I worked long hours and I believe that Australia has a long way to go in recognising the work teachers do. I’ve already seen so many great teachers leave the profession due to burnout.

Often people don’t understand how relentless the workload can be – we don’t just teach and assess students, we also need to be there to counsel students, resolve conflicts, monitor student wellbeing all while trying to be a good role model. That’s a huge responsibility. A high school teacher can easily teach well over 150 students a week so it can be very overwhelming.

You had to relocate to participate in the program. What did you enjoy most about that experience?

I had always lived in the city, so I was of course nervous about moving to a small town. I enjoyed it so much more than I could have imagined. I don’t think I ever understood what it means to be part of a community until I moved. There are always people looking out for you and ready to help when needed, the town was very welcoming.

While I am now based in Perth, Teach Learn Grow provides free tutoring and mentoring for rural and remote students in WA and NSW. My experience teaching in Kalgoorlie taught me how much work needs to be done to close the gap in education between rural and metro students and I’m dedicated to ensuring we provide opportunities to help these students achieve their full potential.

You’ve recently been appointed as CEO of Teach Learn Grow. What about the future? Where do you see yourself in ten years?

I see myself continuing to work in education, but whether that is in a school or another setting I’m not sure. I want to work wherever I can see myself having the most impact. There are a lot of problems with the education system in this country that I would like to help address. I strongly believe all Australian students deserve access to high quality education and will continue to focus on trying to make that a reality within my lifetime.

“The key to high quality teaching is about establishing positive relationships with students and that’s not something you can learn at university.”

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TEACHING FOR STEM SUCCESS

EXPLORING HOW TO BETTER TEACH SCIENCE SUBJECTS

What have you been up to since finishing the Leadership Development Program?

MEET CHLOE NELSON Cohort 2014, Leadership Development Program Chloe Nelson was a member of the 2014 Cohort and taught at The Grange P-12 School in the south-western suburbs of Melbourne.

She has a particular interest in how science is taught and is undertaking a PhD exploring improvements in STEM teaching through the University of Melbourne. She also started a data consulting business called Auslytics in 2018.

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I made the decision to stay at my placement school, the Grange P-12 College. In my third year, after graduating from the program, I was the Head of Science. Unfortunately I had to leave this position due to personal reasons part way through the year but luckily I was able to finish my Masters of Teaching from the University of Melbourne. Part of my Masters degree looked at how science was taught in a science museum and I had the opportunity to focus specifically on Scienceworks (part of Museums Victoria). This research allowed me to explore whether museums convey the nature and philosophy of science, or whether they simply focus on the facts. This sparked my interest in looking at the type of professional development opportunities we offer teachers and I came to the conclusion that I wanted to start my PhD to further explore this area.

I found my way back into a classroom at a new school that opened up in Mernda, in Melbourne’s northern suburbs, with the hopes that I would be able to ground the research for my PhD from my experiences in school. Since the school was brand new, I was able to help build the foundations which was a really cool experience. Once I was appointed to the position of STEM Coordinator I had the opportunity to trial a Scientist-In-Residence program which was great.

My students weren’t aware that I was a teacher and I was presented to them as a scientist and my research for my PhD was all on track… until I got pregnant (laughs).

So what happened after you found out about the new addition to your family?

I ended up going on maternity leave but six months after I had my daughter I enrolled in my PhD course. I am really lucky because I have a very supportive partner and a oneyear-old that sleeps well (so far!). There are so many aspects about education that interest me but I’ve realised that I can’t fit it all in so I decided that I had to complete my PhD and learn more about how we can improve STEM teaching.

Why do you think professional development is an important issue to focus on?

As an Associate completing the Leadership Development Program, we had access to the latest research and teaching pedagogy.

But how do we train teachers who are already working? I’ve been to professional development sessions where we sit in a room and a facilitator talks at us for a few hours before everyone leaves. Teaching adults shares many similar characteristics to teaching students. There are many teaching techniques that aren’t used in professional development settings.

AS AN ASSOCIATE COMPLETING THE LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM, WE HAD ACCESS TO THE LATEST RESEARCH AND TEACHING PEDAGOGY.BUT HOW DO WE TRAIN TEACHERS WHO ARE ALREADY WORKING?

Your work is strongly data-driven.

What’s the importance of that?

During my time as an Associate, I recall Teach For Australia always asked two questions: 1. What is your impact, and 2.

How are you measuring this? By the time I was given a VCE class I was looking for a tool or system that could help me track what specific areas had improved and what students needed more assistance with.

I was teaching Year 12 at the time I setup the Auslytics system to break down patterns and better understand my students’ learning. I needed to develop my programing skills a lot in setting up the Auslytics system. The idea was that I could analyse results in a lot more detail, target

the needs of the student, celebrate their growth, and particularly for students that didn’t appear to be growing, I could find something that they had improved on and celebrate that achievement with them.

I piloted the program with my own students before rolling it out with the rest of my team of 20 teachers and used it at end of semester exams.

What are some challenges you’ve faced?

In 2018 I started running Auslytics as a business, creating data analysis programs and providing consultation services to clients. The business has been going well although I can’t say I’d recommend starting a business, doing a PhD and having a baby at the same time! I knew it would be a busy job but I don’t think I appreciated how many individual parts there are to setting up your own business. The logistics were particularly challenging. It’s easy to underestimate how long everything takes, particularly designing rubrics to track students’ growth.

The business plan from the beginning has been to start small, and to build solid relationships through spending effective time at conferences. For instance, I remember being amazed by the guys who started Maths Pathway and the opportunities to connect with other people and find out more about what they’ve done are so important.

TFA has instilled in me a desire to give back.

I don’t think I would be in this position if it weren’t for TFA. I was interested in education but TFA gave me the push I needed, and the leadership skills developed alongside the university course meant I was in a position to take on a leadership position in my second year.

Educational inequity is such a huge problem and sometimes it is overwhelming but I thought about what I could focus on.

I asked myself what skills I have that can make a difference.

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Empowering

YOUNG CHANGEMAKERS Using classroom experience to help students make an impact

What have you been up to since finishing the Leadership Development Program?

MEET LAURA NEWMAN Cohort 2013, Leadership Development Program Laura Newman was a member of the 2013 Cohort, teaching at Point Cook Secondary School in Melbourne’s south-west for six years. Student engagement has been a focus of Laura’s career and she continues to empower young people through her role as Schools Program Coordinator at Oxfam.

I continued to teach at my placement school, Point Cook Senior Secondary College, for another four years after finishing the LDP. I was given the position of Student Engagement Coordinator after completing the program and I was responsible for the media department at my school. I made the decision to stay at my school because I wanted to continue building my skills as a teacher and educator.

I really enjoyed my role as a Student Engagement Coordinator because I was able to help build leadership and agency amongst the student leaders at my school.

My goal was to explore how teenagers within my school could have more input into the way the school operated. I was so proud of all the kids I worked with and it was great to see their confidence and abilities grow throughout the years.

Tell us about your role at Oxfam.

I am currently responsible for managing and coordinating the schools program at Oxfam.

I was invited to apply for the role, from people in my networks.

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Oxfam was looking for someone who had experience working in a school and with young people and had an understanding of curriculum and it turned out that my skills were well suited to the job. I feel like I am able to explore a huge range of issues with students from all over the nation in my role, from tackling global poverty to climate change and really dive into how these young people can act on that learning. (I’m actually on my way to the School Strike 4 Climate march in Melbourne today!)

What motivated you to join Teach For Australia in the first place?

I was working as a copywriter before joining TFA while also volunteering for a program known as the Sudanese Australian Integrated Learning Program (SAIL). It's a not-for-profit organisation that provides free tutoring and educational support to the Sudanese Australian community.

This opportunity gave me a personal and practical understanding of what educational inequity looks like up close. I came to the realisation that I loved working with young people and teenagers. I moved into the role of Campus Coordinator at SAIL and worked with my friend Jerome Holleman (Cohort 2013) and we both made the decision to apply for the Leadership Development Program.

“I was proud to have built a structure that empowered them and gave them the tools to use their voice.”

What have you learned about educational inequity since joining Teach For Australia?

Since I started the program, I have gained a better understanding of the structural and systemic barriers that face schools, students and the teaching profession.

The research conducted by the Australian Education Union shows that the workload of teachers is unsustainable. Though, after six years of working in the system, I still see many opportunities and I have a deep appreciation for schools, the teachers that work there and the kids.

My interest in addressing educational disadvantage hasn’t changed at all from the time I applied to the program but my level of understanding of what changes need to be made and how I can amplify this has definitely shifted.

What are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced?

During the first two years of the program I was quite unwell. I am someone who is focused on details and has a strong desire to do well at every task I am assigned. I was overworked and became really anxious which was difficult for me to deal with.

However, I don’t believe that this feeling is isolated to Associates completing the LDP. I think it is a systemic problem that faces teachers across the board and there is so much evidence around burn out, especially for young teachers. I’ve needed to learn how to look after myself because it is essential if you want to stay in this sector.

What is one experience that has inspired you during your work in the education sector?

There are so many experiences that I can think of! I remember watching a group of school captains at my school last year having some difficult but constructive conversations with the Principal about what they needed. They were strong and persistent and I was proud to have built a structure that empowered them and gave them the tools to use their voice. The school captain that I was referring to is now undertaking the United Nations Youth Ambassadors Program and she will also be attending the School Strike 4 Climate march today. I have no doubt that she will continue to achieve incredible things.

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