Secondary School,
South Australia
Meet Danielle, a teacher from South Australia with 24 years of teaching experience. Learn about what inspired Danielle to get into teaching, her stand out teaching moment and advice she gives to anyone considering a career in teaching.
What inspired you to get into teaching?
At the heart was a desire to help others and be of service. I also love novelty and challenge, and one of the appeals of teaching was that the evolving nature of schools and education meant no day or year would ever be the same. My mum calls me a ‘Learnoholic’, I am a curious soul and the idea of working in the field of education, and constantly learning alongside and from my wonderful colleagues and students was another significant draw card to the profession. This ‘Learnoholic’ gets to learn every day as part of her job!
Why do you teach?
I know it sounds a little cliché but it is the students. They bring me tremendous joy and energy; they really do keep me young. My students gift me with a true sense of purpose and belonging, they often make me laugh, touch my heart, challenge, surprise and teach me so many things about life, education and humanity. I have always felt a strong calling to this noble profession and it is a deep privilege and honor to be trusted in my role as a teacher and to play a pivotal role in shaping the lives of young people. It is also where I have been blessed to have met some of the most hard-working, kind, generous and gracious colleagues and friends, some of who I am lucky enough to call my favourite people on the planet!
What’s your stand out/most memorable teaching moment?
There are so many it is hard to pinpoint one stand out moment, it is all the little daily wins, alongside the more significant ones. I think something that really hits home is when I bump into a student I taught as an adult who remembers me and the impact I had. Recently, I bumped into a barman, who said, “I know this is weird, but you taught me in Year 6, I would never forget you, you were one of my favourite teachers, I loved being in your class!”, another who I bumped into at a set of traffic lights who before smiling and walking off said, “I am studying to be a teacher because of you!” or an international student from Korea who in his 20s reached out to me, simply to tell me that I gave him, “great confidence and better eyes to see the world and my days were full of interesting activities and fun thanks to you.” How incredibly humbling!
What is your advice for new teachers or people considering a career in teaching?
If you have a love of learning, drive to be of service to others, and enjoy variety, collaborating with caring and talented educators and building connections with young people, do it! Whilst there are challenges, I could not think of a more rewarding career. I am honestly proud to tell people that I am teacher, it is a significant part of my identity and I couldn’t imagine doing anything else!
