Primary School,
Tasmania
Meet Megan, a primary school teacher from Tasmania with 13 years of teaching experience. Learn about what inspired Megan 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?
Being one of five children growing up, I would often play “schools” with my siblings to entertain ourselves during the school holidays. There were also several teachers who really showed me what it meant to be a teacher – and ultimately inspired me to get into teaching. These teachers took the time to get to know me and I felt seen and understood. The constant challenge of being a teacher was also appealing to me – from the aesthetics and environmental set up of the classroom, building relationships and trust with students, to the ongoing approach to professional learning and self-improvement.
Why do you teach?
I teach because it gives me the opportunity to get to know people better and gives me the chance to make a positive impact on their lives. Whether it’s the cute Christmas crafts the students bring out each year, remembering the actions to a song that we learnt, or understanding what it means to be kind, my impact on my students appears in different ways. I teach to learn, too. I want to learn more about how best to engage and teach our students using evidence-based approaches in this ever-changing world, but I also want to learn about myself, what I find challenging as a teacher and how to overcome these moments.
What’s your stand out/most memorable teaching moment?
Each time I have the opportunity to reflect on my students’ achievements – whether that be through learning conferences with families, end of year written reports or an informal after-school meeting – the ability to convey to students and their families the progress they are making, as well as the areas we need to focus on and what that looks like – these are my most memorable teaching moments.
What is your advice for new teachers or people considering a career in teaching?
Teach because you want to teach. Not for the holidays or the Insta-worthy classroom aesthetic. Our students deserve teachers who want to be in the classroom with them, who want to be teaching them, learning alongside them, problem-solving and working through the tough times with them. Most importantly, you must build the relationships. You cannot underestimate the importance of building relationships within a school environment – with students, their families, and with your colleagues. Like our students, we are always learning and growing as professionals, but as people too.
