Looking back on my career as an educator, both in my decade in the classroom, and my five years as a TFA Teaching and Leadership coach, I have come to the conclusion that teaching is joyous.
I can hear you asking, in this time of teacher shortages and media attention about the hardships of the profession, how is teaching joyous?
For me, working with young people on the cusp of adulthood has been wonderfully rewarding. It is a profound privilege to assist students to reach the heights of their potential.
These relationships with students are the fuel to the fight and the antidote to the stress of the work. This relationship is one of great privilege, and quality teachers are great conversationalists.
I thank my own teachers that engaged me in conversations about books, and history and theatre. And, I thank the students who have engaged me in conversations about politics, the environment and justice.
Because this is what teaching is: a conversation. A dialogue between students and teacher. This conversation sometimes rockets back and forth in a tangible exchange of knowledge and skill, and at other times it becomes slow and hard to grasp – both for the teacher and the student.
But it is still always an honour to be a part of this exchange.
Fifteen years ago, I was an idealistic and very enthusiastic 23-year-old, straight out of university and desperate to teach. I became a Teach For Australia Associate alongside others: some who were similar in age and experience, and others who were double my age and double my experience.
Ultimately, becoming an Associate at a school in St Albans was foundational to the teacher I am.
Forging my craft in the fire of some challenging classrooms accelerated my development and solidified my dedication to working not just in disadvantaged settings, but against disadvantage itself.
Being part of Teach for Australia provided me with a tenacity for equity and skilled me with the language of educational advocacy. Fifteen years later, my optimism has remained steadfast: a system of schooling that holds all students fairly is possible.
But we have a way to go.
There are cracks in our system through which some of our most vulnerable young people are slipping.
These cracks need to be soldered shut, stitched and boarded. This is why Teach For Australia’s mission has always been to create a community of leaders that work and advocate across all jurisdictions.
Teach for Australia has had remarkable success in keeping teachers engaged in the system.
85% of our Alumni are making their mark in the education sector; 70% are teaching or leading in schools, and 30% hold school leadership roles including principals, assistant principals and leading teachers.
And, for the first time this year – thanks to generous support of Jane Hansen and Paul Little Foundation – we have launched the Jane Hansen TFA Alumni Awards to acknowledge and support Alumni for their leadership in all aspects of equity for education.
These Alumni are just a glimpse of the talent in the educational ecosystem.
Fifteen years of Teach For Australia teachers collectively believing in the possibility of a system of education that assists all students to thrive.
That’s a very joyous thought.