Peter Coceani
- Age: 29
- Address: Brighton
- Work: Science / Maths Teacher
- From: Victoria, Australia
How long have you been at your school?
Only 2 weeks yet the time has gone so quickly!
Why did you decide to teach in the UK?
I knew that I wanted to teach at a range of schools to gain more experience before I got into a comfort zone and did not want to leave a school. I really enjoyed teaching at Colac High School, but after 3 years wanted a change. I had thought about teaching in the UK since completing my Diploma of Education and then decided to pursue this option. I found TimePlan’s website and asked for information to be sent out. The ball started rolling from there.
Are you having the kind of teaching experience you expected?
I was looking for any sort of experience in a rural setting. I asked not to be placed in London and got a fabulous country school. Having only taught at one school in Australia, I guess I was looking to challenge myself, to see if my classroom management and teaching styles worked with a different group of kids in another country. So far, so good.
How was your transfer to the UK?
My transfer to the UK was very easy. Living in the USA for a couple of years meant I had been through a visa process before, and completed a lot of similar paper work that TimePlan needed completed, but it was easy.
I was stoked that the flight from Malaysia to London was empty so I had three seats to stretch out on! It would have been a very long flight otherwise.
What are you enjoying the most?
I am enjoying the adventure. I still go to work as a teacher everyday but I am working on the other side of the world. The history is also amazing. I am very close to Salisbury, it is an amazing town. So is the Dorset coast, I spent last weekend down there. The landscape was very windblown and bare of vegetation but it is a nice change from the Aussie coast.
Top Tip for the move over?
1. Don't believe that all English schools and English children are difficult to teach. The school I am at is fabulous. The vast majority of kids really want to learn.
2. If you are planning on working at a school in a rural setting, buy a car. I found a great little Peugeot for 600 pounds within 10 days of arriving. Although the insurance was a little expensive, it has already given me great freedom to explore the country.