Teacher Profiles - Australia
Carly Cunningham
- Age: 22
- Address: London
- Work: Primary Teacher, Roding Primary School, Essex.
- From: Victoria / Australia
How long have you been at your school?
I have been at my school for almost three weeks now and am finding it both challenging and rewarding! The school system is quite different in a number of ways, but once you get into the routine, it becomes much easier!
Why did you decide to teach in the UK?
I decided to teach in the UK as I wanted to travel around Europe and found it was a perfect way to combine my teaching and travelling. By working during the school term and travelling on weekends and holidays, I am able to gain experience teaching in a different country and see a different part of the world.
Are you having the kind of teaching experience you expected?
When I arrived I was looking at doing Supply teaching as I wanted the freedom to travel whenever I wanted to. However, after two days filling in at a school, they offered me work for a month covering a lady on maternity leave. I have found this to be a great experience as I have started to bond with the students and it has been nice knowing where I am going, rather than waiting for a phone call each day. It has also allowed me to make a smoother transition into the UK education system.
How was your transfer to the UK?
My transfer to the UK was pretty easy. I was picked up from the airport by a taxi company TimePlan uses and they dropped me at my door. While I found it a bit hard living by myself in a new country for the first week (housemates hadn't arrived yet), I am now really enjoying it and finding it easy to work out this new life.
What are you enjoying the most?
I am enjoying the new friends I have made. We have already planned a couple of trips together and I can't wait to get over to Europe and start exploring. We have been out every weekend taking in all London has to offer and it has been amazing!
Top Tip for the move over?
Don't give up the first week when all you want to do is head back home to familiar territory! While the first week can be really hard and emotional, remember you are jet-lagged and doing everything at the opposite time to Australia (night is day), and it takes a few days to adjust. Get out there and start exploring as soon as you can and you will LOVE it!
Kate Young
- Age: 26
- Address: Brighton
- Qualifications: B. of Primary Ed & B. of Music
- Work: Supply/long-term, primary/secondary and contracts like maternity cover
- From: Queensland, Australia
- School: Variety of schools in the Sussex area
- Position: Primary teacher, Music Teacher, Jrn. High School
Why did you decide to teach in the UK?
Experience under a different educational system with a different curriculum and school functions, working with teachers who have undergone different training than that of my own and gaining quality experience and knowledge from experienced educators.
Traveling round Europe- I feel having vast worldly experiences and knowledge valuable to my own understanding of the world and place in it, living life to it's potential with knowledge and wisdom gained from experiencing many diff cultures and ways of life. This reflects in my teaching, the way I conduct myself and interact with peers and students and the way I convey information and teaching methods.
What kind of experience were you looking for and are you getting it?
Diverse and challenging! Working in a range of different schools (from the very disciplined to the VERY rough!), developing sound behavior management skills for both and for the different ages across the key stages. Developing a thorough understanding of the UK curriculum and being able to mix-and-match it's best aspects with Australia's.
How was your transfer to the UK?
Such a valuable experience I wish to teach in other countries round the world. Quite smooth, I have made life-long friendships which have sustained me and helped my personal growth.
What are you enjoying most?
The confidence that grows in my ability, through challenging and varying experiences. The knowledge which is built upon through these experiences to make a well-rounded, skilled teacher.
Top Tip?
Travel as much as you can and talk to as many different people and draw knowledge and ideas out of them. Keep an open mind, do not take things personally, try to explore as many ways of doing things as possible, always remain positive, be flexible, do not loose your temper and NEVER LET THE CHILDREN KNOW IF THEY'VE GOT TO YOU!!!
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?
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.