I do not fear being alone...

Recognising your significance...

Sometimes it can be difficult to see any significance in what you do. You work hard, try your best, give it your all. You try to better yourself, learn more, give more. You do it to share your skills, your understandings, your life lessons. Sometimes, however, your reach seems so limited and your efforts worthless. At this point, it becomes harder to see your purpose in this world. I'll always remember a priest who spoke at a Sydney youth festival: "A lot goes into a person." It made me reconsider what my parents wanted for me and some of the conscious choices they made.

Each one of us is unique, the product of a myriad of experiences and teachings and interactions. Each one of us has so much to share, but sometimes the opportunity to do so is lacking. I've worked hard in my life to learn new things, improve my knowledge, be the best teacher I can be. But, I have learnt that I can't please everyone in the way they might want. If they want a 'yes-man', then I'm definitely not who they're after. If they want someone who is happy with being undervalued and disrespected, I won't ultimately work out for them either.

I've spent a lot of time in my life trying to impress the wrong people. Only now have I come to recognise my worth. All those public holidays spent studying. The many all-nighters spent planning the perfect sequence of lessons as an RFF teacher. The intricate feedback comments that were barely read by students and parents. The hours of preparation put into planning lessons or tutoring sessions.

This time and effort has amounted to something. The product is a teacher who thinks critically, who has something of worth to share with her students. A person who has never been motivated by the pay cheque is a person who will ultimately shine as an educator. I have been very fortunate to receive fantastic feedback in recent years from parents whose children I tutor. For the first time my teaching is being witnessed in their homes, its merits evaluated. In schools, limits are set on what I am able to contribute, but outside of that context, the sky is the limit...

Dream a little dream...

Seconds after taking this photo, the butterfly dropped away from its chrysalis

and started to flap its wings. It was such a wonderful sight to see...

Photo taken at Hortus Botanicus, Amsterdam

"Dream with me, escape with me, fly with me, imagine you are everything you've ever wanted to be. Dream, dream, dream..."

This is an excerpt from a song I remember vividly from a Shopfront Theatre musical I was in as a child. The world can be a harsh judge and it can laugh in the face of 'silly' dreams. It saddens me that people in our culture judge a person's worthiness by their occupation. Even as a school teacher, and an extremely dedicated one at that, people often ridicule the profession. When I had a break from it for five years, I lived my dream to be creatively employed each and every day, However, it was crazy to witness just how many people criticise teachers. The biggest shock was the appreciation I received from customers such as brides, grooms, parents and makers for my commercial creations. Why aren't words of wisdom and innovative teaching strategies as highly prized by the average citizen? Truly bizarre society we live in...

Nevertheless, I still love teaching and I can remember many wonderful interactions I've had with students. I fondly remember a casual teaching day I once did at Caringbah Public School in 1998. This wonderful little Year 1 class just loved their day so much. Out of their own accord, during lunchtime I presume, a number of them got together and wrote little notes for me, which they presented at the end of the school day. I was just one random teacher in the scheme of many they must've met, yet their display of kindness for my efforts to give them a unique day whilst their regular teacher was sick just astounded me. I still have those notes...

Since going part-time as a teacher and starting my own home-tutoring business, I must say that my life has been calmer. I have been able to focus on what really matters in life: savouring special interactions with people, being positive in the face of difficulties, and being an encouraging presence...

Significantly, I have had more time to look around me and appreciate just how lucky I am despite not leading the perfect life, materially, that some Aussies strive for and despite my lack of worldly success, so-to-speak. Because life is not measured by our external representations, but by who we really are as people. I encourage you to appreciate the beauty of life, rather than gripe about the dreams that you haven't yet been fulfilled. I know that this change in mindset has completely changed my outlook on life, and definitely for the better :)
 

Benefits of Home Tutoring

What are the benefits of MD Home Tutoring?

• Face-to-face teaching in a familiar setting where distractions are limited;

• The opportunity for me to quickly identify gaps in learning and personalise activities to promote engagement;

• Constant interaction, clear explanations and visual demonstrations that are not always possible in other educational settings.

Please get in touch to initiate an exciting educational journey for your child/ren.

Persuasion (2022)

I’ve read the novel and seen all the films. I love, love, love Austen but I’m not a purist - coexistence of all texts is possible in my mind. Overall, I enjoyed the 2022 Netflix production of Persuasion. While it's more of an 'free adaptation' rather than a 'commentary' or 'transposition', it is a decidedly refreshing interpretation of the original text.

Implausible Parts

1. It seems unlikely that the Anne in this film could have been persuaded into doing anything against her will (she was 19 and Wentworth had no notability, so perhaps she was influenced).

2. Anne Elliot would have never pointed out that she was Charles Musgrave’s first choice for a wife.
3. Anne’s octopus story upon meeting Lady Dalrymple was quite simply bizarre.

Funny Moments

1. Allusions to 'Bridget Jones's Diary'
2. Anne’s sassy internal monologues 
3. Anne’s attempt to do a ‘bush wee’ (crude but relatable)

Unusual or Perplexing Elements

1.  Breaking of the 4th wall (once is nice; numerous is unnerving)
2. Rabbit motif (featured with Anne in several scenes)
3. Anne seeking a long, tight hug from her nephew to feel some affection (I’ve never been keen on adults soliciting such hugs from children in this manner.)
4. Wentworth is played as too stiff and formal, which clashes with Anne’s more relaxed persona.

Strengths

1. Shows the lovers’ past relationship at the start of the film, providing an insight into their bond
2. Gorgeous cinematography
3. Clever score and non-diegetic sound choices
4. First person point of view (Anne’s)
5. Louisa Musgrave's defence of Anne’s character (despite her own interest in Frederick Wentworth)

“Nobody tells you when you are young that life keeps going. It keeps going whether you approve of the progression or not. Eventually you find yourself wondering, ‘How did I end up here?’” (Anne Elliot)

Great artwork...

I love this artwork by artist Natalie Perkins. None of us want to be ignored but I'll admit that sometimes I appreciate it. I seem to be the type of person who needs a lot of space, so when faced with the prospect of being ignored, it's not something I'll get all forlorn about. Being ignored certainly makes you question your own significance. To me, it's a humbling experience and helps me maintain a realistic view of self. When I have really cared about people and projects - I mean passionately cared - with limited positive response or feedback, I used to keep beating that dead horse in an effort to gain respect or approval. I've since learned that life's too short to care deeply about those who don't notice it in the slightest. I'm learning to care more about those who, perhaps, I've ignored, and those who truly care about me...