Photography

Many years ago, I was really into photography and I produced a whole range of photographic cards. It was certainly a different life for a few years. I used a humble digital camera, the quality of which is now outstripped by incredible phone cameras. I sold hundreds of these cards on my market stall to tourists from all over the world. Recently, a digital printing service reminded me that my uploads are still stored on their servers (and that I needed to place an order in order to retain them!). I had quite forgotten about this company as I have not ordered any photographic prints for years. It was a walk down memory lane to peruse countless photos that I have on back-up drives, but which are easier to access online if need be. So I placed an order. Perhaps I will make these prints into Christmas cards or similar. - Mel

Practise empathy...

Recently, I revisited the novel 'To Kill a Mockingbird' so I could assist a Year 9 tutoring student. I had dipped into it to help students at school but I hadn't read it in its entirety since I was 15 years old. The language is so powerful, the lessons shared are indelible. I still believe it is a substantial literary text although some schools are no longer choosing to study it. Atticus Finch's words continue to ring true across all social, economic and historical contexts: "You never really understand a person until you consider things from [their] point of view - until you climb into [their] skin and walk around in it." - Mel

MD Home Tutoring

It seems like an age ago, but I used to run a small craft business. I had a break from teaching to expand my creative side (quelled in childhood, it had been waiting to emerge for decades). Photography, digital imaging and graphic design were everyday tasks as I interacted with members of the public in every state and territory via my two online stores. I still like to explore my creative side when I make resources, write lesson plans or design worksheets. Recently, I spent some time improving my online presence for MD Home Tutoring. Love a customised word cloud! - Mel

Clarity through Writing

More and more, students are asking me: "Why do I have to learn how to write a paragraph? Generative AI can do it for me." As an educator, I am always thinking about how I will reply to these and other similar questions. I often find that students are merely seeking some confirmation that I know why I am asking them to do certain tasks. Is it appropriate for a student to question a teacher's intentions? Perhaps not - as a student myself, I simply trusted the process. But we are living in a rapidly changing educational context, and I find I always need to be ready with a clearly stated response, such as, "Because in daily life, you need to be able to THINK. Paragraph writing is a reflection of your organised thoughts. I want to see that your thinking skills are developing." Students normally reply with a "fair enough" or "makes sense." It's up to us as educators to always be a step ahead, to be conscious of the tasks we're setting and to expect authentic engagement through creative instructional design. - Mel

Maths Tuition

Although I am a specialist teacher of the English language, Maths was actually my best subject in high school! Lately, I have gained so many students who need tuition in Maths. Oftentimes, they don't see the point of this subject and part of my role is to convince them that it is vital for the development of financial understandings, logical thinking, attention to detail and problem solving strategies (just to name a few!). - Mel

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, teachings and interactions. Each one of us has so much to share, but sometimes the opportunity to do so is lacking. 

I've spent a lot of time in my life trying to impress the wrong people. But several years ago, I started to recognise my worth. All those public holidays spent reading to become the best teacher I could be; the many all-nighters spent planning an effective sequence of lessons that never got taught due to curriculum interruptions; the intricate feedback comments that were barely read by students. Ultimately, however, all of this time and effort hasn't amounted to nothing. The product is a teacher who thinks critically and who has something of worth to share with her students. I have been very fortunate to receive fantastic feedback in recent years from parents whose children I tutor. My teaching is being witnessed in their homes, its merits evaluated. In schools, limits are set on what teachers are able to teach, but outside of that context, the sky is the limit. - Mel