What is happiness?

When we were young, most of us had dreams (most if us still do). I always had simple, fairly realistic dreams. Most of my dreams were based on feeling freedom, happiness and escaping the anguish of my home life. Since many of these dreams were achieved when I left home, I possibly stopped dreaming - it doesn't really take much for me to feel happy. I think too many of us agonise about holding onto this precious life on earth, wanting to experience every kind of perfection that the world has to offer. There is nothing wrong with this but it can be a trap. I think a person's reality is very much defined by what they think about and do on a daily basis. Too many of us are obsessed with a self-pleasing reality. I believe in living in the moment and being conscious of my contribution and interactions. I am not overly into seeking some kind of ultimate goal as I find that small personal challenges just pop up every day. It's not healthy to put all of one's eggs in the same basket - there's just too much that is out of our control in this world. I think that people in Australia sometimes don’t realise just how fortunate their lives already are. The things that they nitpick about beggar belief. Life is too short to bemoan its shortcomings; instead, I view it as an opportunity to constantly grow and evolve. - Mel

A rare leader in education...

 

Every now and again, you meet a truly remarkable educator - someone with passion, wisdom and the skills to inspire. I find that these teachers are becoming increasingly rare, which saddens me. Jenny, your leadership is greatly missed. Thank you for your encouragement and kind words. - Mel

Dear Melanie,

I hope you have a year where you feel challenged and given scope to forge your wonderful talents. The students benefit enormously from you because you know your subject so well and have the depth of intelligence and curiosity that makes students feel confident and trusting of you. I now view so much through the prism of what I'd like for my granddaughter and grandson, and my wish would be for them to have teachers like you. Treasure your career; you are so capable and have so much more to give.

Jenny xx

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