Siobhan:

I'd like to acknowledge that this episode of TeachCast was recorded on the Homelands of the Dharug People. I'd like to pay respect to elders past and present, and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples listening to TeachCast today.

Hi everyone. Welcome to this season of TeachCast. A podcast by teachers, for teachers. We are joining you today. We are your hosts for season one of the podcast.

Shannon:

I'm Shannon and this is Siobhan, and we just wanted to jump in before we kick off a really exciting season, to give you a little bit of an insight into, you know, who this podcast is for, who might be appearing on the podcast and what it's all about.

Siobhan:

Yes, so we'd just like to give you a brief overview of what you can expect in season one and really the why behind TeachCast. So the Teach NSW team really wanted to bring a fresh new product to our listeners who are looking for some inspiration, and some stories of daily difference making in New South Wales public schools. So it really is a teacher-led podcast designed to inspire other people.

Shannon:

And we were really strong on the fact that we wanted it to feel like a conversation that you were having in the staffroom with your colleagues because we are both teachers. I'm a primary school teacher and Siobhan is a high school teacher and something that I would have really appreciated as a, you know, beginning teacher or a pre-service teacher even, I would have loved to have heard from these people who, you know, have experience teaching in New South Wales public schools, what their career brought them, what sort of led them to where they are now and what they've learnt along the way. So we really want it to feel like a conversation that you can have with your colleagues.

Siobhan:

So if you're a future teacher considering a career in education, or if you're a pre-service teacher studying an initial teacher education degree, or if you are a current teacher in the early career, we really encourage you to have a listen to TeachCast because we think that this one is just for you.

Shannon:

We might be a little bit biased. We also hope that you can tune in through a platform of your choice. So, our podcast will be available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google podcasts, and also on YouTube, so you can listen to it audio version, or you can watch it as well on YouTube.

Siobhan:

And we're really excited because we have an exceptional lineup of guests joining us this season. Aaron, an Assistant Principal of Curriculum and Instruction. Sarah, another wonderful Assistant Principal, who talks all about mentoring and her leadership journey. We've got a pre-service teacher coming to join us to speak about her experiences, as well as people within the broader department who look after and specialise in mentoring and all things beginning teacher support as well, so we're really excited to bring those episodes to you.

Shannon:

And a wide variety of experience as well, you know. Everyone from still at uni, they've got the conditional approval and we've got people who have over 20 years plus experience in the classroom. So we've got a wide range to cater to all of our episodes.

Siobhan:

So, with that in mind, let's jump you over to begin the start of TeachCast, season one, episode one.

Shannon:

Enjoy.

Siobhan:

Welcome to TeachCast. A podcast by teachers, for teachers.

Shannon:

I'm Shannon,

Siobhan:

and I'm Siobhan.

Shannon:

Welcome to TeachCast. A podcast hosted by teachers, for teachers. This is our first season and we're really excited to kick it off with a bang. So we'd like to introduce ourselves first of all, as your hosts. I'm Shannon,and

Siobhan:

I'm Siobhan,

Shannon:

and we want to thank you for joining in with us today.

Siobhan:

So, Shannon, would you like to tell us a little bit about your teaching journey so far?

Shannon:

Yeah, really great question. So I started off at a beautiful public school in western Sydney and where I grew up, which was really nice to sort of work close to home. And I think that's one of the really good things about the department is that there are so many schools on offer that you do have that option. So I started off there my first ever class. I was on a year one class. I was very nervous, straight out of university. And in the beginning, you know, you're sort of there in the classroom with your 24 little darlings and you suddenly realise, 'Wow, I'm no longer at university, I'm the teacher now, I'm qualified and I'm in charge of these 24 little people and molding their little minds to shape the future of Australia'. I mean, no big deal.

Siobhan:

No pressure.

Shannon:

Exactly. But from then I moved into working on stage three. Majority of my career has been teaching on stage three, so I do hold them quite close to my heart. And I worked on an opportunity class as well throughout my career. So I've had a little bit of an insight into infants and more of an insight into primary school teaching as well.

Siobhan:

And I suppose it's a really good balance to have you representing and speaking about your experiences in primary school, and I'm really pleased and proud to represent the secondary education side of things. In terms of my own experiences, I did my last prac, my final internship, and sort of thought where to next for me, and luckily a position popped up at that exact same school. So I was really both nervous and excited to accept that role. Similar to the opportunity class, this school that I first started out my teaching career in was a co-educational, selective high school. So basically it was 'Do you want to teach year 12 the HSC advanced English?' I said, 'Do you think I can teach year 12 HSC advanced English?' And the head teacher said, 'Of course you can'. And that I did, and learnt so much from that experience too. And then after working at that school for a number of years on a temporary basis, I applied for a permanent position at another co-educational public school. And this school is a little different because it operates in a college model. So I actually teach the students from year 7 to 10 and then when they're finished at our college or our campus then they move over to that senior campus as well. So really, another really unique setting, and I think that's something that's so great about New South Wales public schools as well, is that you can see the dynamic settings that you can work in and actually align that to your passion. You know, there's a sporting school just down the road from the selective school as well. So it just really shows the wide range of opportunities that's available.

Shannon:

Absolutely. So Siobhan, we really, really want to hear about what teaching looks like for you. Tell us a little bit about your journey, some insights into your career path, maybe a story that you'd like to share.

Siobhan:

Yeah, I would love to share. Of course, every day in teaching something great happens. I feel like I always go home and have a story to tell to my family. You know, 'this happened today' or 'what do you think about this?' But, something that really sticks out in my mind is in my first year of teaching, formed a really, really great bond with my class. I felt that they really respected me as a mentor and I really respected how much hard work and dedication they were putting into their studies. But aside from that academic perspective, teaching is a lot about the wellbeing and those special moments that make everybody human. And so I had a parent reach out to me that it was going to be her son's 18th birthday soon, but she felt that he didn't have anyone to celebrate it with in the school. She felt like he wasn't making those connections in the school and I said, 'Don't worry, he has a really solid network of people around him and that is my year 12 English class. Leave it with me'. And so we arranged a surprise birthday party for the student. His favourite character is Sonic the Hedgehog. Shout out to Sonic. And so we got, you know, 'Happy Birthday' posters plastered all over the classroom. The students actually made food, brought in, you know, cupcakes and soft drink and all the fun party things. And we surprised the student and he was just absolutely overwhelmed with joy. And he came home to his mum that day and just said to his mum, which is really, really heartwarming. But he said, 'My life matters to them', which means a lot to me.

Shannon:

I've got goosebumps.

Siobhan:

I know. And so she actually sent me an email saying, 'Thank you so much for making that happen'. And I said, 'It wasn't me, it was the students'. And I think that really is the power of schools and connections and friendships that really make every day rewarding. And some days you obviously have really exciting experiences like that which stick in your mind forever. This is something that I'll look back 50 years from now and I'll still tell the story because it means so much to me and obviously means so much to them as well.

Shannon:

Absolutely. And it just kind of gives a little snippet of an insight into how much further as teachers we do go to form those relationships and to make those students feel safe, to feel valued at school as well. It's so far beyond the lesson plans that you're going to be writing and the curriculum that you're going to be planning.

Siobhan:

Correct. We wear many hats and one of them is like looking after those people in front of you and forming genuine connections with them. And that truly to me is one of, if not the most important part of the job.

Shannon:

Absolutely. I mean, I know for me as a teacher, I definitely look fondly back at those teachers who've sort of taken me through my education over my life. And I really think about them some days when I'm thinking of the type of teacher I'd like to be and who I look up to.

Siobhan:

And I'm sure a lot of people can resonate with that as well. I mean, a lot of the times in teaching, you sort of get asked, 'What's your why?' It actually comes up. It's a question in interviews, might not be that 'what's your why?' But it could be 'What's your educational philosophy and why do you want to be a teacher? Why did you become a teacher?' And I think it's really important not to forget that aspect, that bond and connection that you can form. And that's why teaching is a career like no other, because you really can form those genuine, change and relationships that go on. You can actually see the impact of your teaching even after the students have left your classroom. I mean, even working in this role now, we go to university open days and interact with a lot of universities, and I've seen ex-students who, they come up to me, 'Hi, Miss. I'm just letting you know I'm about to graduate from my fourth year of biomedical engineering'. Like, wow. It's like, it's just so exciting to see where it takes them. And we really are the people who can navigate that aspect of their lives for them, help them find what they're interested in. Just because I'm an English teacher doesn't mean I'm expecting them all to go to uni and study literature. But you know, it helps them see the world. It helps them discover who they are. You can help them reach a goal. So you never know the, you know, the future of the world is in your classroom.

Shannon:

Shout out to all of us the changemakers. I would like to share a story with you all today about a maths lesson I thought would be quite fitting. Basically, we were looking at area and we were looking at our school playground with my students. And we were talking about producing some garden beds, because our students were really interested in a farm-to-table lifestyle and learning a little bit more about how you grow vegetables and how that looks in the wild.

Siobhan:

Very wholesome.

Shannon:

It was, extremely wholesome. But I think what was a really a practical part about it was that it was a whole project-based inquiry where students had to go out, measure, look at the dimensions of the playground and actually bring to life their product. So essentially the students went out in their groups and they were given an area of the playground that they had to survey and measure and come back in with what kind of garden bed would fit in the environment. So this was the real interesting part. For homework they had to actually research on various websites of where they could source some soil to grow their crops in. And I had a little girl in my class, who went home and she was so excited because her dad worked in landscaping and she showed her dad her homework and what she was working on. And she came back in the next day and told me that her dad was so proud and so enthusiastic to help her with her homework for the first time that she could recall because he felt like he could bring something to the table with what she was learning at the time. And I think for me, teaching when you have that relationship with your students, but also when you hear these little snippets into the family lifestyle, I think that's what really brings teaching all together. And they're the memories that you sort of stick with when you think of your career as a teacher.

Siobhan:

Of course. And I suppose our viewers would be interested to know how we ended up here on the couch.

Shannon:

How we became your hosts.

Siobhan:

Yes, talking about the podcast. So, from what we know about each other, we are both what's called Senior Education Officers, which is a non-school based teaching role, which provides its own set of insights and dynamics into the inner workings of the department. Not so much the classroom space, but rather that behind the scenes education support space. And did you want to elaborate a bit more on what some of the initiatives that we work on or what we look to do to support New South Wales public schools?

Shannon:

Yeah, absolutely. So basically, Siobhan and my role is to bring insights to future teachers, current teachers, and sort of shine a spotlight on all the wonderful things about teaching. Why we came to be teachers. We find it really one of those real passion points to share our love of teaching with people. And this role provides us that opportunity. So we're hoping that you'll enjoy coming on this journey with us as we share our insights into public education in New South Wales, working with the Department of Education and showcasing all the wonderful things that happen along, in all of our classrooms across over 2,000 public schools. So we have some beautiful, a beautiful range of schools and settings to choose from. And we're hoping that some of the topics that we look at over the course of this season will engage you and provide you advice on things that you may not have had the opportunity to have these insights into.

Siobhan:

Certainly. And on the topic of topics, who really are we trying to engage with our podcast? And I think that is the future teacher workforce and the beginning and early career teachers who might find support from a lot of the topics that we're going to explore this season really useful. So accreditation processes, managing the dynamics of the classroom, whatever that may be, classroom management, reporting, data collection. And we're really excited to bring you a wide range of guests from all different teaching backgrounds so that the scope goes just beyond our own experiences and really exploring the engaging and diverse experiences of those who are going to join us on the couch in future episodes.

Shannon:

Yes, they will.

Siobhan:

We've got a hot spot waiting right there for them.

Shannon:

Absolutely. And I think something that was really important to us with this podcast was that there's no shying away that teaching is an interesting profession, there's no doubt about it. But it is one of the professions that makes all the other professions and it sounds cliche, but I think if I think back to when I started my journey, I would have loved to have had a range of resources at my fingertips to be able to lean on, to hear stories, provide advice to different people. And that's something that we hope will come to light in this podcast.

Siobhan:

And hearing those shared experiences makes you feel a little less alone or a little less silly about feeling that way. You know, more often than not, you just need to find your support systems and network and those who can help you. And it doesn't just have to be within the school, it can be external resources like this podcast, for example. But going beyond that, we really hope to shine a light on what's actually on offer within the department and how you can use that to best support yourself and then in turn, your students within the classroom.

Shannon:

Absolutely. So we hope you'll join us for this season of TeachCast. We'd love to have your input as well, as our listeners. We are across all different social media channels, Instagram and Facebook. Our handle is @TeachNSW. We'd love for you to reach out with any ideas that you have, any feedback on the podcast. Maybe even if you'd like to feature on the podcast, we'd love to hear from you.

Siobhan:

Certainly. Thanks everybody for joining us today. Hope to see you in the next episode.

Shannon:

Thank you for tuning into TeachCast Where we explore the dynamic world of education. Don't forget to follow, like and subscribe to be notified when new episodes become available. You can find us on social media via our handle @teachNSW. Until next time, keep learning, keep teaching and keep making a difference. TeachCast is a podcast by the Teach NSW team from the New South Wales Department of Education.