This month, I would like to introduce you to our featured teacher, Fiona.

My name is Fiona and I have been teaching for 5 years. I have taught both in Australia and the UK in public and private systems. I am currently teaching Year 4 at a school just outside of Canberra, Australia. 

1. Why did you become a teacher?

I became a teacher after taking a gap year in the UK, where I worked at school helping out. This experience inspired me to change my upcoming university degree to teaching when I returned to Australia because I had seen the changes in the students over the year, seen how they had grown and developed. It was something I wanted to be able to do.

2. Tell us your favourite; year to teach, subject to teach and platform for resources

My favourites…

Year to teach: Year 4 

Subject to teach: Space (I guess this is more of a topic than a subject, but I love it!) I also enjoy teaching Art.

Platform for resources: This changes a lot - some good ones are Twinkl and Teachers Pay Teachers. I also love the videos done by SciShow Kids and CrashCourse Kids. They are so informative and can teach concepts better than I can!

 3. What is one of your favourite teaching memories?

I took my class on a trip to the Tower of London and snuck my little group past the crowds to see the Crown Jewels. Maybe not a typical teaching moment but to see how excited they were as we made a little chain holding hands, past the throngs of tourists in to see the amazing jewels was something to remember!

4. What is the most important thing you have learnt while teaching?

Work-life balance! No matter how much marking, or planning, or whatever needs doing, it will still be there tomorrow. You can’t be a good teacher if you are burnt out. Take the time for yourself.

5. If you could invite one guest speaker into the classroom who would it be?

Chris Hadfield - astronaut!

6. What is your best teaching tip for beginning teachers?

Take each day at a time. Teaching can be so overwhelming with the amount of work that needs doing, but if you take it slow and steady, you will get there. Use your support team to help you through and don’t be afraid to ask for help.

7. Teaching can be very demanding. How do you achieve a work/life balance?

Make sure you leave at least one (preferably two, if possible) day a week by 4 pm. I go to the gym in the mornings before school so I feel refreshed and ready for the day and then can spend the afternoons and evenings relaxing. I don’t take work home either. I try to be organised and use my planning time wisely to keep work and home as separate as possible.

8. What is one thing you like to do every day with your students?

Laugh! Cliché perhaps but if you can find a way to make your students smile or laugh your day will be better than before.

9. How do you minimise your environmental footprint in the classroom?

This one is tricky, with the amount of paper I feel we go through as a school. I use separate bins (paper, recycling, soft plastics, compost) to try and minimise waste. We also collect plastic lids to donate to ‘Lids 4 Kids’. Any leftover paper goes into a scrap paper basket for kids to use during downtime.

10. Plan a perfect teaching day for us

I don’t think the perfect teaching day can be planned! Teaching is such a fluid profession that even if you think you’ve planned the perfect day, something changes and it’s all thrown out the window! In an ideal world, you’d get through your all your subjects smoothly with no behaviour problems, everyone would understand the concepts, and they’d be able to tell you what they’d learnt. 

But in reality, that is never going to happen. You just have to take every day as it comes and know that everything you're doing counts.

Fiona, I love your advice and adventures you have had as a teacher. Thank you so much for sharing your stories.

To read past teacher profiles; click here.

If you are a teacher and are interested in featuring next month, we would love to hear from you. Send an email to laurathexplaura@gmail.com