Graduate, Bachelor of Teaching
Christy Measham
Working as a Health Promotion and Education Officer for a Community organisation, Hobart

‘I spent a year teaching English in Japan and discovered a passion for teaching (and travel) so I came back to Tasmania to study teaching – a qualification that gives me the ability to work in a variety of countries as a professional, and not only in the traditional school classroom.

‘I work as a Health Promotion and Education Officer where I plan, facilitate and evaluate education sessions for K-12 students as well as PD for teachers. Being a qualified teacher gives me insight into the concerns, challenges and expectations of classroom teachers, and skills such as behaviour management and knowledge of learning tools and strategies are invaluable when working with class groups.

‘The teaching degree develops generic skills such as communication, research and analysis, meta-cognition and reflection, literacy and numeracy and ICT, and group work skills, and these skills are extremely useful in many other roles as well as teaching.’

Graduate, Bachelor of Teaching
David Hodgman
Working as a Teacher of Year 6, Hobart

‘After practicing as a family lawyer for ten years, I wanted fresh challenges, a rewarding and fulfilling career where I felt I was making a positive difference.  After doing the BTeach and working for a year I now know that teaching is that career! I love it, and I particularly enjoy the middle school age group. The students are so engaged and responsive, eager to learn and eager to contribute. It’s extremely rewarding to be a part of their educational development.
‘Becoming a student again was a great experience. Being a postgraduate degree, many mature-aged students enrol in the BTeach. The middle school specialisation, which I did, was a class of about thirty – a ready-made group of friends - committed, enthusiastic students, passionate about teaching. We worked hard and we also had a lot of fun. The lecturers were very supportive, perceptive and interested and a genuine camaraderie existed throughout the course.

‘I enjoyed it all but pracs were a highlight. I was fortunate to be paired with enthusiastic, helpful teachers each time, and they were a great incentive to me, affirming that I had made the right choice in my career change. ‘

Graduate, Bachelor of Education
Deborah Rigby,
Working as an Early Childhood Teacher, Launceston

‘I can’t remember ever thinking of doing anything other than teaching. And I love it!

‘I was lucky to receive a Hardie Fellowship Scholarship to undertake a group tour to the US in 2006. The trip was amazing! We visited a wide cross section of schools from privileged to extremely under-resourced, where the teachers were so passionate and the socially and educationally challenged children they were teaching so engaged. This particular school is a Big Picture Education school with the philosophy of ‘making good into great’ and the visit inspired me to learn more about personalised learning. As a consequence I’ve begun studying for a Master of Education degree and intend at some point to pursue education leadership opportunities.

‘I feel very grateful for the opportunity to have participated, and one significant and encouraging conclusion I reached is that Tasmanian education has a huge amount to offer the world. We are leading the way in so many areas of education.’

Graduate, Bachelor of Education
Ben Williams
Working as a Legislation Editor and Electronic Publication Officer, Canberra.

‘My current substantive role is as a Legislation Editor with the Attorney-General's Department. As a Legislation Editor I produce the most up-to-date compilations of Commonwealth Acts and publish them to the ComLaw website. I have also spent time acting in higher roles including Acts Team Leader and my present position of Electronic Publication Officer. As Electronic Publication Officer I am responsible for supervising the staff and operations of the Commonwealth Government Gazette office and the ComLaw Helpdesk service.

‘Doing BEd Honours developed my capacity for attention to detail and my ability to concentrate on individual tasks for an extended period of time, skills that are central to my role. Teacher education has also definitely helped in the initial leadership roles I’ve undertaken. Learning how to communicate and negotiate effectively, to juggle multiple tasks, and having knowledge of individual learning styles are all particularly useful for teachers, of course, but are equally important in many other careers as well.’

Graduate Bachelor of Teaching Bridging Program and Bachelor of Teaching
Andrew Goodman
Working as a Design and Technology Teacher, Hobart

‘I’m a chef by trade. I’ve worked at large hotels and restaurants around Australia, and run my own bakery. I always enjoyed teaching apprentices. We strived for excellence and it was great to watch their progress and see them develop their own attributes, skills and values throughout their apprenticeships. So teaching seemed a pretty sensible career change option. I get to do something I enjoy very much and to spend school holidays with my own four children.

‘The Bridging program is a great option. It gives you credit for your trade qualifications and experience and in one year prepares you for the Bachelor of Teaching. It challenges you to think about things differently, probe alternatives and become familiar with academic practices and requirements. The hardest part was having to choose only two Design and Technology specialisations when I’d like to have done them all! While I was studying I did volunteer work in a school one day each week in addition to the formal pracs. It’s a great way to observe and develop quality teaching practice before you actually take on your own classroom.

‘All the BTeach Design and Technology graduates of 2007 have positions for 2008.  I have a job at The Friends School teaching Food Studies, Woodwork and Textiles to grades 7, 10 and 11. I’m really happy with this position as it allows me to work with Middle School as well as Senior Secondary students. I’m looking forward to encouraging kids at all academic levels to do D & T subjects. The trades need high flyers too!

‘My advice to anyone with a trade and thinking about a career change into teaching is, ‘if you’re thinking about it, you probably want to, so do it now, not ‘next year’!’

Graduate, Bachelor of Human Movement Outdoor Education Specialisation
Kate Tyquin
Working as an Outdoor Education Teacher, Shepparton.

‘I wanted to teach Outdoor Ed so the Health and PE and Outdoor Ed teaching double major at UTAS seemed the obvious next step after finishing Year 12.

‘The BHM Outdoor Education specialisation takes a small number of students each year so you get to know the lecturers really well, and they learn all the students’ strengths and weaknesses and help to develop them. The opportunities to be out in the wilderness in the Outdoor Journeys unit were a highlight of the course, and so was Issues in Outdoor Education. This unit helped me to understand what situations I may face when teaching outdoor ed – some of which I’ve had to deal with in the past year at school.

‘I teach Year 11 and 12 VCE Outdoor and Environmental Studies, PE, Science, VET Sport and Rec, and Health. Being the only Outdoor Ed teacher at school, I’m responsible for the VCE programs which is quite an achievement for just my second year of teaching. In the future I’d like to travel overseas but at the moment I’m just enjoying the everyday challenges and rewards of being a teacher.’

Graduate Bachelor of Education
Naomi Shultink
Working as a Primary School Teacher and a Child Carer

‘I graduated from college with a TER score of 96 which opened many doors for me, but ever since I was a little girl playing ‘school’ with my brother I’ve wanted to be a teacher! When I walk into a classroom now I get excited, energised. I think this happens because I belong in a classroom.

‘Studying the BEd at UTAS has helped, not only in regards to my future career but also in personal growth and development. I specifically enjoyed the way the pracs are incorporated into all four years of the degree – you can continually relate theory to practice and implement new learnings in the classroom. One of my favourite units was Child Development. I loved learning about what makes children the way they are and what influences their development. Learning how children function and develop is vital to being able to teach them effectively.

‘The small class sizes at UTAS and the fact that lecturers know you by name make you feel as though you’re part of a community. This was very reassuring because I’d moved away from home and missed my family and friends at first.

‘I graduated in 2007 and do relief teaching in Primary Schools  as well as work in an after- school and holiday care centre. However, my short term plans are focused on the addition of our first child to our family in a few months time! Longer term I can’t wait to simply stand in front of my own class and teach.’

Graduate Bachelor of Education
Angela Dykman
Working as a Middle School Teacher, Northern Tasmania

‘Like many school leavers, I was uncertain about what to do after college, and my parents encouraged me to study at UTAS to become a teacher. I’m very glad they did because I love teaching! I especially enjoy the challenges and the successes of working with young adolescents filled with racing hormones!

‘Studying at UTAS was a great experience. We were taught by some amazing lecturers, and some real highlights were when practicing teachers came on campus to teach us particular modules directly related to what they were doing in their own classes.

‘I was offered a teaching position before I graduated, and gained permanency during my first year out.  This meant I was eligible to apply for the Hardie Fellowship when I was ready. I was awarded the scholarship in 2007 and at the end of 2008 I’ll be going to the US, to study for a Master of Education degree at Harvard University. To qualify for the award I had to submit a proposal on a course of study and how it would benefit Education in Tasmania. My submission was around using the Arts in Education as a tool to motivate ‘At Risk’ students. I’m really looking forward to the experience of studying at Harvard, and to sharing my learning with the Tasmanian education community when I return.’