My journey through education has been a diverse experience which has equipped me with essential skills I continue to build on today, to better my practice as a teacher. I am currently at the end of my third year of study at ACU and ready to journey through my final year. The degree I am studying is a Bachelor of Teaching/Bachelor of Arts (Humanities) and I am completing a double major in History and English. It was not too long ago that I graduated high school so I am still aware of the contemporary schooling experience in which I can relate to students and understand how they learn (AITSL, 2017, 1.2).

I completed my secondary schooling at an all-girls, Catholic high school of low-socioeconomic status and am aware of the barriers and challenges students are faced with daily. I have since left school with an open mindset and strong passion to facilitate meaningful learning for ALL learners despite their differences. I am known to be talkative, bubbly and overly optimistic which I believe is essential to establishing effective student-teacher rapport. In this sense, I am able to make students feel comfortable and supported in the classroom and I am always ready to help out and take on any challenges thrown my way, holding a constant ‘glass half full’ attitude.

I currently work for a tutoring centre teaching students from Pre K to Year 12 and also privately tutor both primary and high school students. This has provided me experience in catering to the needs of a wide range of students with varying abilities who come from diverse backgrounds and contexts. I am organised, flexible, a great communicator and capable of differentiating work to target the needs of each individual student (AITSL, 2017, 1.5). My previous professional experience at Nagle Catholic College (20 days) has built my confidence and dedication to teaching. It has equipped me with the skills of planning, observing, reflecting and adjusting to improve my practice as a teacher overall and ensure I am at my best to make all students’ learning experiences meaningful, memorable and exciting.

Reference list

Australian Institute for Training and School Leadership (AITSL). (2017). Australian Professional Standards for Teachers. https://www.aitsl.edu.au/standards.