I’m a proud Design Teacher. I believe that Design should be taught across all year levels including the very early years. I am well connected, have preached my passion and presented at national and international conferences and at 47 years of age, I still have a burning desire to connect, learn and hone my craft. In the last 12 months, I have done just that, but I haven’t taught one class of design.
Let’s rewind 12 months. I had finally taken the plunge to leave Australia and had accepted a job teaching Design at an exciting International school. COVID 19 hit and I was forced to walk away from that job, fearing that now was not the best time to travel. For a little while there I was in limbo, with no job and wondering what my next move was, when a former colleague contacted me and asked if I was interested in tutoring two primary school girls… MATHS!
I’ve never taught maths and I’ve never even tutored before. However, I believed in my abilities as a teacher of children rather than just subjects and contacted the family. When I got the job, I remember being very excited and enthusiastic and really looking forward to getting started. Maybe it was the new start? Maybe it was the new challenge? Or maybe it was because I had no other way to pay the mortgage.
Since then, life has thrown me (…and all of us) some curve balls. Halfway through 2020, I found myself teaching in a remote indigenous community ‘smack bang’ in the centre of Australia, 3 hours drive from the next town. Without warning, my Mum passed away and by late 2020, I desperately wanted to secure a teaching position back in Brisbane to be closer to my family.
While many things have changed for me over the past 12 months, the one thing that has been constant is my maths tutoring sessions with these two girls in Hong Kong. I’ve enjoyed every minute of it, but it has only been this week, that I have thought about why these times have been so special.
The first thing has been the personal connection. Our lessons are over SKYPE twice a week, but to be able to work with only two students, has allowed me to really understand how those two girls learn. I got to see their strengths, weaknesses and interests so that I could design lessons to best cater to their learning needs. With only two students sitting in front of you, you also enjoy the ‘A-ha’ moments on a higher level. I’ve felt even greater pride than normal in those moments because of the more personalised connection.
The personalised connection has also allowed me to connect and work with their parents to support and encourage their learning. I’ve always considered teaching a team sport and a good parent/teacher/student connection can only enhance learning.
Through reflecting on what has worked well and what I have enjoyed while tutoring the girls, I have been able to focus on those areas within my own classes at school. Things like getting to know the kids on a more personal level, taking the time to discover what their interests are and having conversations about this. This, in turn, develops a rapport with students that allows trust and respect to flourish and let kids see that you are genuinely interested in them achieving to the best of their ability.
It has also reminded me of the responsibility I have to educate each and every student and not let any child slip under the radar. I am not a parent, but I’m certain every parent sends their child to school every day, entrusting us to provide them with equal opportunities to learn and develop their minds.
I’ve missed out on working and living abroad for now. But, connecting with this English family, living in Hong Kong, has somewhat still been a bit of an adventure. Concepts that have come up in lessons like measurement, money, food, travel that are different from those in Australia has given me a taste of a different culture and been a learning experience for me as well. Conversations with the girls and parents have also taught me things about Hong Kong and the culture.
I have also learnt a lot about maths in the last 12 months. More than I can ever remember learning at school. I didn’t enjoy maths at school. I didn’t understand things and I never really tried to. So, I’ve been determined to put my maths lessons into contexts that could be understood. I have checked that it was understood and if it wasn’t, tried other strategies, or contexts until it was. In the classroom, we often get tied up with trying to cover a certain amount of content per lesson. Tutoring has reminded me that understanding is more important than covering content and to slow down more often and take the time to ensure everyone understands.
Fortunately, the girls are able to resume school soon but unfortunately this means that the tutoring will come to an end; however, the connection with the girls and the family won’t. I’ll miss the regular SKYPE calls, the jokes, and even the teaching and learning. But there’s still some learning ahead for me. I’m looking forward to seeing how well I’ve prepared the girls for their return to regular classes and reflecting on that.
Will I be rushing out to apply for maths teaching jobs? Not likely. Will I be more open minded about learning from different challenges, not just professionally but personally? ...Absolutely!
I never imagined how valuable tutoring these girls would turn out to be for me both personally and professionally. Thank you, Ramsey Family! I hope your girls have learnt as much as I have.
