Tracy

Home: Sunderland, Ontario

 University: UOIT

Subject Area: Math/Science, sponsored to stay long term

What Leading Out support and services have you enjoyed, or have assisted you, the most?

Before leaving Canada, I chose the “Comfort Melbourne” package. Moving to Australia was my first real experience living away from home, and I had no idea where to begin. Leading Out assisted me with becoming a certified Victorian teacher, getting insurance, booking flights, arranging accommodations, packing, and generally just answered all my questions! I felt well prepared to live in Melbourne before even getting on the plane in Toronto. When I arrived in Melbourne, Leading Out provided transportation to my flat, as well as information about public transit, and tourist attractions. They set up interviews for me with schools for contract positions, allowing me to focus on being a tourist and not having to worry about finding a job!

Leading Out has assisted me most with finding contract positions in Melbourne. Through the events and facebook page, I have been able to meet other Canadian teachers who are also part of the Leading Out Network. Leading Out has also just been a great resource while living in Australia, as you can basically send them an enquiry about anything and they will help find an answer.

The best place traveled within Australia:

The most beautiful place I have been in Australia thus far is the “Great Ocean Road”. The Great Ocean Road is just a short drive from Melbourne, and is basically just a long stretch of highway that runs right along the ocean. The view of the ocean and the coast is absolutely breath-taking! The Great Ocean Road offers many exciting things to see and do, including whale watching, visiting the 12 Apostles and other historic sites and national parks where you can see Kangaroos and Koala’s in the wild. There are also heaps of small towns along the way, my favourite being “Apollo Bay”, where I enjoyed banana ice cream for the first time!

Tips for International Teachers?

Teaching overseas is an amazing experience!! The only advice I can really give is to come with an open mind. Don’t limit your opportunities by setting timelines or making big plans before arriving. Just go with the flow, and see where the Australian sunshine leads you!!

What have you enjoyed most about teaching in Victoria?

Teaching in Victoria is very similar to teaching in Ontario. The curriculum is very similar, and the general lay-out of courses is the same. It is very easy to jump into a school and begin teaching, even in the middle of a semester! Being a science teacher, I was use to setting up all my labs by myself; however schools in Victoria have Science Lab Technicians that do all the lab preparation and clean-up for you. This is fantastic!

Since arriving in Melbourne, I have been lucky enough to be on contract. My favourite thing about teaching in Melbourne is the cultural lessons I receive from my students, and the cultural lessons I get to provide them.  Australian children of all ages have heaps of questions about Canada, so it is always enjoyable to meet a new group of students and see what kind of questions they can come up with! My Australian students have taught me so much about Australia, the biggest thing being proper Australian “Lingo”!