Name: Lia
Citizenship: Canadian
Teachables: Physical Education, English, French, Humanities
Describe your experience with Leading Out?
Leading Out was an incredible team to work with. They helped me navigate through the tedious paperwork and somehow made the process less stressful and a lot more exciting. Even when I was settled overseas, they were always available to help with questions, concerns, confusions, or simply to offer some suggestions. It was comforting knowing that I always had someone I could reach out to for help.
What was your favourite classroom experience while in Australia?
Being a casual relief teacher brought me to new parts of the city every week. It was quite challenging to walk in to a group of students you had never met before and teach lessons you were not familiar with, but once I got accustomed to it, I was able to enjoy the journey and embrace the life of teaching on the fly. Not to mention, learning to entertain a group of students with my funny accent.
One experience that does stick out for me was my day as a Phys. Ed teacher at a Special Development School in Yarraville. I was so impressed with the support, the attention, and the detail that went in to coordinating lessons for these students. It was an extremely rewarding experience for me as a new teacher and I definitely left that day with more than I came in with.
What was your favourite travel experience?
Moving to Australia was an experience in itself. There are so many places to explore and if it weren’t for time and money, I would have done it all! I am very happy, however, that I was able to make the trip over to Tasmania. It was probably one of the most beautiful places I have ever been to. We travelled over with no particular plan or schedule, but only a hand written list of suggested places to visit from friends and acquaintances we met along the way. It was quite refreshing to set out on the road with no time constraints or commitments. I don’t think there are many places in the world where you can get away with this type of haphazard plan, but it seemed that no matter where we went or which direction we took, it always left us in complete awe.
Why would you recommend teaching in Australia?
Teaching abroad was a great transition for me after graduating from teacher’s college. I was looking for an opportunity to travel while also continuing to gain experience as a teacher. It was nerve-wracking walking into a new class every day, but it was also quite exciting. Every day brought a new challenge and the whole process taught me a lot about myself and the world of teaching.
What advice would you give a new teacher moving to Australia?
Pack warm clothes. I thought I was escaping the Canadian winters by going to Australia…little did I know that I would have to wear socks and sweaters to bed some nights. Besides that, go in with an open mind and see every day as a new adventure. It’s a beautiful country filled with some amazing people.
