Staff in the Spotlight
With so many staff joining our team this year, we would like to give our school community the opportunity to get to know our new teachers in a fun way. Each week we will be spotlighting a new staff member and sharing with you all sorts of fun and interesting stories about who they are and most importantly, why they became a teacher and what they love most about teaching!
This week we are spotlighting
Matthew Leithhead
Matthew is one of our new Technology teachers and specialises in Wood and Systems. Matthew is a welcome addition to our dynamic Art and Technology team and has brought with him fresh ideas, boundless enthusiasm, and many interesting shirt choices!
How long have you been teaching?
20 weeks
What school/university or organisation have you come from?
Deakin Uni
Why did you decide to become a teacher?
I was inspired to become a teacher on the back of a deep rewarding feeling I felt when helping parents and school kids select sleeping bags and camping gear for school camps.
What do you love most about teaching?
What I most enjoy about teaching is the opportunity to build relationships which enable students to grow and develop. There is a deep and subtle joy in helping high school aged people to realise and pursue their dreams and ambitions.
What are three things you would like your students to know about you?
My path to teaching wasn't linear. Before teaching I studied Furniture Design and Outdoor Recreation, I worked in camping stores, warehouses, landscaping, cabinetmaking, a wholesale nursery and at Flemington Racecourse.
Where's your favourite holiday destination?
Anywhere remote and isolated where I can pitch my tent and go for a hike.
What tv show/series did you last binge watch?
Band of Brothers, a HBO mini-series telling the stories of paratroopers in WW2. It was the first TV show that ever brought me close to tears. I re watch it every couple of years.