Staff in the spotlight

Yubil Das - English Teacher

Why did you decide to become a Teacher?

I was very lucky to grow up with two amazing parents who are also teachers so I definitely have a bit of inspiration from there. However, the moment I definitely knew that I wanted to be a teacher was when I was in Year 11. I had to do a research project for a politics class where I studied the role and impact education had on human development within my hometown in India. Seeing how transformative and powerful education could be, especially for those who were marginalised, I knew that I that I just had to be apart such an amazing profession. 

How long have you been a Teacher?

This is technically my first year as a classroom teacher, although I have worked in the education space in different roles for the past 5 years. 

What was your last place of employment - school/university or another organisation?

 I worked at Cranbourne Secondary College.

What do you love most about being a Teacher?

 I love being able to foster critical thinking in my students. My ultimate goal as a teacher is to nurture students who have strong opinions and can critically examine various issues or topics. 

What has been one of your best teaching moments?

 Once when I was teaching a Year 10 Legal studies class, I transformed the classroom into a mock crime scene with evidence planted everywhere. I had my students become detectives and conduct a thorough crime scene investigation. It was incredibly cool to see everyone who engaged and working together to try and solve the crime together. 

What would be 3 things that you would like the students to know about you?

1. I am Indian but I grew up in Hong Kong and Singare (hence the American-ish accent).

2. I am a BIG musical theatre nerd.

3. I am always open to music and/or movie recommendations. I am always on the hunt for my next watch!

Where is your favourite holiday destination?

My hometown in India, which is Cuttack! It is located in the state of Orissa, which is in the East of India.

What TV show/series did you last binge watch?

 I just finished watching the first season of The Pitt and it was amazing! 

If you could wear Harry’s invisibility cloak for one day, where would you go and what would you do?   That’s Harry Potter’s cloak not Harry Ruff’s cloak 😊

Probably disappear to a beach or hill for some good old quiet time. I also wouldn't mind maybe sneaking into some concerts for free. 

What is the one piece of ‘advice’ or the one thing that you always say to your students?

My biggest piece of advice is to not view failure as a 'bad' thing. The minute you begin to do that, the worse you will feel about yourself and your abilities. This then leads to feeling demotivated and disengaged. Failure is not a sign that you are doing horribly but rather, that you are simply on a learning journey. I say it is always better to embrace failure rather than fear it. Embracing failure leads to a forward-thinking mindset making you an all-round better student and person.