Anne Spranger

INTERNATIONAL WOMENS DAY 2021

Anne Spranger, Year 2 PLC leader

Tell us about a joy you have had in leadership?

Three years ago, a wonderful young former colleague named Kimberly sent me an email (we were now teaching at different schools). She had become a PLC leader at her school and she wanted to let me know that her leadership style had developed from watching me lead her. Many of the things she was doing as a leader were directly taken from what she loved about the way that I was her leader in previous years. This meant the world to me, that I had influenced her future leadership style without even knowing.

What do you love about your job?

I love supporting teachers who are new to the profession and watching them grow and thrive and develop their own teaching styles. I equally love learning from them!

Female role model and why?

Julia Gillard is one of my female role models. She was the first female Australian prime minister and had to overcome many hurdles and obstacles. I don’t believe she was treated with enough respect while she was in the job but I do know that she has paved the way for the next female Australian prime minister.

Female who has influenced your life?

My mum has been the greatest female influence in my life. She came to Australia on an adventure as a young woman who had just married my dad – it was 1957. She sparked my desire for travel and adventure. She was able to juggle motherhood with her role as kindergarten teacher. She sparked my desire for teaching. She went back to university as a 60 year old woman and definitely sparked my desire to be a lifelong learner. She showed me how to be a loving mother and I find myself parenting my teenage sons in the same loving way that she parented me. 

Anything else?

My hope for the future – that girls and women around the world are respected and safe in their family homes and in their workplaces