Teacher Interview

Interview with Humanities and English Teacher

Mrs  McLay is a Humanities and English teacher who started out at DSC this year. She’s completing her Masters in History at Deakin University which is due to be completed at the end of this year. Her focus area has been on women’s roles during the decolonisation of Vanuatu.

Can you elaborate on the main focus of your thesis? 

Through a feminist and post-modernist lens, I’ve been looking at women’s roles during the decolonisation of Vanuatu in the late 1900s. It’s been interesting to understand how we see things now in comparison to how we viewed things back then. In the Pacific, women are complementary to men rather than opposed and feminism isn’t seen in a positive light. There were specific customs and roles for Melanesian women which stemmed from cultural norms in their society. This is gradually changing, and women are increasingly allowed to be educated in areas that they’re interested in, however, there are different facets where they’re still behind western society.

How have your learnings impacted your teaching? 

Students deserve to hear multiple perspectives in any subject matter that we teach, especially in Humanities and English. At the moment, I’m teaching Colonisation to my Year 10 students. By ensuring that I am learning these kinds of methodologies, has been helpful in that I am able to provide the knowledge on the subject and encourage my students to do their own research, so they can form their own views on colonisation.

How do you hope to make a difference in your student's lives as a teacher? 

I am passionate about teaching my students how to make informed decisions about where their opinions lie. As a teacher, I never want to force my opinions onto my students. I think as young people we form different opinions at a young age and come to school with preconceived notions about things based on how we’ve grown up. Teachers need to present many alternate perspectives to a given topic and then teach our students how to justify their decisions or opinions in an informed manner. 

Once you’ve completed your Masters, how do you envisage it might shift your career as a teacher? 

I am passionate and knowledgeable about the rights of minority groups and I want to pass this knowledge on to others. Throughout schooling, Pacific and Indigenous groups are neglected in History lessons with a greater focus on European history. 

Teaching VCE History is an incredibly competitive field and it’s something I’d love to teach. In Year 11, 20th Century History is offered, focusing on Civil Rights and World War 2 and in Year 12, Revolutions is typically offered. There are three more options including Ancient History, Australian History and Colonised/Pacific History, which is more relevant to our nation. I would love to initiate teaching these histories in a school setting. If students are learning their own country’s history and can find a passion for it, they will be empowered with the knowledge to make contributions towards making a difference in our country. 

How have you found the balancing act of studying and teaching? 

These last couple of years, I’ve really had to find time to study without ever compromising on giving all to my students. It requires a lot of motivation, dedication and time management skills. It certainly has been challenging yet very rewarding. 

Chelsea Rohrlach

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