Our teachers' thoughts ...

by Christina Vemis

This year has thrown at us many challenges that continue to call upon us to show strength, resilience and determination. So here is a little insight into some of my reflections thus far… 

Being a teacher for me, is a commitment to continuous learning. It is constantly striving to be better, to sharing your knowledge and to inspiring your students to pursue their passions. It means giving students the means to take ownership over their learning, to give them the tools for success, to encourage and support them in their own educational endeavors. Being an educator at EDSC is also about creating a culture of curiosity around learning, building meaningful connections within the school community and teaching students life skills that will support them through their secondary school years, and beyond. 

For many, the last few months have been a rollercoaster. The transition to remote learning has been an adventure that has presented us (students and teachers alike) with an abundance of new learning opportunities and has also, changed the way we view digital learning forever. We should all be proud of the way we have adapted, finding new and creative ways to remain connected online, through collaborative online lessons that continue to challenge students to boost their digital literacy and empower them to take charge of their educational success. The willingness of students to work collaboratively with their peers, has also proved to be of significant value as they continue to support each other week in, week out. 

This year has taught me to not forget about the little moments, cliché I know… but hear me out. 

I am talking about those small pieces of life that we often forget to stop and enjoy. The seconds we forget to be grateful for, as we rush off to teach our next class or run late to soccer training. This year has taught us to slow down, to value our time exercising, to reconnect with our outdoor environments and to cherish our social connections. Eventually life will return to how we once knew it. However, we must ensure that we do not forget what is truly important -  making time in each day to do the activities we love, to invest in our health and to surround yourself with people who inspire us to be our very best self.

by Klint White

My name is Klint White and it is my second year teaching here at East Doncaster. Well, kind of my second year, I first worked here in 2016 and 2017 as a Casual Relief Teacher. Back then I always loved getting the East Doncaster call, as I knew I would be in for a great day. 

I spent 2018 living and working in London, but really just using that as a base to travel around Europe as much as possible. I got to see some amazing things; from the Black Sand beaches and Blue Lagoons of Iceland, to the Valley of the Kings and Nile River from a hot air balloon in Egypt, The beautiful beaches of the Canary Islands, the amazing Vanilla Slice in Slovenia, the list is pretty endless. I will say though, one of the best parts of the experience was that I was over there during the FIFA World Cup. We think we like our Footy in Melbourne, I can tell you it is totally different the devotion to soccer over there. It helped that England were doing well too, the whole country was ecstatic. Watching those games in old English pubs was always a treat.

When I got back to Melbourne, I was looking for a full time job teaching, and right as I was almost giving up EDSC advertised, I immediately applied, and on the Thursday before school started I got the great news that I would be joining the team. 

I really love my job as a teacher as I get to interact with an amazing group of young people every day. The energy I bring to the classroom brings out the energy in my students, creating what I feel to be a creative and educational environment in which I can impart my knowledge, as well as learn from the students. 

Lockdown has presented its own challenges to this, with that face to face interaction so much harder to do through muted mics and blank screens, but I try and mix in as much student participation in my lessons as I can. The other day in my year 11 BM class we played a game of Taboo with famous companies and brands, and it had all the students in the class talking and guessing, and it was good to feel that comradery. 

Lockdown has also given me the opportunity to actually try and get fit too, as a 6ft 4 tall basketball player, I must have had roughly 872 different students ask me if I can dunk, and I always begrudgingly have to say no. So watch this space! Hopefully when we all emerge from this haze I will be bouncier than Tigger on a Trampoline!