If you're considering a job away from your home town or in a rural or remote school, no doubt you've been wondering whether you'll feel disconnected from your friends and family in your new community.
But did you know that when you apply to teach with us, you can tell us about a teaching friend, colleague or partner and we'll work hard to place you both in the same community?
We know that taking a leap out of your comfort zone can be a scary prospect, which is why we want to make sure the transition is as smooth as possible for you and have processes in place so you can BYO buddy and ready-made support network.
Recently we helped
Moranbah State High School mathematics teacher Teagan Jentz and her husband Mitch settle together in the rural Central Queensland community of Moranbah.
'When we got to our final year of teaching, my husband and I were trying to decide where we wanted to teach after we graduated,' Teagan said.
'We had both been living in Brisbane, and the Metropolitan region seemed the obvious choice.'
But after hearing a presentation from 2019 Teach Queensland Ambassador Joel about his experience in a rural school, Teagan and Mitch started seriously considering a teaching adventure outside of Brisbane.
'We still weren't sure whether we were ready to pack up our lives and move to a new place, so to gain some insight, I decided to complete one of my six-week professional experience placements at Moranbah State High School,' Teagan said.
Before long, Teagan had found support, opportunity and fun while on placement in Moranbah, so sent off a joint application for her and Mitch, explaining they hoped to be placed together in the
Central Queensland region.
And in the meantime, Mitch went to the
Teach Rural Career Fair and spoke with principals and deputies about opportunities in Central Queensland.
A few other considerations prompted Teagan's and Mitch's decision to seek rural jobs.
'Permanency was a big factor for us,' Teagan said.
'As two graduate teachers, we were looking for stability in our first few years.'
'It was also very important to us that we could be together, and we weren't sure we'd be able to find employment near each other in the Metropolitan region,' Teagan said.
Within a week of the 2019 Teach Rural Career Fair, both Teagan and Mitch had accepted permanent job offers for schools in Moranbah for 2020.
So far, life in a rural town is going fabulously for the pair.
'The staff at the schools here are like a big family,' Teagan said.
'No one is left behind and everyone makes it their mission to support each other as much as possible.'
'Mitch is very sporty, so he has joined lots of local teams in town, and I am working on the school musical at the moment,' Teagan said.
'The town has a lot to offer and as with anything in life, it is what you make it.'
Could a rural, regional or remote adventure be the next move for you and one of your teaching pals? Check out more information about
rural and remote benefits and if you're ready to go,
submit your application now.
