When you're at the beginning of your teaching degree, the quest to the classroom can seem like a long road ahead: lots to learn, assessment to manage, and decisions to make about your career plans.
Teagan Jentz graduated at the end of 2019 and teaches mathematics at
Moranbah State High School. She
made the move to Moranbah with her husband, a fellow teacher, who was supported by the department to secure a role down the road at
Moranbah State School.
We had a chat to Teagan about her experiences and pulled together these pearls of wisdom for someone at the beginning of the teaching degree.
Settle on strategies to stamp out stress
Combining study, work and your social life along with the (endless) list of responsibilities that come with adult life can be full on! Feeling stressed is natural, but it's important to keep your energy in check so you can do your best with everything coming your way.
Reflect on the times that you notice yourself getting overwhelmed. Is there a pattern? Have you recharged your wellbeing bank account lately by seeing friends, exercising, getting some sunshine, or taking some time to do something you enjoy? It's important to be in tune with how you're feeling so you can take care of yourself in a way that is healthy and helpful.
Looking back now, Teagan acknowledges the value of working hard but says it's crucial to make time for yourself too.
'Having balance is so important so you don't burn out before you become a teacher,' Teagan said.
'As a person who is prone to a lot of stress, I didn't take this advice for the first few years—but your work will improve if you allow yourself some time away from it to look after yourself.'
'Don't forget that there are people around to help you too,' Teagan said.
For Teagan, having a solid support network of people at university was a game changer.
'I made friends with fellow students in my degree and working through the challenging times together made everything a lot easier,' Teagan said.
'It helps so much when you have people you can talk to who are in the same boat, especially when you go on your placements and when you begin teaching full time.'
'One of the best parts of the teaching profession is that you are never alone, so start early and get to know as many future teachers as you can,' Teagan said.
Put your skills to practice
Teagan got hands-on early.
'I began tutoring and working in schools very soon after I began my degree, which was able to confirm my love for education and helping students achieve their best,' Teagan said.
'It was incredible to work with students and begin building relationships.'
'If you are able to tutor or gain some experience in the field while completing your study, it will consistently remind you why you are becoming a teacher,' Teagan said.
'It is a great way to learn new skills and develop them before you are in front of a class for the first time.'
Consider whether you can get extra experience working with children while you're completing your degree. Whether it's paid work at a school or childcare centre, volunteering at children's hospitals, or even babysitting kids in your family or friendship circles, any time spent with children will help you strengthen your behaviour management skills.
But don't lose heart if finding a job working with children is proving elusive. There are plenty of transferrable skills you can perfect while working in retail, hospitality, in an office job or elsewhere—things like relationship-building, teamwork, organisational and interpersonal skills. There might even be other activities in your life—coaching your local sports team or planning events for your local community group—that can teach you invaluable lessons that might help you get a leg-up for your future in the classroom.
Profit from your placements
Some of the most common advice we hear from graduate teachers is to make the most of your professional experience placements. Sure, it's a great time to ask all your questions and get to grips with the realities of classroom life, but your placements also a great opportunity to take a few chances.
Why not use your professional experience placements to try out different communities before you graduate? It's a fantastic, safe way to try before you buy, and test a community to see what it might be like to live and work there long-term.
That approach worked well for Teagan.
'To gain a little insight to the realities of going rural, I decided to complete one of my six-week professional experience placements at Moranbah State High School,' Teagan said.
'During my placement, it was made very obvious there is a lot of opportunity for beginning teachers in a rural school.'
Teagan said the young and enthusiastic staff in Moranbah were incredibly supportive of her as a preservice teacher.
'Having people around to encourage and support me gave me a huge amount of confidence in the classroom,' Teagan said.
'The community spirit in Moranbah is undeniable, and my professional experience placement convinced me of all the benefits of teaching in a small town.'
We can't encourage you enough to consider stepping out of your comfort zone and take up placements away from home or in a remote or rural location. The opportunities are boundless and rich!
Seek out scholarships
Did you know we offer several
grants and scholarships for preservice teachers?
Teagan was supported through her degree with several scholarship opportunities.
'I was lucky enough to be a recipient of the
Aspiring Teacher Grant in my first year of university,' Teagan said.
'At this point, I had just been accepted into my degree and was very nervous about the financial impact of starting uni.'
'This grant made my first semester at university a lot less stressful, and as a young, self-conscious student, it gave me a boost of confidence and a reason not to doubt myself as I entered into unchartered waters at uni,' Teagan said.
The
Beyond the Range Professional Experience Grant gave Teagan a financial boost while on her placement in Moranbah.
'Given I wouldn't be able to work part-time during my placement, I had been concerned about the cost of travel and accommodation,' Teagan said.
'But receiving the Beyond the Range grant made my time in Moranbah much more enjoyable, because it meant I could put all of my effort into my prac (sic) and learning about the community.'
'It can be a daunting experience deciding where life is going to take you, where you will live and what school you'll work at, but it's so much easier with the help of financial assistance, permanency and a community like the one in Moranbah,' Teagan said.
So, you want to become a teacher too? Visit our website for
step-by-step instructions to start the journey into a classroom of your own.