When she realised her high-stress medical career wasn't bringing fulfillment, Lina enrolled in the Master of Teaching (Secondary) as a mature-age student, and found her calling as a maths teacher.
Working in the medical industry, Lina was struggling to maintain a work-life balance, finding that she was often taking her work home with her. Her career wasn’t bringing her the fulfillment she had hoped it would – it was mostly just stressing her out.
The clinic she worked at happened to have a primary school across the road. As she looked out the window and watched the kids playing, she realised she was seeing the environment she actually wanted to work in.
“We always saw kids running around, having a lot of fun, having a laugh."
When I thought about changing careers, I just really gravitated towards that environment. So I enrolled in the University of Melbourne's Master of Teaching.
As a mature-age student going back to study after years in the workforce, she found that the highly experienced tutors in the course enabled her to make a smooth transition back into university life.
Overall, the course prepared her well for the realities of teaching.
“The placements were really good; they were really careful about choosing different scenarios, different schools so I got a broad range of experience."
Going into my first day [as a teacher], I definitely felt prepared.
Lina now works as a maths teacher at Caulfield Grammar School, a role that brings her all the fulfillment and work-life balance she had been looking for.
“A career in teaching is very fulfilling, because you can see the impact you are making on the students and you really feel like you’re making a change,” she emphasises. “And that, in return, is very motivating for me as a teacher.”
The one thing I love about teaching is watching students develop into good citizens of the world.
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