After years of working in remote Aboriginal schools in the Northern Territory, Matt chose to study the Master of Education to develop the leadership skills he was using in his role. 4 years later, he then enrolled on our Master of TESOL so he could better support his teaching team in literacy in an Indigenous context.
Q: Can you please briefly outline your life prior to studying this program?
I completed high school at King George VI school in the Solomon Islands, and did my Bachelor of Business at James Cook University through their Melbourne campus. Later, I did a Graduate Diploma in Teaching and Learning at Charles Darwin University in the Northern Territory.
Q: Why did you choose to study at the Faculty of Education?
After years of working as a Teacher and Teaching Principal in Remote Aboriginal schools in the Northern Territory, my study leave was due, so I decided to come back to Melbourne to do my first Master of Education in July 2014 to July 2015. The Faculty of Education provided a suite of elective subjects that I could tailor my Masters, including the core subjects that met my study goals. In 2019, I returned to Melbourne Uni and completed a Master of TESOL.
Q: Why did you choose to study your programs?
The Master of Education was relevant to the leadership work that I was involved in and the Master of TESOL was useful to deepen my understanding of language teaching so that I could better support our teaching team in the area of literacies in our Indigenous contexts.
Q: Are you enjoying studying at the Faculty of Education? If so, what do you like about it?
I have thoroughly enjoyed my time studying at the Faculty. The quality of teaching, collaborative study projects with fellow students, friendships, and the great support I was afforded by the academic and support staff made the journey achievable. Furthermore, the extra support I have received through the Murrup Barak Indigenous Institute and the Indigenous Graduate Students Association was vital in my overall success and completion of both my Masters.
Q: What’s the most valuable/rewarding aspect of your program?
The face-to-face interactions and learning from and with top scholars at the Faculty was most valuable.
Q: Are you involved in any extra-curricular activities?
I have joined various clubs and societies whilst at university and have maintained friendships with these fellow students. This is a great social aspect of university life that I enjoyed.
Q: How do you hope your course will help your career progression?
I hope the courses I have done will help me to embark on social justice education-based projects, both nationally and internationally.
Q: What do you hope is the next step in your life/career?
I will return to my current role as a Teaching Principal in the Northern Territory and continue to support our staff and students at our school and then see what happens after that.
Q: What advice would you give to someone thinking about starting your course?
Read as much as you can about the course, both online and from handbooks before starting. Get in touch with Stop 1 and academic staff well in advance to answer specific questions about the course and subjects before you choose your units, as the timeframes are tight in a course work Masters program.
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