Jack knew he wanted to study teaching as soon as he completed his undergraduate degree. He enrolled in the Master of Teaching (Secondary) with learning areas in English and TESOL.
I came from a family of teachers so I've always been interested in teaching. I have great respect for many of my teachers who have inspired me as well. So it was rather natural for me to go into teaching after my bachelors degree and so far I've enjoyed it tremendously.
This is going to sound a bit cliché, but I think teachers make a great difference in the lives of their students.
I think that we're teaching students who are at a very formative period in their lives. I think as teachers it is our duty and it's our vocation and calling to assist students in their formation academically, socially and in many other ways. So I think that's the greatest reason why I wanted to teach.
I've been in Melbourne for a while now. I have done other degrees here. I've worked and studied at the University of Melbourne and it's a really wonderful university, not only in the strength of its research but also in the support that the students get.
There are great facilities and lots of social and cultural events to do. The city of Melbourne is just a wonderful place to live in. It's one of the world's most livable cities and I really enjoy, apart from my academic studies, the cultural, the sporting, the literary side of the city.
My favourite part of the course is not just the practical side of teaching but the research side of things, which is very important for me.
I think the defining feature of the Melbourne program is that the focus is not just on the practicalities of training you to be a teacher – the research component is also key.
Our lecturers and tutors are very well-established researchers, so it's a good mix of both learning about the research and also the practical bits of teaching.
Teaching is very exciting and exhilarating, but also a very intensive course so I think time management is very crucial. I advise incoming students to really be organised and to come up with a timetable that looks after both your academic side of things but also your social, sporting and cultural side of things so that you can get the most of your experience.
It's really good to be fully immersed in the program, to not only go to your classes, but to also be involved in all kinds of clubs and societies at the university. For first-year students it would be really great to get in touch with a peer mentor who has done the same program and will be able to assist you.
I think that the balance of research and the practical side of things has really helped me in becoming a reflective practitioner.
Through my teaching practicums, my placements and my classes, I have learned to not just do what I do, but also reflect on why I'm doing this.
I hope to be a teacher who is student-centred, who is able to think about what the students need and to support them that way.
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