I’m Vandana and I’m a Masters in Teaching student doing my final semester, planning to graduate later this year.
When I first came to Australia I did a short nursing course and then got a job in a nursing home. That was my first job ever. It was very different. At home we don’t have nursing homes. I’ve learnt a lot from work. I have grown. I work on weekends. I’ve learned how important it is to be punctual and reliable. I’ve learned to work with people from different nations. It’s good.
My program also demands a lot of hard work. You have to set your own journey. It’s not about teachers delivering knowledge. It’s also about how passionate you are about your values and beliefs.
Back home in India it’s a more traditional way of schooling. In India we are given a set curriculum and have to work through books and are tested through examinations. The students are not very interactive. It took me a while to understand that here we design knowledge according to the students’ needs. Here the students are more participatory. They want to experiment and discuss things. Making one to one connection is important. That was really challenging for me. Students here have more vigour. You have to give good feedback and encouragement. If you don’t you aren’t a good teacher.
When my class started here we visited private, government and independent schools and they were very welcoming. That helped us see what Australian schooling was all about. As an International student I’ve really had to adapt and transform myself to what is expected here.
During my first practical in a school I had a difficult time. I was on my own and it was difficult. I was a bit anxious about why things were done this way or that way. I was a bit lonely. I didn’t talk much. But in my second practical I was more clear about my concerns, looked for and got more support. I was able to have success because I discussed my issues and got plenty of advice and encouragement.
My plan is to teach here. The sky’s the limit.
When I first came to Australia I did a short nursing course and then got a job in a nursing home. That was my first job ever. It was very different. At home we don’t have nursing homes. I’ve learnt a lot from work. I have grown. I work on weekends. I’ve learned how important it is to be punctual and reliable. I’ve learned to work with people from different nations. It’s good.
My program also demands a lot of hard work. You have to set your own journey. It’s not about teachers delivering knowledge. It’s also about how passionate you are about your values and beliefs.
Back home in India it’s a more traditional way of schooling. In India we are given a set curriculum and have to work through books and are tested through examinations. The students are not very interactive. It took me a while to understand that here we design knowledge according to the students’ needs. Here the students are more participatory. They want to experiment and discuss things. Making one to one connection is important. That was really challenging for me. Students here have more vigour. You have to give good feedback and encouragement. If you don’t you aren’t a good teacher.
When my class started here we visited private, government and independent schools and they were very welcoming. That helped us see what Australian schooling was all about. As an International student I’ve really had to adapt and transform myself to what is expected here.
During my first practical in a school I had a difficult time. I was on my own and it was difficult. I was a bit anxious about why things were done this way or that way. I was a bit lonely. I didn’t talk much. But in my second practical I was more clear about my concerns, looked for and got more support. I was able to have success because I discussed my issues and got plenty of advice and encouragement.
My plan is to teach here. The sky’s the limit.
Vandana
1 comment:
Lovely post, Vandana. This is a very different perspective, culturally speaking and would no doubt be interesting to aspiring teachers who have purely local knowledge.
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