Caroline teaching in the remote WA town of Kununurra.
Ever since I was a child, I’ve always loved learning and sharing my new discoveries with whoever was around me and willing to listen.
I was that stubborn 8-year-old who always wanted to be the teacher when playing school with her friends in the backyard, but my journey to becoming a teacher wasn’t entirely straightforward.
During high school, I felt like teaching wasn’t really an option for me. I think this was because of the pressures I felt from the people around me and society who didn’t view the profession as seriously as an economics career.
This led to me enrolling in a Bachelor of Economics, but little did I know this degree would help lay the foundations for my current role, teaching business and finance to high school students.
Fast forward to 2007, I obtained my Bachelor of Economics and then worked in the field until 2019.
And then came COVID…
Like many of you reading this, COVID came crashing into my life. But it turned out to be one of the best things that could have ever happened to me!
Taking the time to reflect on my career, I decided I couldn’t delay my dream anymore and I enrolled in a Master of Teaching (Secondary) at Curtin University.
It started off as a scary experience. Moving from the bustling city streets of Rio de Janeiro, as a mature-aged student, to the remote WA town of Kununurra wasn’t easy, I was unsure of how it was all going to go.
Despite all the fear, stress and doubt that comes with any big life-changing move, I realised that no matter where you are in your life or career, connection is everything.
Becoming a teacher has opened so many doors for me.
Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine that I would get the opportunity to teach in all corners of Australia, from as far as Halls Creek in the Kimberley to Katherine in the Northern Territory and the Gold Coast in Queensland.
Travelling to all these places allowed me to meet many new people and form friendships that have lasted to this day. You’d be surprised how many people can relate to your situation when you open-up and share your experiences.
But at the end of the day, one thing remained the same. All the people I met along the way had very similar aspirations and fears no matter their status or background, and I think that’s special.
My biggest piece of advice for graduate teachers wanting to go remote is to go for it and don’t be afraid. Yes, it’s challenging at times, but you will learn so much and get hands-on experience tackling challenges not possible in larger schools in the city.
Written by
Caroline Constant, Business (VET) Teacher and Casual Teacher at St Joseph’s Catholic School in Kununurra
Graduating from Curtin with a Master of Teaching (Secondary Education) in 2021, Caroline has since been committed to making a difference to the lives of students’ residing in the remote WA community of Kununurra. She was recently awarded the Australian College of Educators (WA Chapter) Award for her commitment to academic and professional excellence.
