Cobram Secondary College will play host to three Teach for Australia associates for the next two years as they teach students part-time while undertaking their Masters in Teaching.
Nicholas Jackson, Jessica Phippen and Lucia Sergent come from different areas of Australia and are united by their desire to fast-track their teaching careers.
This desire saw the three of them sign up for Teach For Australia, which seeks to link teaching professionals who are new to the industry to regional schools around the country.
Mr Jackson, who will teach Humanities and English, decided to become a Teach for Australia associate as he saw it as the best route to gain as much experience as quickly as possible.
“I tried to look for a program that got me into the classroom as fast as I can and make as much positive change as soon as I could, and TFA fit that bill,” Mr Jackson said
His love for English and Humanities comes from a long-standing passion for reading and writing, as well as an interest in how humans and society operate.
Mr Jackson’s initial experience of Cobram has been positive and he is eager to get involved as much as possible.
“This community sense is really strong here ... just a very rich, vibrant community sense that I'm looking forward to,” he said.
Mr Jackson believes it is imperative for potential teachers to be open to the idea of moving away from the big metropolitan centres and shift to regional areas while noting that the people seem to be friendlier in the regions.
As for his impressions of his new students and workplace, Mr Jackson has nothing but praise.
“The kids are a delight. I've been to so many classrooms and the students are just bright with energy and the teaching community is very strong as well,” he said.
Mr Jackson’s positive impressions are shared by Ms Phippen.
Teaching Art and Design, Ms Phippen hopes to inspire students who feel they can’t do art.
She says both the college and Cobram in general are an absolute delight.
“I feel more welcomed here than I've ever felt welcomed in a job or an organisation or anything like that,” Ms Phippen said.
She plans to spend her free time getting involved in the community as much as possible, as well as creating art.
“Getting down to the river and might watch a few cricket matches,” Ms Phippen said.
Ms Sergent is the third Teach for Australia associate who will making Cobram her home for the next two years.
Formerly from Sydney, Ms Sergent will be teaching Maths and said her goal was to help kids understand the subject, as well as be there for her new students.
“I want to be able to help as many young people as I can in their lives,” Ms Sergent said.
The three associates are part of a larger group of 11 Teach for Australia associates who are based in Cobram Secondary College while undertaking their initial placement as part of their Teach for Australia National Initial Intensive.
Once their initial placement is over, the other eight associates will relocate elsewhere, including to Shepparton and Hobart, to teach.