The teacher uses the television experience in the classroom

Heather Clark is an English teacher and house coordinator at Rosebank College in Sydney

My typical week is divided into two distinct areas, although they overlap during the school day. As an English teacher I teach, prepare classes, evaluate work and develop my own knowledge of texts and teaching practice. As a coordinator, I work closely with students, parents and staff, focusing on student well-being. My role as a teacher is fairly routine, while the coordinating duties of the house vary from day to day.

I’ve been teaching off and on for almost 30 years. After my Bachelor of Arts I started a theater career in Glasgow, Scotland. On my return to Australia I volunteered for the NSW Youth Arts & Skills Festival where I had so much fun working with teenagers that I thought I would give teaching a try.

Since that time I have dipped in and out of teaching. I have worked in a ministry, recorded a few commercials and small roles on TV, performed at Playback Theater Sydney for a number of years and also started my own drama school for primary school children.

In 2010 I became Education Manager at the Australian Theater for Young People where I have had some wonderful opportunities to run programs for schools in Sydney and to develop a theater project in Katherine in the Northern Territory. The management position was exciting, but I noticed that I missed working directly with young people. I studied psychology with the idea of ​​becoming a school counselor, but after a brief stint as a college counselor I wanted to get back into the classroom. I’ve been back in teaching for eight years now and the two roles I currently hold offer a perfect blend of all my previous positions.

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What I love about my job is working with young people. Those in our next generation are smart, funny, brave and passionate. They care about the world, care about the environment, want to make a difference and can see through “falseness,” to quote Holden Caulfield. It’s always exciting when a student surprises themselves, when they achieve a personal best on a test, or when they learn a new concept. The classroom is everyone’s common brain space, and I often find myself nodding approvingly at the insights the students have.

Especially for my tasks I find it important to be organized, patient, curious about the world, creative and optimistic. Adolescence is such an impressive time when peers become the loudest influence in their lives. Offering young people a different perspective in the safety of a classroom is the gift a teacher can give to their students. Of course, if I can help them enjoy Shakespeare and write a rad essay, that’s a bonus.