AT ST JOSEPH’S

You’ll never walk alone

For St Joseph’s College Toowoomba teachers, Tania Gallen (left) and Emily Whiting (right), education is more than just passing a test.

Tania is the deputy principal (teaching and learning) and currently teaches religion and ethics, drawing on politics, social issues and other areas of everyday life relevant to her students.

For Emily, who is the assistant principal (operations and innovation), it’s the creative side of things which inspire her, so she teaches Japanese, dance and drama.

Q: What inspired you to teach?

A love of learning that goes beyond just facts and figures, and a passion for curiosity, is what sparked Tania’s interest in teaching.

“It’s an opportunity to delve into problem–solving and enquiry, where the answer is not immediately known,” Tania said.

Emily fell in love with teaching in primary school when she saw teachers interacting with students and embracing ‘the whole child’.

“I realised I could be more than just someone standing in front of the classroom,” she said.

Q: What are your teaching goals?

Tania said they want their students to be interconnected in their learning, and don’t want the students to fear making mistakes.

“Self–belief is where it all starts,” she said.

“We are embracing the idea of ‘falling forward’,” Emily said, explaining that it allows students and staff the opportunity to grow by learning from their failures.

Under their ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’ initiative, Emily and Tania want to teach their students important life and social skills, equipping them to take on the world.

Q: What is the most important role of an educator?

“You have to walk beside them; support them, challenge them, nurture them, and give them room to learn without them feeling stifled by you picking at their every fault,” Tania said.

Emily said collaboration and positive relationships are key to build the trust necessary for students to take risks and learn.