A passion to help people learn
Georgia Lowe hopes to come full circle in the public education system.
As Victoria celebrates 150 years of public education, Ms Lowe is fulfilling her dream to become a teacher to give back to the community and area where she grew up.
She completed her own schooling at Goroke P-12 College in 2017 and is now studying teaching while working in an education support role at Horsham Special School.
“I thoroughly enjoyed completing all of my schooling from kinder to year 12 at Goroke as there were small class numbers, which created an individualised learning experience,” she said.
“As Goroke is a small rural town, I knew all the students within the school and also had a great relationship with the staff, which I felt allowed me to feel comfortable in the classroom and enjoy my schooling.”
When she first finished VCE, Ms Lowe did not initially plan to study teaching, although it had been a dream job in her childhood.
“After completing year 12 I decided I needed to take a gap year, have a break from studying and experience working life before heading off to Ballarat for university,” she said.
“I completed a year at Federation University doing a Bachelor of Health Science and decided it wasn’t the course for me.
“I transferred to a Bachelor of Education, which I am completing online as well as working at Horsham Special School in an education support role.
“I have always had a passion for helping children learn.
“I remember in one of my end-ofyear school magazine profiles in year
two or three my dream job was to become a teacher. This has always been relevant and still in present day is my dream job.”
While studying, Ms Lowe has jumped straight into learning in a practical setting in a role at Horsham Special School.
“This involves supporting the teacher within the classroom setting as well as assisting students with one-on-one support,” she said.
“I assist students with life skills and support students with their classroom tasks and learning materials.
“The most rewarding aspect of my role at Horsham Special School is seeing students achieve tasks that they never thought they would be able to do. The achievements look different for each individual and that’s why the achievements are so unique.
“I love celebrating each child’s individual journey along the way.”
Ms Lowe said there were both advantages and challenges to schooling in the Wimmera.
“The smaller class sizes and school sizes are certainly an advantage that the Wimmera is lucky to have as there is the opportunity to have a more personalised approach to education,” she said.
“Students are also able to establish strong relationships with multiple staff members rather than just their own classroom teacher.”
Ms Lowe said there would always be challenges when looking at education in a rural area.
“The biggest challenge I believe is there might not be as many opportunities with subject choices as in Melbourne areas,” she said.
“However, there is still a wide variety to choose from, especially now with modern technology.”
Ms Lowe said she could see herself working as a qualified teacher in the Wimmera in the future.
“I certainly plan on staying around the Wimmera to give back to the community and area where I grew up,” she said.
“The Wimmera is a beautiful area to live in and I can’t imagine moving away within the near future.”