Oliver decided to complete his Master of Teaching placement in Shepparton, where UniMelb accommodation helped him connect with other teachers.
Oliver's journey to teaching wasn't straightforward. "I studied civil engineering for my undergraduate degree but after working in the industry, I felt like that career didn’t quite fit with where I saw myself going. I’d done some work as a maths tutor and guitar teacher, which I always enjoyed, so primary school teaching felt like something that would line up with the narrative of where I could see myself.”
Teaching placements are a crucial part of a teaching degree, providing real-world experience and the opportunity to apply theoretical knowledge in a classroom setting. For Oliver, a regional teaching placement was a priority for establishing a sense of community and connection both inside the classroom and with his fellow teaching students.
"I always wanted to go rural for at least one of my teaching placements. I knew I’d have support through the university accommodation, and I liked the idea of being with other people also on placement. It meant we could work together on lesson plans and have this social opportunity, because sometimes during placement it can feel challenging to make time for both work and social commitments.”
Staying at the University accommodation gave Oliver the opportunity to get out of the city with the security of knowing he still had a place to call his own. He didn’t have to worry about admin, either: the faculty placements team took care of everything for him when he was placed at a primary school in the area. He was given a room in shared accommodation with a number of other student-teachers, creating an invaluable support network.
"Often after placements, we’ll be sitting in the kitchen area at our shared accommodation and we have this combination of working and socialising as we do lesson plans, cook or hang out. We can ask each other questions and get feedback.”
During his Shepparton placement, Oliver taught a prep class (5–6-year-olds), and he admitted he was apprehensive about it initially.
"I thought since they would be so young, it would be hard to connect, but I found the students way more mature than I expected, and there’s so much they can do. It was fantastic to watch them grow up.”
In the end, he learned to adapt his teaching style and challenge the assumptions he’d made about how to connect with students of different ages.
This experience helped Oliver see the potential of working in a rural or regional area. While he’s currently based in metro Melbourne, this placement has expanded the potential idea of how much he’d enjoy living in a community like he’s experienced in Shepparton.
"Rural and regional communities are often close-knit, so it’s opened up this idea that I could move to a community like this one day and work as a teacher."
Oliver's rural teaching placement not only provided him with valuable teaching experience but also helped him find a sense of community and solidify his career aspirations. His story is a testament to the opportunities and support available in rural and regional teaching placements.
Rural and regional communities are often close-knit, so it’s opened up this idea that I could move to a community like this one day and work as a teacher.