Tristan’s passion for supporting culturally and linguistically diverse and neurodivergent kids challenged his understanding of assignments and tests.
Tristan always knew he wanted to be a teacher who could make a difference in the lives of his students. He was especially passionate about working with linguistically diverse and neurodivergent kids. Studying a Master of Teaching (Primary) gave him the opportunity to see how he could work with these kids in the classroom and give them the confidence to learn and grow.
"I think kids have so much they can teach us and I want a meaningful career. I'm interested in how we can use language and arts to create inclusive and engaging learning environments for all students, regardless of their background or abilities.”
Through his regional teaching placement, he was able to put into practice his skills in designing tasks and formative assessments that allowed students to show what they have learnt in class in their own unique and creative ways.
Tristan stayed at the University accommodation in Shepparton for his regional placement, where he met other student-teachers who were also doing their placements in the region. He appreciated having a support network of peers who shared similar challenges and joys of being on placement. They often collaborated on lesson plans, exchanged feedback and ideas, and socialised after school hours.
“We could debrief the day with people we trusted, liked and respected – it was a great little community that I think really shows what it can be like to live in a regional area. I’d highly recommend a regional placement because you get to learn so much from the people around you in a way that’s different to a metro region.”
One of the highlights of Tristan's placement was working with children from different backgrounds and at different skill levels. He learned how to adapt his teaching style and curriculum to suit his students' needs and interests and to incorporate their cultural and linguistic diversity into his lessons. Combining his skills from across disciplines, he learned to make the most of different types of learning.
“Placement gave me the opportunity to implement open-ended assessments and solution-focused learning. There was one assignment where my students were learning to read a clock and navigate telling the time, and to be honest, my first attempt at designing the assessment was terrible. I needed to balance the opportunity for students to be creative and still demonstrate what they know. Working with different students and with guidance from my mentor teacher helped me use what we’d discussed in the classroom to design a task that the kids really enjoyed, even though it was a test. I learned a lot about the different ways we can express what we know and demonstrate our intelligence.”
Tristan's regional placement not only gave him practical experience and confidence as a teacher, but also enriched his personal and professional growth while strengthening his sense of connection with his students and colleagues. He discovered new possibilities and opportunities for his future career and most importantly, developed a deeper understanding and appreciation of the diversity and complexity of teaching and learning.
Working with neurodivergent kids, I'm inspired to find ways to help bring out their confidence in the classroom.
