Faculty of Education

The final weekend in Vietnam saw many of our international placement students take a trip on the Mekong river. This shot from our #studenttakeover on our Monash_Education instagram account. Thanks to Natalie and Mikayla for keeping us up-to-date, and we are thrilled you had such a great experience.

#mondaymusings

Darshani Jayawardena was working as a micro-biologist and researcher when realised her heart just wasn't in it anymore. What she really wanted to do was be a teacher, like both her parents. She had seen the difference education could make, especially for girls. A Master of Teaching degree from Monash gave her the qualification she needed to shift careers and follow her passion. “It’s all about the kids,” she says. “I feel I can develop a passion in them for learning. A lot of people have this preconception that maths and science are boring, and a lot of hard work. They don’t see the interesting side, the practical side. “But I can bring that practical knowledge to the school and show how it is related to the real world, not just in books. “Teachers can definitely make a difference. I really believe that.” If you are looking for a career change, we are running an information session at Monash's Graduate Study Expo. 23 January at 4pm at Monash Law Chambers 555 Lonsdale Street, Melbourne 3000 To register: https://www.monash.edu/graduate-events

What role does confidence play in helping early career teachers prosper in the profession? Check out this research from Monash's Sindu George.

“Teachers are best placed when it comes to writing for children because they are doing their research every day. They can see how a particular age group think,” says our alumni and much-loved children’s book author Hazel Edwards Her advice is for teachers aspiring to be writers is straight-forward: “Get on with it.” Hazel has published more than 200 books, including “There’s a hippopotamus on our roof eating cake.” Hazel was a teacher before she became a writer and has continued to teach throughout her career. For her, the two go very much hand-in-hand, driven by a passion for stories and for literacy. “Good stories are universal. I see reading as a code of ideas that has to be cracked. And if you don’t crack that code, you are cut off from a lot of information and experiences.” It was wonderful to catch up with you Hazel. Thank you for sharing your wisdom. #monashpride #loveteaching.