Monash Education prides itself on providing a world-class placement program for our students. With around 94% of students employed within 4 months of graduation, it’s no coincidence that many alumni successfully land positions at the schools where they completed their professional experience.

We spoke to five Monash Education graduates who are working at schools where they completed their professional experience. This is what they had to say.

Monash supported them throughout their placements

Starting a placement at a school can be nerve-racking and all our alumni stress how important it was to feel supported throughout the experience. For John Wall, who is starting a role with one of his placement schools, the preparation Monash offers pre-service teachers proved most helpful: “The best support was before my first placement, when we had information and Q&A sessions to make sure we are well prepared,” he says. “The documents describing requirements and expectations were very useful.”

Amreet Kaur Sindhu, who is now working with Geelong Grammar School, said it was knowing the team at Monash were always available that helped her the most. “During placement, the Professional Practice Consultant (PPC) Team at Monash checked in with me regularly to see if I needed any support, advice, or guidance,” she says. “They were always available if I had any questions and were knowledgeable and enthusiastic with their help.”

Monash Education’s PPC team are all highly experienced teachers who support all of Monash’s pre-service teachers throughout each stage of their professional experience.

And for Nick Munday from Chelsea Primary School, the on-site visits from a PPC member ensured he stayed on track with his placements. “[The advisor] took the time to sit down with me and check in on my wellbeing, to discuss goals and progression, offer any support for the TPA and take a really genuine interest in how I was going,” he says.

“They were always available if I had any questions and were knowledgeable and enthusiastic with their help.”

- Amreet

Advice and tips on job applications were invaluable

“We had an opportunity to attend an extra lecture that provided us with advice and tips on applying for jobs, key selection criteria, contacting schools to ask about roles, which was really helpful,” says Nicole Rademaker who has worked for Parktone Primary School since graduation. Nick agrees: “The support included in-class workshopping and role-playing of both the potential key selection criteria questions, as well as hypothetical interview questions and situations,” he says. “These activities definitely helped me feel at ease during my job interview as it allowed me to prepare well and offer strong insights to the interview selection panel.”

For Zoe Tamplin, who has landed a full-time position with Brighton Grammar, teaching through the Monash Virtual School meant she received incredible support and guidance from experienced and qualified educators. “I was able to seek advice and gain their support when applying for jobs,” she says. “They were awesome coaches who helped instil confidence with my application process.”

Zoe adds the mock interviews run by Monash Education were a great opportunity to gain feedback and constructive advice. “I found this experience invaluable because at times when undergoing an interview, it is hard to find out where you could improve!” she says. “Being able to receive feedback on your answers and how you came across in an interview was so useful.”

“We had an opportunity to attend an extra lecture that provided us with advice and tips on applying for jobs, key selection criteria, contacting schools to ask about roles, which was really helpful.”

- Nicole

Placements allow students to experience different schools and choose one suited to them

While you may not always find the right school on your first placement, our alumni say the quality of schools available offers Monash pre-service teachers opportunities to undertake professional experience in a diverse range of settings.

“I was lucky that the process was quite straightforward for me,” says John. “On my third placement, I felt that this would be a good school for me, so applied for a job as a tutor and took the opportunity to get to know the school from a working perspective … Then I simply asked what opportunities were coming up for next year and was told there was a position I could apply for. I submitted my application, had one interview and was successful.”

“I felt that this would be a good school for me, so applied for a job as a tutor and took the opportunity to get to know the school from a working perspective.”

- John

Amreet, however, wanted to explore her options before making a decision. “I applied for jobs at different schools around Victoria,” she says. “It was really important for me to find a school that aligned with my values and goals.” Having completed her placement at Geelong Grammar School’s Bostock House campus, she was successful in landing a position with the school’s Corio campus in 2023. “I am lucky enough to have finally found a school that reflects my core values and will allow me the space and support to grow as an educator,” she says.

And as Nick adds, many schools seem to be interested in hiring Monash graduates too! “I was amazed that once I applied, how quick I then found myself being interviewed,” he says.

Placements help students find their own teaching style

For Nicole, working with such a wide range of personalities across the different placements is crucial in helping you decide your teaching style. “You realise that every teacher is different,” she says. “I realised that I can be the teacher I want to be, not necessarily the teacher I thought I had to be … I used placement to help me find my own style and voice, and once I had the confidence and experience of seeing so many different types of teachers, I became the teacher I am.”

Zoe says the tips and tricks she picked up along the way have allowed her to develop a toolkit for her own classroom management style. “My mentors’ expertise and feedback for each lesson has really assisted my classroom management skills and has helped me feel more confident in my ability as a teacher,” she says. “Learning from my mentors about the importance of creating relations with your students creates respect within the classroom has also been a major key take-away from placement.”

“My mentors’ expertise and feedback for each lesson has really assisted my classroom management skills and has helped me feel more confident in my ability as a teacher.”

- Zoe

A love for teaching ultimately secures students’ employment

All the preparation and support in the world cannot help you land a job if your passion for teaching doesn’t shine through. “I absolutely love the responsibility of helping to empower and guide the amazing and complex children of our classrooms to learn and express their issues and ideas, support their wellbeing, and prepare them for the challenging 21st century workplace and world,” says Nick. “This is why I have become a teacher, and I cannot wait to start teaching.”

Amreet says it is empowering students to think critically about issues that matter to them that fuels her love of the job: “I see myself as a lifelong learner, and I am committed to sharing my love for learning with others.” For Nicole, the fact that no two days are the same drives her: “Every day is different. Every lesson is different. Lessons can take different turns, where the conversation takes a strange turn, but you end up having a really exciting conversation with the kids, which you hadn’t planned. I love improvised, in-the-moment teaching.”

For John and Zoe, it is the impact they can make on young people that gets them out of bed every morning. “Like most teachers, when you see that you have made a difference, or a student acknowledges that you have helped them, you feel great,” says John. “Being able to help students realise ‘I can do this!’ Is something that makes me so happy,” says Zoe.

“I absolutely love the responsibility of helping to empower and guide the amazing and complex children of our classrooms to learn and express their issues and ideas, support their wellbeing, and prepare them for the challenging 21st century workplace and world.”

- Nick

Monash Education and our team of Professional Practice Consultants support our pre-service teachers throughout every stage of their professional experience, to ensure they become the best teachers they can be. Learn more about our Placements program here.