Angelo Sellan

Monash College
Teacher Diploma of Business

Shaping the future of student learning

Angelo helps students at Monash College build the mindset and skills to thrive in study, work, and life.

What does ‘being a changemaker’ mean to you personally?

To me, being a changemaker is less about disruption and more about guiding transformation. I see the classroom as a space of tension –between certainty and curiosity, tradition and possibility. My role is to hold that space, helping students navigate uncertainty and discover who they’re becoming.

I don’t claim to create change. I shape it – by fostering self-belief, encouraging exploration, and making learning feel like a process worth embracing. If students leave with a stronger sense of agency, I’ve done my part.

What would surprise your younger self most about what you do now?

Teaching wouldn’t surprise my younger self; I think I always sensed I’d end up here. What might catch me off guard is how much time I now spend thinking about how people learn.

That curiosity started early, maybe on a beach where I once tried surfing without listening to the theory. After enough wipeouts, I began to see the value in understanding before doing.

That moment planted a seed. I became quietly obsessed with learning itself: what helps, what hinders, and how we make meaning before we even know we need it. If anything truly surprises me now, it’s how much patience I’ve developed.

Timing matters – and sometimes the best teaching is simply waiting until someone’s ready to hear it.

How do you help students build confidence and transition readiness, not just knowledge?

I’ve been where my students are. English wasn’t my first language, and I wasn’t ready for university. I know what it feels like to flounder, and how powerful it is to be seen in that moment.

Learning is messy. When the energy dips, I name it, I describe what they might be feeling, and then something shifts. I share my story not to impress, but to show that growth is possible. That I’ve lived it and was once a student myself.

I encourage students to set small, personal goals and track their progress. Whether it’s speaking up, helping a peer, or presenting without notes. I celebrate those steps because belief builds through recognition, persistence, and practice. And when they realise this isn’t just about accounting but about their future, they lean in.

I don’t claim to create change. I shape it – by fostering self-belief, encouraging exploration, and making learning feel like a process worth embracing."

How do you tailor your teaching approach to engage and inspire today's students?

I design learning experiences that feel authentic and relevant – less about instruction, more about discovery. I adapt to the group in front of me: some thrive through collaboration and activity, others through reflection and discussion.

To make learning playful and participatory, I use tools like ‘Monash Money’, where student contributions earn symbolic dollars that build toward an engagement score. It’s a simple idea, but it shifts the energy. Students lean in, take ownership, and start to see learning as something they shape.

What’s something about Monash College that would surprise people in a good way?

People might be surprised by how openly Monash College embraces AI as a learning tool. Rather than seeing it as a threat, we encourage students to use it thoughtfully to explore ideas, test their thinking, and deepen their understanding.

It’s about preparing students for the world beyond the classroom. We focus on building the skills to evaluate information critically and apply technology ethically and responsibly, so they’re ready to thrive in a rapidly changing landscape.

What motivates you to continue pushing boundaries in your work?

I feel a responsibility to keep evolving – for my students and for myself. As education shifts, the challenge is to nurture critical thinking, emotional intelligence, and purpose. That means questioning my own methods and staying open to change.

But I also enjoy it. There’s joy in experimenting, in seeing what works, and in those quiet breakthroughs – like when a student who once struggled to speak finds their voice and joins the conversation. That’s what keeps me going.

What does being a teacher allow you to do that nothing else can? Was there a moment you realised that your work as an educator goes beyond what happens in the classroom?

Teaching lets you shape lives in ways that often reveal themselves years later. I was reminded of this when I received a message from a former student I taught nearly two decades ago – who is now a CPA and leader in Risk and Compliance – thanking me for the impact I had on their journey.

That note meant everything. It reminded me that the real work of teaching often happens quietly, beneath the surface, and far beyond the classroom. It’s a privilege to be part of someone’s story in that way.