Teach for Australia Videos

Aaran was at a crossroads when he left university. He had a Maths degree, and wanted to do something meaningful. “I’d been involved with a lot of community initiatives at university, and I wanted to give back,” he says. So he joined Teach For Australia.

Dan spent twenty-five years in the wine industry – and he loved every minute of it. “But after twenty-five years, perhaps I’d done as much as I could really achieve. I was really proud of what I’d done. As a family, we were looking for a change and were keen to move to Melbourne. Our kids were in their mid-teens and were beginning to get a little hemmed-in by country life. I was expecting to pick up a winemaker role somewhere in the Yarra, but Teach For Australia came knocking instead. In my late forties, with perhaps twenty years of work ahead, the prospect of doing something really valuable with that time was an easy choice.”

Christie had inspiring maths teachers back when she was in school, who had encouraged her to pursue further study – even though she didn’t really think she had the knack for maths herself. She didn’t have academic help at home, and felt that she was struggling in the subject – but it was her teachers who changed her perception. “I wanted to pay it forward to students, and help them overcome the unfounded idea that ‘I’m just not a maths person’,” she says.

Celia had an established career as a horticulturist, but now she’s a science teacher. “I wasn’t necessarily looking for an entire career change, but as soon as I heard about TFA it seemed like a perfect fit,” she says. She realised that she was drawn to teaching, but felt that she couldn’t afford to pause her life in order to study. “My partner and I had a mortgage; I was working in a completely different industry and didn’t feel my employer would be supportive of my taking time off for placements. TFA provided me with a realistic opportunity to work, learn and earn, all while experiencing the sense of fulfilment that arises from engaging in something meaningful.”

Jun wanted to do something meaningful and impactful in his life. Originally from Brisbane, he was considering his career options in law and diplomacy, but teaching wasn’t on his list… until he learned about Teach For Australia. “I wanted to do something meaningful and impactful with my life,” Jun says. “I never intended to be a teacher until I found Teach For Australia, where I could work towards a bigger goal of systemic change and impact.”

Brenden didn’t travel very far for his placement. In fact, he’s teaching at the very secondary school he had attended. “Returning to my old school through TFA has been interesting,” Brendan says. “Maybe awkward for a week or so, but really beautiful. I feel a lot of connection to the community, and a lot of connection to the students… who have the same handshakes!”

After nearly nine years at Ernst & Young, Kath realised that she wasn’t doing what she loved. “I had plenty of time working for commercial gain,” she says, “And knew I wanted a renewed focus on doing something that is beneficial to society as a whole.” She wanted a career with more social interaction, and less time sitting behind a desk. She wanted to pass on the opportunities she had in her education to another generation of students.

Applications are now open to join Teach For Australia’s newest cohort of Associates through its award winning Leadership Development Program!