S9 Ep3: Remote, Regional and Rural Teaching Experiences...The Power of Stepping Out of Your Comfort Zone: A Pre-Service Teacher's Powerful Perspective

In this episode, Narelle Lemon, Teachers Supporting Teachers producer and professor based at the Mount Lawley campus at Edith Cowan University, and her series co-host Marnie Harris, a lecturer based in the South West Campus in Bunbury, are joined by special guest Michaela, a primary pre-service teacher completing her final year at Edith Cowan University. Michaela shares her inspiring story and passion for learning and teaching, which has taken her on transformative teaching journeys far from home for her professional experiences.

Michaela discusses what initially inspired her to seek out professional experiences in diverse and distant locations, including a professional experience in another country. She shares a specific moment or experience from one of her professional experiences that stands out as particularly impactful or transformative, and explains how her professional experiences in various locations have expanded her understanding of teaching and learning in regional, rural, or remote schools.

The conversation also touches on a particular challenge Michaela faced during her professional experiences away from home and the strategies she used to navigate it. Michaela shares her future plans for teaching after graduating from her teaching degree this year, providing insight into how her diverse experiences have shaped her career aspirations.

The importance of self-care and wellbeing during regional, rural, and remote educational experiences is a key topic in the episode, with Michaela sharing her insights on priorities to maintain and protect them. She also provides her top tip for why pre-service teachers should say yes to opportunities for regional, rural, and remote educational experiences.