January 23, 2023 • 36 mins
Episode Overview:
In this episode Ben and Georgie Mikus from Footprint Placements discuss their remote recruitment service, the benefits of remote teaching and the opportunities that currently exist.
Mentions:
- Footprint Placements
Spotlight business/organisation/group:
Laurens Lil Learners
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Website: www.theremoteteacher.com.au
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Facebook group ‘Teachers in Remote Communities (Past, Present, Future)’: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2172604386399316
About The Remote Teacher Podcast
The Remote Teacher Podcast is a podcast ‘talking all things remote education’ to support remote outback teachers to be the best they can be… and in turn can help our students be the best they can be. We chat with remote outback teachers, leaders, First Nations educators and remote service providers about career, leadership, mental health, teaching strategies, culture, language, special needs, bucket lists for remote adventures and more.
Host: Hakea Hustler
Guest: Ben and Georgie Mikus
Links: www.linktr.ee/carlandhakeaauthors
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
Welcome to the Remote Teacher podcast. We're excited to have you here.
(00:09):
I'm Hake Hussler, an experienced regional rural and remote teacher, author of children's
middle and YA books and co-creator of the Facebook group, teaches in remote communities
past, present and future, along with Karl Merrison and Lynette Gordon, and the co-owner of
website, the remote teacher. The remote teacher, podcast and all our support platforms come
(00:32):
from a passion to improve the experience of remote teachers and in turn create positive
outcomes for our remote students and communities.
You can find out more about us on www.theremoteteacher.com.au, over on our Facebook group, teaches
in remote communities past, present and future, and of course by listening to this podcast.
(00:54):
Now remember you can also download these podcasts so you don't need internet access and
you can listen to them wherever you need, including on your long drives out to your remote
and rural communities. Please remember to like us on Facebook, on Instagram and by signing
up to our email list.
Before I introduce our guest for today, it's important to acknowledge that the discussions
(01:17):
that we have here are the opinion of the guests and myself alone and do not represent
anyone including Department of Education or any particular organisation unless of course
they've come on stating that they're representing that organisation.
It's also important to consider first-station peoples, communities, students and families
(01:38):
are all diverse and unique and what works for our guests and myself, they all may not
work for you, your students, your families, your communities and your schools.
So take what you need, leave what you don't, sit back and enjoy, let's begin.
I'm very happy to welcome Ben and Georgie from Footprint Placements.
(01:59):
We've interacted a lot over on the Facebook group and I've seen them posting everywhere
around the internet about the amazing job opportunities that they have.
Before we begin our interview together, I'd like to acknowledge the traditional custodians
on the lands we meet today.
I'm on the lands of the Bungalong people of Northern Rivers and they're over it on your
to your to country and we power respects to their elders past, present and emerging and
(02:25):
extend that respect to any First Nations people listening along with our podcast today.
So welcome to Ben and Georgie.
Thank you.
Thank you very much for having us.
Your background and your adventures around Australia seem very interesting.
So can you feel the listeners in on your background prior to remote teaching, maybe personal and
(02:47):
career wise?
Well, we actually met in London 15 years ago.
So we weren't had a passion for travelling.
And we did a bit of travel there.
We went to Egypt and Israel.
I lived in Egypt for a while.
Scotland.
(03:07):
Yeah.
The usual Europe, you know, travels for a person adventure.
And then it was time to come back to Australia and we had moved around the country a fair
bit since then we then jumped on to uni and I did environmental science.
Georgie did teaching and then we got married in 2014 and we were, I'm going to know what
(03:33):
we were going to do, what direction we were going to go and we thought let's travel
to the country, but then an opportunity came up to go and teach in a remote community in
Koonowariji actually in eastern Pilgray there.
And yeah, we took it and haven't looked back since to be honest.
Actually, it's definitely been a life changing experience and one that forever be strong
(03:55):
going in our heart.
Yeah.
We originally went out for a term.
We extended for a term and then we said for each.
It gets in your blood, yes.
Yeah, we even had our sons go back there as well.
So yeah.
But tell us about that then.
(04:17):
The best bits, the challenges, what life was like, I suppose teaching there, but then
also you've got the starting a young family there as well.
That's another aspect to it.
For the first year I was in the classroom as an assistant in the classroom, you know,
not having been in a classroom before.
So Georgie was definitely sort of the lead there.
(04:40):
And yeah, we had a great time really connecting with a core group of students.
I have to note that this particular campus is one of two campuses of the Browark community
school and it's at that time was our one teacher school.
Students.
With six students.
So, but then that change over the years, that change from six to six.
(05:03):
To 16 to 20, 21 when we left.
So yeah, changed a bit.
Yeah, so I stayed in the classroom there for a year and we did jobs, obviously preparing
meals and cooking and cleaning and really developing some really great and meaningful relationships
with the kids, but also the community members as well.
(05:24):
So I then moved from the school because I was able to get a role that was in line with
my studies.
So as a Ranger coordinator.
So yeah, and started the first Ranger team out there working for an organization called
KJ.
So KJ had been around for many years at that point, but this was their first time they
(05:46):
had a Ranger coordinator based in Cornewrogy.
So yeah, that was a great, great experience as well.
And the Ranger team really would look, some of them are still really close friends.
The guys out there, they're just absolutely the most warm, welcoming sort of individuals
you'll ever come across.
Yeah, we had some great experiences.
(06:06):
I know that lots of the recruits that you support to go remote, but also lots of people
thinking of going remote might have a partner that isn't a teacher like you were, that
sometimes there's positions in school, sometimes there's positions outside of school and sometimes
it's about just going, finding your feet and seeing what's available.
You support couples going remote as well, don't you?
(06:28):
I mean, we get asked daily actually, you know, I'm thinking about going remote, but my
partner isn't a teacher, what options are there?
And you know, sometimes they're really, you know, we can go right, yeah, there's definitely
this community in this school is looking for a teacher and they have plenty of other roles
in the community.
Other times, you know, there's either nearby communities or there's other options around,
(06:51):
but I would say like in a large percentage of the cases, there is always an option for
a partner to find some work, definitely.
And I think that's kind of the benefit of connecting with you both at footprint placements because
you know a lot of the schools around Australia, you know kind of the dynamics of where a couple
or a teaching family even would fit amongst them.
(07:13):
Yeah, that's right.
I mean, last year we placed a teacher up in a Kimberley school and she was travelling with
her family in a caravan and they needed someone not for a short term basis and she was driving
past.
So she stayed for 10 weeks, enrolled her kids in the school, her husband I think from memory
(07:34):
was a carpenter.
So he was able to help out with his skills around and look, then they moved on.
So there are support the school when they had some time where they didn't have all their
stuff and yeah, then moved on after that finished.
Which really highlights, some people are interested in remote teaching but don't know yet if it's
(07:56):
good for them, if it's the right fit, if they've got the right things to bring, if the community
will be the place that they need to end up.
So footprint placements helps with short term relief.
Six months and then the longer contracts as well.
That's what we've done from three weeks.
Yeah, but usually it's a term onwards.
(08:18):
Many go for a year.
I'm of had a lot of people extend as well, which has been brilliant, it's absolutely loved
it and then started, they brought their family, their dogs, they're running, started that
for them.
So that's been absolutely brilliant.
I think as well as we've done so much travelling, we love remote areas and when we did travel,
(08:38):
we actually drove past a lot of these areas where placing the teachers now.
It's really good to be able to know some of these areas.
It highlights the importance of people committing for that one year and longer.
We want to reduce the turnover in remote community schools.
We want people to stay in love and connect, but also that there are this teacher shortage
(09:00):
and it is hard to get relief teachers in remote communities.
So, you know, being able to source those stuff that you're talking about and connect people
with the right schools is a really important role that you play in that space as well.
Oh, yeah, definitely.
Look, your point is 100%.
In turn, over is probably one of the main drivers behind what we do.
(09:24):
But like you say, stuff need to leave for various reasons, whether it be short term, they
need short term stuff.
So it does feel that sort of void there.
When it aligns, it can be tricky to find people that are flexible enough and not currently
(09:44):
teaching.
I'm really curious about, because on other podcasts, you know, we've spoken about the big picture,
but I'm curious about these tiny classrooms and the impact of teaching just six kids in
a day or the challenges that come around some days, there's six and some days is 16 and
(10:05):
some days is 21.
Do you want to talk a bit about that?
I chatted a lot with the community at the beginning about attendance and how the community
really wanted all their kids at school.
And just starting with those sort of chats, we had an extremely high attendance rate when
kids were in community, came to school, but we also in the morning, the kids were when
(10:29):
they walked to school and pick up the other kids.
And time for school and those sort of things, because sometimes we'd get new families and
I'd have a chat to them and they might just say, well, I may not know what time it is,
so I don't know what time for the kids to go and that was the barrier.
So it was, okay, I'll talk to my kids, they're going to shout out, you know, one of their
(10:52):
cousins or something and they're going to shout out these kids are coming and they all
went and mostly the kids loved going to school.
We also, we started a lot of programs where we're there with the on-country learning, with
partnership with when Ben started working for KJ as well, which was the junior range
of program.
So that was absolutely brilliant.
(11:13):
And the most things I probably loved about in my entire teaching career.
Definitely, taking those kids.
You know, it's not, and this is where we took the back seat.
We really took the back seat, you know, not physically because a lot of the time I was driving,
but, you know, the driver, the direction, what are we doing?
(11:36):
Where do the kids want to go?
So my ranges, and, firstly, my range of team was, had a direction that was from the elders
in the community.
So then it sort of went down the chain of command, so to speak, where, you know, elders
sort of set priorities and then the ranges listened to them and then the ranges then passed
(11:59):
that on to the kids and where we were going.
And so, yeah, it was sort of a beautiful, meld of understanding.
Community here was led by communities.
It was grassroots and the ranges from.
I 100% yeah, yeah.
So we might say, let's go to this particular site for a day, sometimes for a night, sometimes,
(12:23):
actually, with the school, we only, at that time, we only did, you know, overnights with the
kids, you know, because we did have some young kids there as well.
So yeah, we had a great experience, yeah, completely community led and the kids really learnt
so much, you know, we witnessed that firsthand.
It's love to come into school.
(12:44):
It wasn't just walk into the classroom, this is another whole in different world that you're
going to walk into.
Yeah.
I'm really trying to work with the community together and the community was always welcome
to come in then.
And I think what I'm hearing is that you've got, you know, community led and community involvement,
which is so important.
You've got your strengths as an educator, Georgie, that you will bring the curriculum.
(13:07):
You knew what the, you know, outcomes you were trying to achieve, but you could do that
in a space that Ben was supporting and the ranges were leading out in community as well.
So you're bringing everyone's kind of strengths to the table in this extra space you were creating.
Yeah, definitely.
Yeah.
And I suppose as well, we really have to think about differentiation as well.
(13:27):
Because we had kids at completely different levels.
So we had, we may have had only six kids, you know, there might have been two at grade two
level, but one might have been seven and one might have been 16.
So you're not going to teach them the same thing either.
But then you want them all to be able to work together as well.
But I think that's where that I'm country and two way of learning really played well.
(13:50):
Definitely.
Yeah.
And look, we see, I'm not going to lie.
Every time I speak to a principal or a new school that we haven't chatted to previously, I'm
like excited, so excited when I hear the words, oh, we have these programs that we're doing,
whether it be language or, on country or anything else, like it's, it's perfect.
And teachers want that, they want that experience.
(14:12):
They want to learn about another culture, you know, and they want to learn language.
Yeah, we, we really enjoy it and get excited by it.
So yeah.
So then how did you both transition into the remote teacher recruitment space?
How did you move on from community to that?
Traveling.
I think we, um, we met so many people who were interested in what we did and going out
(14:37):
to communities.
People didn't know how to get into it.
And there's all these fantastic teachers were spoken to and sent, that's something I would
absolutely love to do and I just don't know how to.
And that's really where the, are you came from our background?
Isn't it a recruitment at all?
It's in remote teaching and remote communities and, um, yeah, we're just where, where they
(14:58):
conduit for people to get involved in these remote areas.
And yeah, we began this journey by reaching out to schools and reaching out to the, to the
teachers on various platforms, including, including obviously your group.
Yeah, and we were so impressed with the, the caliber of, of teachers, you know, that we,
that we chatted to.
And, you know, when I said caliber of teacher, I'm talking.
(15:20):
Yeah, yes, look, a fantastic, um, you know, education and experience is, is amazing.
Really it's personality comes to, we really.
We really miss to learn.
Oh, my goodness.
We'll miss that.
Yeah, 100%.
That listening with intent to others, um, that active listening is, as a lot of people describe
(15:41):
it is, is so important.
Um, as I just interrupted your duty there.
Yeah, so when we, when I've chat to people, they're the top of things I'm, I'm picking up on
as well as, as your experience in your education as well.
So now we have schools reaching out to us started in WA.
Yeah.
We moved to NT and now Queensland as well and placed primary teachers and secondary principles,
(16:06):
coordinators and early years teachers.
And we've had such great feedback from the principles as well as the teachers like, just
loving that they've decided I want to extend many at the start of like, I just want to go
for a term because this is such a new thing for me.
And I can, I understand we did the same here.
And then wanting to, it's just brilliant, absolutely brilliant.
(16:28):
But it is, like we're talking about the positive, but there are also the challenges as well
about they're having that isolation and a lot of the time, you know, a, a, you know, it's
a foreign culture.
It's a foreign geographically.
Maybe it's unfamiliar environment, you know, the limited services that are out there, but
(16:49):
once you adapt, are able to sort of look past that and really, like, engage and involve
yourself in where you are.
The experience is like, it's just such a good experience.
And I think that's where your footprint placements kind of steps in as well.
Because number one, you're helping to see about people and help them figure out if remote
(17:09):
teaching is for them or not.
And then you kind of know the areas so you're helping people figure out what would suit
their needs.
So whether they suit coastal or inland, big school, small school and where they kind of fit,
you have these connections across Australia.
And like you said, WA and to end Queensland.
And you can help match the right people to the right places.
(17:29):
But I think the strength of your recruitment service is that it's not just that.
You don't kind of dump people in it and leave them there.
You offer them this range of training and services.
And then you're supporting people into their new roles as well.
So you have the strength.
Yeah, you're right.
You've sort of summarised it there quite well.
We connect teachers with the schools that meet both of their needs.
(17:52):
We have, you know, one family and taking out her four kids in a dog.
And some, you're not going to fit into every house that you're also going to have lots of
people that might have medical requirements.
They need to be close to a certain service, like, I don't know, might be Ella Springs or
some sort of large centre, maybe Conan Aarrow, which is what crossing.
(18:14):
Yeah, or they go out with their partner.
And like we mentioned before, you know, they can have this experience and their partner can
find some employment as well.
So I think also some of the teachers, they're feeling uncomfortable to ask all the questions
to the principal and feel that they might be just asking on with an almond and on with
and they can ask us and we ask questions, we can't, we reach out.
(18:37):
So and then just forgive that to them.
Yeah, yeah.
It's, we do.
That's right.
We make those questions not so daunting and those, you know, they're not afraid to ask,
you know, they're coming ask us and like, like, do you mention, we, you know, we can
either answer it or we can't and we'll say we can't, we'll find out the answer for
them.
Those third party providers for the training that we provide as well is from Australian
(19:01):
Child Rook Foundation, which is the trauma and form practice in education.
So the teachers that we place have the opportunity to engage in this program that we'll pay
for them, including the cultural conferences course from the Strongest Smarter Institute
and then mental health first aid for people that stay on for greater than six months.
(19:24):
Yeah.
And actually put the question out to your group asking remote teachers what, with the
best courses they have done and which is most beneficial and they were the ones.
And you know what, in every podcast that we've done so far and constantly on the page, like
you said, and in, you know, discussions around remote teaching, it is the constant things
(19:45):
that come up is the need to be culturally aware, the need to be trauma informed teaching
and the importance of brain health and, and well being as well.
So you kind of, you're giving people this opportunity to step into classrooms in remote
communities prepared and feeling more confident around these key important things.
I think that's a really great thing you offer for yourself.
(20:05):
That's right.
Just a short break to share books and resources by Hakeya Hustler and Karl Mererson.
The Children's Book Council of Australia book week on a book in 2019, Black Cocker 2, is
a middle reader, short, novella, set on gyro country.
Well short, there are many jumping off points to explore.
(20:26):
Back to the missing is a WA Premier Book Award, Daisy Atomara Award, shortlisted YA suspense
thriller.
Set it out back Australia, it follows Declan Archer in his race to find a missing busload
of students.
My deadly boots is a First Nations picture book about confidence, identity and connection.
(20:48):
Karl and Hakeya also have many more books out across the next few years, perfect for remote
classrooms.
People teaching packs are available over on the website, Karl and Hakeya.com.au.
We also create remote teacher resources, getting to know you, to a learning, daydoc and much
more over on our TPT store.
(21:10):
So let's get back to this deadly interview.
And then we provide tips and hints for their resume, for their cover letter.
If you're going for a senior position, they might need to address certain points.
We might point them in the right direction of have you consider looking at this or even
(21:32):
resumes.
We do have a variety of resumes come through and some are easier to read than others.
A little tweak here and there is all the difference.
Sometimes it's just formatting.
We don't make the final decision for what the community and the school decide what teachers
(21:52):
come to their community.
So we present applications to the school then they say yes or no.
So in that presentation, if there's a bit of additional formatting or their resume tells
a bit more detail about their background or their experience and all their education,
(22:14):
then they're going to start off on a better foot.
This sounds really comprehensive to me and I know it's not on our list of questions
we're going to talk about but I wonder then what the process is from reaching out to you
to ending up with a job because it sounds like you do a lot of connecting with the teacher
or perhaps you don't perhaps as a chance just to fast track a bit.
(22:34):
What's that like?
A fast tracking isn't, yeah, it's hard to fast track.
Do you have a bit of a process?
We get a lot of people connecting with us on Facebook.
I'm the person that will probably hear from first.
A lot of messenger or through the Facebook pages.
I'll just have a little bit of a chat with them about what they're looking for, introducing
(22:59):
ourselves to see who would be able to connect to them.
A little bit of a five minute chat sometimes.
Like Georgie might say, "Hey, can you give this person a call and I'll have a little chat
with them?"
Then you pick up very quickly whether this might be something suitable for them or not.
We get the resume, go through the resume, then have an interview, most likely with Ben,
(23:21):
and then reference checking with their references.
Then we discuss all the different opportunities as well and then present them to a school and
usually then the application will go to a principal and most likely it'll be some community
members as well to make the final decision.
(23:43):
Georgie, if there is a principal then listening, it sounds like you do a lot of the hard work
in regards to that reference checking as well.
You are presenting to them a full package that they know that the teacher has been trained
in the courses that you provide that they've had to support from you and that you've done
that legwork on the application.
(24:04):
I move right a little description as well exactly what the reference has stated as well so they
get a clearer idea.
Yeah, you're right.
It is a package that does come and say a reference summarised a little description of this
particular individual and what role they're applying for.
(24:28):
Which gets me thinking again of our question list.
But for the longer term relationships that you then form with principles and schools,
are you following up doing further recruitment for them and kind of really getting to know
their unique needs and school requirements?
Definitely.
We've had principles come back multiple times looking for staff from us and we are finding
(24:54):
that sort of a name precedes us in many ways.
It's been excellent.
Which has been fantastic.
Our sister was even at a wedding recently and got chatting to someone there and they were
a teacher at a school, not a remote school but they had already known all about us and
had been thinking about going remote themselves.
(25:14):
We're having a good time.
We are really enjoying it.
We love the relationship we have with each of the schools.
I think the feedback from principles has been brilliant saying that calibre of teachers
have been coming out and being great.
That's been probably the most rewarding part of that starting out business.
(25:35):
Definitely.
We get to share our remote experience as well with those teachers that we chat to and
those principles.
That's probably another way we connect with the schools themselves is going right.
We might not know your specific community.
We may never have been there but we have had an experience that shares lots of similarities
(25:58):
and can relate.
For most experiences that people have had out there.
But tell us about the benefits of teaching remote.
Let's get some more eager people out into remote schools.
The main thing for me was actually learning from the community.
I worked in a, I've been private school in Perth beforehand so it's a little bit different.
It was, it was nothing.
(26:21):
I knew I was ever going to experience in my life and then it actually does change your life
and I think I even see the probably the world a little bit different.
Oh, 100%.
Yeah.
Yeah.
It's life change in the mind.
But then professionally as well with Craig progression I started a teacher and then
(26:45):
I was head of campus as well.
Ben as well.
We're going from the school to going to, yeah, started out in that helping role, doing the
cooking and cleaning and a bit of the teacher assistance sort of work and moving into an
administrative role which then morphed into business support role.
(27:06):
So I still work for a remote school.
So in the Pilgrim.
So having that experience has just been, it has been great to draw from.
Yeah.
Like you said, it's changed, it's changed our lives for the better most definitely.
So it's an amazing personal experience.
You've got these leadership opportunities, this skill development and this fast track of
(27:28):
skill development, the option wouldn't have the opportunities to do in pre-in different
types of schools.
That's right.
But what you said initially was really like those friendships and the communities that
we've, that we've actually been in have just been excellent.
I'm looking forward to the day that we're able to take our family back out to this community
(27:52):
and back to Kwon Oraji and get introduced my new little ones.
You know?
Because I get asked questions a couple, you know, fairly regularly about how they're going
and all that sort of stuff.
So yeah, it's truly a, yeah, beautiful experience.
There's also the financial as well.
(28:12):
So you go out, we had, a lot of schools have housing provided.
We didn't spend much money during the school term.
We'd do a huge shop at the beginning of the term.
Take all that food out for 10 weeks where.
And then I was basically just spending money on your pie.
Honestly.
Get that money.
Yeah.
But also, you know, relocating can be costly.
(28:37):
So literally schools do provide that as well.
And then there's also bonuses for staying for extended periods of time.
Sure.
Yeah.
That's right.
Yeah.
But every school does, does different in regards to and sent financial incentives.
And every state is different.
And yeah.
So I mean, you'll help talk new recruits through that as well because there's also the
(28:59):
element of transfer points back.
So whether someone wants to work into state or stay in their, their home state so that
they get those transfer points back or the long service leave or whatever else, you
know, comes with being in their local one compared to going into state as well.
Yeah.
It's very different depending on who you go with whether it's the government independent
(29:23):
some.
Carefully.
Yeah, some don't transfer any at all.
Which is important for people to understand because you work across all those different types
of schools.
Yeah.
So we, it's different in each state.
We're currently independent and Catholic in WA.
Government and independent in NT.
(29:44):
Government in Queensland.
But I continue to change as schools.
We have new schools approaching us all the time.
Yeah.
Wonderful.
And then life on the road, at the moment you have the impending birth of another little
one, but, but you were on the road for a while, they're exploring Australia.
And I think remote teaching obviously gave you that possibility as well with.
(30:08):
Yeah.
That's how I'm like, I had a, uh, went on parental
leave after saving so many other we went traveling around Australia.
Um, we did go back during that time and we worked in one or two again, um, with my son.
I picked up an administrative role then supporting the principal and, and, um, all that worked
(30:31):
on all the compliance to the side of the school, you know, and logistics and orderings and,
um, bits and pieces.
All the fun stuff.
Ben was doing all the fun stuff, Joergy was he?
Oh, golly.
Yes.
I need come to school, um, with, um, Charlie pushing in a prayer, up to class, cooking
(30:52):
all the way and, and then, um, the great experience.
Yeah.
No, it was excellent.
Yeah.
And then we went, uh, then we went traveling and we, we, yeah, spent best part of four years,
uh, on the road and then had another baby on the road as well.
And, yeah, we visited, you know, we've, we've walked into, we haven't seen it.
(31:13):
We've never been to all the communities because, you know, a lot of the times you have to be
invited to, to, to come into these communities and, and during that time was also, was COVID.
So that also, uh, locked out a lot of that access as well.
But we traveled around definitely.
And, you know, if you saw a map of where we've been, it's across the world.
(31:33):
People can, can't they?
Because you also have an Instagram page for your travels, which I'll put in the show.
Oh, yeah.
And, yeah, we can see the map of where you're in the event sharing.
Uh, yeah.
Well, since we started footprint placements, old, our, our, um, travel page out and about
Australia has sort of taken a back seat, you know, there's only so many hours.
(31:54):
You're raising a family now.
It's a bit different than, so say, I will get, I mean, we get back on to it.
Yeah.
It's out and about Australia.
Um, yeah, you can see our map and it's a lot of red dirt.
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. But I think it's also a bit of an inspiration because it's like people
see what the outback is actually looking like and knowing what they can do with their long
(32:17):
service, like remote, long service, or study leave in Northern Territory or whatever it's
called, they extra leave you're getting some schools.
Yeah.
That's right.
You know, we are more, there's no more happy at moment when we're, when we camped up,
we've got a campfire surrounded by spin effects and, and red dirt.
And it's like that, that whiteness or the only sound you have, you know, the, the nature,
(32:42):
natural sounds and environment around you.
So staring up the star taking photos just, that is, that is our, that's our holiday.
You know, people are like going overseas, the meld arms or something, but that's where we
are most happy.
This is your relationship too.
Number one, you're working in a small school together, probably in the same class of sounds.
And then all this time to be out in nature and just, you know, really reinforcing what
(33:06):
you've both got and the adventures that you've both had sounds really exciting as well.
Yeah, yeah, a thing to do in communities with, we drive out, start a fire and watch the
moon.
Yeah.
Like we're really in sync with the moon cycles, that's special.
And where it was at, we actually loved it.
(33:28):
And just going to different areas and, it was fantastic.
Yeah.
Wonderful.
Well, thank you so much for your time today to come and have a chat on the podcast.
I'm really happy to see you both face-to-face in person because we've been tag teaming all over
the internet so it's nice to meet you both.
Thanks so much for having it.
(33:49):
Yeah, really appreciate it, Haker.
Yeah, and good luck and best of luck to the rest of your podcast series.
Thank you so much to both of you.
Each podcast episode, we also try and highlight or spotlight or do a shout out for amazing
businesses, organizations, groups and services that are working in remote communities.
(34:10):
This could be run or owned by First Nations people or services that regularly are committed
to going into remote communities and, and listening and working with First Nations people.
So here is our shout out and spotlight for this episode.
Lauren's little learners.
(34:31):
Lauren was a pre-primer in year one teacher in remote Western Australia.
In 2011, she decided that it was early childhood which drew the most passion.
And she completed her masters in early childhood education.
Lauren runs a blog, a TPT shop and gives away freebies.
(34:52):
But on her Instagram page, if you scroll back to her time when she was teaching at a Fitzro
Crossing in one of the communities around there, you'll see all the amazing activities
that she did with her students and how she designed her classrooms and the way she interacted
with her First Nations colleagues and it's all on there on her Instagram page.
So I highly recommend you give her a follow and you jump onto her TPT store because a
(35:15):
lot of the stuff on there has been tested and used in remote Outback classrooms as she
was teaching as well.
So that is a great business of a remote teacher that you can support today.
You've been listening to the remote teacher podcast, a podcast where we discuss all things
remote Outback teaching.
Make sure you follow us on Facebook, Instagram, join our email list and our Facebook group
(35:40):
teachers in remote communities, past, present and future.
Any important links mentioned or businesses or organisations to support your remote teaching
that our guests has mentioned today will be in the show notes.
So make sure you have a look at them to find out more.
And a reminder again, this podcast can be downloaded so you can access it when you do not
(36:00):
have internet coverage or reception.
So you can listen to it on your long drives between communities in the Outback.
Thank you for listening.
We look forward to seeing you in the next episode of the remote teacher.
(techno music)
[clock ticking]
Welcome to the Remote Teacher podcast. We're excited to have you here.
(00:09):
I'm Hake Hussler, an experienced regional rural and remote teacher, author of children's
middle and YA books and co-creator of the Facebook group, teaches in remote communities
past, present and future, along with Karl Merrison and Lynette Gordon, and the co-owner of
website, the remote teacher. The remote teacher, podcast and all our support platforms come
(00:32):
from a passion to improve the experience of remote teachers and in turn create positive
outcomes for our remote students and communities.
You can find out more about us on www.theremoteteacher.com.au, over on our Facebook group, teaches
in remote communities past, present and future, and of course by listening to this podcast.
(00:54):
Now remember you can also download these podcasts so you don't need internet access and
you can listen to them wherever you need, including on your long drives out to your remote
and rural communities. Please remember to like us on Facebook, on Instagram and by signing
up to our email list.
Before I introduce our guest for today, it's important to acknowledge that the discussions
(01:17):
that we have here are the opinion of the guests and myself alone and do not represent
anyone including Department of Education or any particular organisation unless of course
they've come on stating that they're representing that organisation.
It's also important to consider first-station peoples, communities, students and families
(01:38):
are all diverse and unique and what works for our guests and myself, they all may not
work for you, your students, your families, your communities and your schools.
So take what you need, leave what you don't, sit back and enjoy, let's begin.
I'm very happy to welcome Ben and Georgie from Footprint Placements.
(01:59):
We've interacted a lot over on the Facebook group and I've seen them posting everywhere
around the internet about the amazing job opportunities that they have.
Before we begin our interview together, I'd like to acknowledge the traditional custodians
on the lands we meet today.
I'm on the lands of the Bungalong people of Northern Rivers and they're over it on your
to your to country and we power respects to their elders past, present and emerging and
(02:25):
extend that respect to any First Nations people listening along with our podcast today.
So welcome to Ben and Georgie.
Thank you.
Thank you very much for having us.
Your background and your adventures around Australia seem very interesting.
So can you feel the listeners in on your background prior to remote teaching, maybe personal and
(02:47):
career wise?
Well, we actually met in London 15 years ago.
So we weren't had a passion for travelling.
And we did a bit of travel there.
We went to Egypt and Israel.
I lived in Egypt for a while.
Scotland.
(03:07):
Yeah.
The usual Europe, you know, travels for a person adventure.
And then it was time to come back to Australia and we had moved around the country a fair
bit since then we then jumped on to uni and I did environmental science.
Georgie did teaching and then we got married in 2014 and we were, I'm going to know what
(03:33):
we were going to do, what direction we were going to go and we thought let's travel
to the country, but then an opportunity came up to go and teach in a remote community in
Koonowariji actually in eastern Pilgray there.
And yeah, we took it and haven't looked back since to be honest.
Actually, it's definitely been a life changing experience and one that forever be strong
(03:55):
going in our heart.
Yeah.
We originally went out for a term.
We extended for a term and then we said for each.
It gets in your blood, yes.
Yeah, we even had our sons go back there as well.
So yeah.
But tell us about that then.
(04:17):
The best bits, the challenges, what life was like, I suppose teaching there, but then
also you've got the starting a young family there as well.
That's another aspect to it.
For the first year I was in the classroom as an assistant in the classroom, you know,
not having been in a classroom before.
So Georgie was definitely sort of the lead there.
(04:40):
And yeah, we had a great time really connecting with a core group of students.
I have to note that this particular campus is one of two campuses of the Browark community
school and it's at that time was our one teacher school.
Students.
With six students.
So, but then that change over the years, that change from six to six.
(05:03):
To 16 to 20, 21 when we left.
So yeah, changed a bit.
Yeah, so I stayed in the classroom there for a year and we did jobs, obviously preparing
meals and cooking and cleaning and really developing some really great and meaningful relationships
with the kids, but also the community members as well.
(05:24):
So I then moved from the school because I was able to get a role that was in line with
my studies.
So as a Ranger coordinator.
So yeah, and started the first Ranger team out there working for an organization called
KJ.
So KJ had been around for many years at that point, but this was their first time they
(05:46):
had a Ranger coordinator based in Cornewrogy.
So yeah, that was a great, great experience as well.
And the Ranger team really would look, some of them are still really close friends.
The guys out there, they're just absolutely the most warm, welcoming sort of individuals
you'll ever come across.
Yeah, we had some great experiences.
(06:06):
I know that lots of the recruits that you support to go remote, but also lots of people
thinking of going remote might have a partner that isn't a teacher like you were, that
sometimes there's positions in school, sometimes there's positions outside of school and sometimes
it's about just going, finding your feet and seeing what's available.
You support couples going remote as well, don't you?
(06:28):
I mean, we get asked daily actually, you know, I'm thinking about going remote, but my
partner isn't a teacher, what options are there?
And you know, sometimes they're really, you know, we can go right, yeah, there's definitely
this community in this school is looking for a teacher and they have plenty of other roles
in the community.
Other times, you know, there's either nearby communities or there's other options around,
(06:51):
but I would say like in a large percentage of the cases, there is always an option for
a partner to find some work, definitely.
And I think that's kind of the benefit of connecting with you both at footprint placements because
you know a lot of the schools around Australia, you know kind of the dynamics of where a couple
or a teaching family even would fit amongst them.
(07:13):
Yeah, that's right.
I mean, last year we placed a teacher up in a Kimberley school and she was travelling with
her family in a caravan and they needed someone not for a short term basis and she was driving
past.
So she stayed for 10 weeks, enrolled her kids in the school, her husband I think from memory
(07:34):
was a carpenter.
So he was able to help out with his skills around and look, then they moved on.
So there are support the school when they had some time where they didn't have all their
stuff and yeah, then moved on after that finished.
Which really highlights, some people are interested in remote teaching but don't know yet if it's
(07:56):
good for them, if it's the right fit, if they've got the right things to bring, if the community
will be the place that they need to end up.
So footprint placements helps with short term relief.
Six months and then the longer contracts as well.
That's what we've done from three weeks.
Yeah, but usually it's a term onwards.
(08:18):
Many go for a year.
I'm of had a lot of people extend as well, which has been brilliant, it's absolutely loved
it and then started, they brought their family, their dogs, they're running, started that
for them.
So that's been absolutely brilliant.
I think as well as we've done so much travelling, we love remote areas and when we did travel,
(08:38):
we actually drove past a lot of these areas where placing the teachers now.
It's really good to be able to know some of these areas.
It highlights the importance of people committing for that one year and longer.
We want to reduce the turnover in remote community schools.
We want people to stay in love and connect, but also that there are this teacher shortage
(09:00):
and it is hard to get relief teachers in remote communities.
So, you know, being able to source those stuff that you're talking about and connect people
with the right schools is a really important role that you play in that space as well.
Oh, yeah, definitely.
Look, your point is 100%.
In turn, over is probably one of the main drivers behind what we do.
(09:24):
But like you say, stuff need to leave for various reasons, whether it be short term, they
need short term stuff.
So it does feel that sort of void there.
When it aligns, it can be tricky to find people that are flexible enough and not currently
(09:44):
teaching.
I'm really curious about, because on other podcasts, you know, we've spoken about the big picture,
but I'm curious about these tiny classrooms and the impact of teaching just six kids in
a day or the challenges that come around some days, there's six and some days is 16 and
(10:05):
some days is 21.
Do you want to talk a bit about that?
I chatted a lot with the community at the beginning about attendance and how the community
really wanted all their kids at school.
And just starting with those sort of chats, we had an extremely high attendance rate when
kids were in community, came to school, but we also in the morning, the kids were when
(10:29):
they walked to school and pick up the other kids.
And time for school and those sort of things, because sometimes we'd get new families and
I'd have a chat to them and they might just say, well, I may not know what time it is,
so I don't know what time for the kids to go and that was the barrier.
So it was, okay, I'll talk to my kids, they're going to shout out, you know, one of their
(10:52):
cousins or something and they're going to shout out these kids are coming and they all
went and mostly the kids loved going to school.
We also, we started a lot of programs where we're there with the on-country learning, with
partnership with when Ben started working for KJ as well, which was the junior range
of program.
So that was absolutely brilliant.
(11:13):
And the most things I probably loved about in my entire teaching career.
Definitely, taking those kids.
You know, it's not, and this is where we took the back seat.
We really took the back seat, you know, not physically because a lot of the time I was driving,
but, you know, the driver, the direction, what are we doing?
(11:36):
Where do the kids want to go?
So my ranges, and, firstly, my range of team was, had a direction that was from the elders
in the community.
So then it sort of went down the chain of command, so to speak, where, you know, elders
sort of set priorities and then the ranges listened to them and then the ranges then passed
(11:59):
that on to the kids and where we were going.
And so, yeah, it was sort of a beautiful, meld of understanding.
Community here was led by communities.
It was grassroots and the ranges from.
I 100% yeah, yeah.
So we might say, let's go to this particular site for a day, sometimes for a night, sometimes,
(12:23):
actually, with the school, we only, at that time, we only did, you know, overnights with the
kids, you know, because we did have some young kids there as well.
So yeah, we had a great experience, yeah, completely community led and the kids really learnt
so much, you know, we witnessed that firsthand.
It's love to come into school.
(12:44):
It wasn't just walk into the classroom, this is another whole in different world that you're
going to walk into.
Yeah.
I'm really trying to work with the community together and the community was always welcome
to come in then.
And I think what I'm hearing is that you've got, you know, community led and community involvement,
which is so important.
You've got your strengths as an educator, Georgie, that you will bring the curriculum.
(13:07):
You knew what the, you know, outcomes you were trying to achieve, but you could do that
in a space that Ben was supporting and the ranges were leading out in community as well.
So you're bringing everyone's kind of strengths to the table in this extra space you were creating.
Yeah, definitely.
Yeah.
And I suppose as well, we really have to think about differentiation as well.
(13:27):
Because we had kids at completely different levels.
So we had, we may have had only six kids, you know, there might have been two at grade two
level, but one might have been seven and one might have been 16.
So you're not going to teach them the same thing either.
But then you want them all to be able to work together as well.
But I think that's where that I'm country and two way of learning really played well.
(13:50):
Definitely.
Yeah.
And look, we see, I'm not going to lie.
Every time I speak to a principal or a new school that we haven't chatted to previously, I'm
like excited, so excited when I hear the words, oh, we have these programs that we're doing,
whether it be language or, on country or anything else, like it's, it's perfect.
And teachers want that, they want that experience.
(14:12):
They want to learn about another culture, you know, and they want to learn language.
Yeah, we, we really enjoy it and get excited by it.
So yeah.
So then how did you both transition into the remote teacher recruitment space?
How did you move on from community to that?
Traveling.
I think we, um, we met so many people who were interested in what we did and going out
(14:37):
to communities.
People didn't know how to get into it.
And there's all these fantastic teachers were spoken to and sent, that's something I would
absolutely love to do and I just don't know how to.
And that's really where the, are you came from our background?
Isn't it a recruitment at all?
It's in remote teaching and remote communities and, um, yeah, we're just where, where they
(14:58):
conduit for people to get involved in these remote areas.
And yeah, we began this journey by reaching out to schools and reaching out to the, to the
teachers on various platforms, including, including obviously your group.
Yeah, and we were so impressed with the, the caliber of, of teachers, you know, that we,
that we chatted to.
And, you know, when I said caliber of teacher, I'm talking.
(15:20):
Yeah, yes, look, a fantastic, um, you know, education and experience is, is amazing.
Really it's personality comes to, we really.
We really miss to learn.
Oh, my goodness.
We'll miss that.
Yeah, 100%.
That listening with intent to others, um, that active listening is, as a lot of people describe
(15:41):
it is, is so important.
Um, as I just interrupted your duty there.
Yeah, so when we, when I've chat to people, they're the top of things I'm, I'm picking up on
as well as, as your experience in your education as well.
So now we have schools reaching out to us started in WA.
Yeah.
We moved to NT and now Queensland as well and placed primary teachers and secondary principles,
(16:06):
coordinators and early years teachers.
And we've had such great feedback from the principles as well as the teachers like, just
loving that they've decided I want to extend many at the start of like, I just want to go
for a term because this is such a new thing for me.
And I can, I understand we did the same here.
And then wanting to, it's just brilliant, absolutely brilliant.
(16:28):
But it is, like we're talking about the positive, but there are also the challenges as well
about they're having that isolation and a lot of the time, you know, a, a, you know, it's
a foreign culture.
It's a foreign geographically.
Maybe it's unfamiliar environment, you know, the limited services that are out there, but
(16:49):
once you adapt, are able to sort of look past that and really, like, engage and involve
yourself in where you are.
The experience is like, it's just such a good experience.
And I think that's where your footprint placements kind of steps in as well.
Because number one, you're helping to see about people and help them figure out if remote
(17:09):
teaching is for them or not.
And then you kind of know the areas so you're helping people figure out what would suit
their needs.
So whether they suit coastal or inland, big school, small school and where they kind of fit,
you have these connections across Australia.
And like you said, WA and to end Queensland.
And you can help match the right people to the right places.
(17:29):
But I think the strength of your recruitment service is that it's not just that.
You don't kind of dump people in it and leave them there.
You offer them this range of training and services.
And then you're supporting people into their new roles as well.
So you have the strength.
Yeah, you're right.
You've sort of summarised it there quite well.
We connect teachers with the schools that meet both of their needs.
(17:52):
We have, you know, one family and taking out her four kids in a dog.
And some, you're not going to fit into every house that you're also going to have lots of
people that might have medical requirements.
They need to be close to a certain service, like, I don't know, might be Ella Springs or
some sort of large centre, maybe Conan Aarrow, which is what crossing.
(18:14):
Yeah, or they go out with their partner.
And like we mentioned before, you know, they can have this experience and their partner can
find some employment as well.
So I think also some of the teachers, they're feeling uncomfortable to ask all the questions
to the principal and feel that they might be just asking on with an almond and on with
and they can ask us and we ask questions, we can't, we reach out.
(18:37):
So and then just forgive that to them.
Yeah, yeah.
It's, we do.
That's right.
We make those questions not so daunting and those, you know, they're not afraid to ask,
you know, they're coming ask us and like, like, do you mention, we, you know, we can
either answer it or we can't and we'll say we can't, we'll find out the answer for
them.
Those third party providers for the training that we provide as well is from Australian
(19:01):
Child Rook Foundation, which is the trauma and form practice in education.
So the teachers that we place have the opportunity to engage in this program that we'll pay
for them, including the cultural conferences course from the Strongest Smarter Institute
and then mental health first aid for people that stay on for greater than six months.
(19:24):
Yeah.
And actually put the question out to your group asking remote teachers what, with the
best courses they have done and which is most beneficial and they were the ones.
And you know what, in every podcast that we've done so far and constantly on the page, like
you said, and in, you know, discussions around remote teaching, it is the constant things
(19:45):
that come up is the need to be culturally aware, the need to be trauma informed teaching
and the importance of brain health and, and well being as well.
So you kind of, you're giving people this opportunity to step into classrooms in remote
communities prepared and feeling more confident around these key important things.
I think that's a really great thing you offer for yourself.
(20:05):
That's right.
Just a short break to share books and resources by Hakeya Hustler and Karl Mererson.
The Children's Book Council of Australia book week on a book in 2019, Black Cocker 2, is
a middle reader, short, novella, set on gyro country.
Well short, there are many jumping off points to explore.
(20:26):
Back to the missing is a WA Premier Book Award, Daisy Atomara Award, shortlisted YA suspense
thriller.
Set it out back Australia, it follows Declan Archer in his race to find a missing busload
of students.
My deadly boots is a First Nations picture book about confidence, identity and connection.
(20:48):
Karl and Hakeya also have many more books out across the next few years, perfect for remote
classrooms.
People teaching packs are available over on the website, Karl and Hakeya.com.au.
We also create remote teacher resources, getting to know you, to a learning, daydoc and much
more over on our TPT store.
(21:10):
So let's get back to this deadly interview.
And then we provide tips and hints for their resume, for their cover letter.
If you're going for a senior position, they might need to address certain points.
We might point them in the right direction of have you consider looking at this or even
(21:32):
resumes.
We do have a variety of resumes come through and some are easier to read than others.
A little tweak here and there is all the difference.
Sometimes it's just formatting.
We don't make the final decision for what the community and the school decide what teachers
(21:52):
come to their community.
So we present applications to the school then they say yes or no.
So in that presentation, if there's a bit of additional formatting or their resume tells
a bit more detail about their background or their experience and all their education,
(22:14):
then they're going to start off on a better foot.
This sounds really comprehensive to me and I know it's not on our list of questions
we're going to talk about but I wonder then what the process is from reaching out to you
to ending up with a job because it sounds like you do a lot of connecting with the teacher
or perhaps you don't perhaps as a chance just to fast track a bit.
(22:34):
What's that like?
A fast tracking isn't, yeah, it's hard to fast track.
Do you have a bit of a process?
We get a lot of people connecting with us on Facebook.
I'm the person that will probably hear from first.
A lot of messenger or through the Facebook pages.
I'll just have a little bit of a chat with them about what they're looking for, introducing
(22:59):
ourselves to see who would be able to connect to them.
A little bit of a five minute chat sometimes.
Like Georgie might say, "Hey, can you give this person a call and I'll have a little chat
with them?"
Then you pick up very quickly whether this might be something suitable for them or not.
We get the resume, go through the resume, then have an interview, most likely with Ben,
(23:21):
and then reference checking with their references.
Then we discuss all the different opportunities as well and then present them to a school and
usually then the application will go to a principal and most likely it'll be some community
members as well to make the final decision.
(23:43):
Georgie, if there is a principal then listening, it sounds like you do a lot of the hard work
in regards to that reference checking as well.
You are presenting to them a full package that they know that the teacher has been trained
in the courses that you provide that they've had to support from you and that you've done
that legwork on the application.
(24:04):
I move right a little description as well exactly what the reference has stated as well so they
get a clearer idea.
Yeah, you're right.
It is a package that does come and say a reference summarised a little description of this
particular individual and what role they're applying for.
(24:28):
Which gets me thinking again of our question list.
But for the longer term relationships that you then form with principles and schools,
are you following up doing further recruitment for them and kind of really getting to know
their unique needs and school requirements?
Definitely.
We've had principles come back multiple times looking for staff from us and we are finding
(24:54):
that sort of a name precedes us in many ways.
It's been excellent.
Which has been fantastic.
Our sister was even at a wedding recently and got chatting to someone there and they were
a teacher at a school, not a remote school but they had already known all about us and
had been thinking about going remote themselves.
(25:14):
We're having a good time.
We are really enjoying it.
We love the relationship we have with each of the schools.
I think the feedback from principles has been brilliant saying that calibre of teachers
have been coming out and being great.
That's been probably the most rewarding part of that starting out business.
(25:35):
Definitely.
We get to share our remote experience as well with those teachers that we chat to and
those principles.
That's probably another way we connect with the schools themselves is going right.
We might not know your specific community.
We may never have been there but we have had an experience that shares lots of similarities
(25:58):
and can relate.
For most experiences that people have had out there.
But tell us about the benefits of teaching remote.
Let's get some more eager people out into remote schools.
The main thing for me was actually learning from the community.
I worked in a, I've been private school in Perth beforehand so it's a little bit different.
It was, it was nothing.
(26:21):
I knew I was ever going to experience in my life and then it actually does change your life
and I think I even see the probably the world a little bit different.
Oh, 100%.
Yeah.
Yeah.
It's life change in the mind.
But then professionally as well with Craig progression I started a teacher and then
(26:45):
I was head of campus as well.
Ben as well.
We're going from the school to going to, yeah, started out in that helping role, doing the
cooking and cleaning and a bit of the teacher assistance sort of work and moving into an
administrative role which then morphed into business support role.
(27:06):
So I still work for a remote school.
So in the Pilgrim.
So having that experience has just been, it has been great to draw from.
Yeah.
Like you said, it's changed, it's changed our lives for the better most definitely.
So it's an amazing personal experience.
You've got these leadership opportunities, this skill development and this fast track of
(27:28):
skill development, the option wouldn't have the opportunities to do in pre-in different
types of schools.
That's right.
But what you said initially was really like those friendships and the communities that
we've, that we've actually been in have just been excellent.
I'm looking forward to the day that we're able to take our family back out to this community
(27:52):
and back to Kwon Oraji and get introduced my new little ones.
You know?
Because I get asked questions a couple, you know, fairly regularly about how they're going
and all that sort of stuff.
So yeah, it's truly a, yeah, beautiful experience.
There's also the financial as well.
(28:12):
So you go out, we had, a lot of schools have housing provided.
We didn't spend much money during the school term.
We'd do a huge shop at the beginning of the term.
Take all that food out for 10 weeks where.
And then I was basically just spending money on your pie.
Honestly.
Get that money.
Yeah.
But also, you know, relocating can be costly.
(28:37):
So literally schools do provide that as well.
And then there's also bonuses for staying for extended periods of time.
Sure.
Yeah.
That's right.
Yeah.
But every school does, does different in regards to and sent financial incentives.
And every state is different.
And yeah.
So I mean, you'll help talk new recruits through that as well because there's also the
(28:59):
element of transfer points back.
So whether someone wants to work into state or stay in their, their home state so that
they get those transfer points back or the long service leave or whatever else, you
know, comes with being in their local one compared to going into state as well.
Yeah.
It's very different depending on who you go with whether it's the government independent
(29:23):
some.
Carefully.
Yeah, some don't transfer any at all.
Which is important for people to understand because you work across all those different types
of schools.
Yeah.
So we, it's different in each state.
We're currently independent and Catholic in WA.
Government and independent in NT.
(29:44):
Government in Queensland.
But I continue to change as schools.
We have new schools approaching us all the time.
Yeah.
Wonderful.
And then life on the road, at the moment you have the impending birth of another little
one, but, but you were on the road for a while, they're exploring Australia.
And I think remote teaching obviously gave you that possibility as well with.
(30:08):
Yeah.
That's how I'm like, I had a, uh, went on parental
leave after saving so many other we went traveling around Australia.
Um, we did go back during that time and we worked in one or two again, um, with my son.
I picked up an administrative role then supporting the principal and, and, um, all that worked
(30:31):
on all the compliance to the side of the school, you know, and logistics and orderings and,
um, bits and pieces.
All the fun stuff.
Ben was doing all the fun stuff, Joergy was he?
Oh, golly.
Yes.
I need come to school, um, with, um, Charlie pushing in a prayer, up to class, cooking
(30:52):
all the way and, and then, um, the great experience.
Yeah.
No, it was excellent.
Yeah.
And then we went, uh, then we went traveling and we, we, yeah, spent best part of four years,
uh, on the road and then had another baby on the road as well.
And, yeah, we visited, you know, we've, we've walked into, we haven't seen it.
(31:13):
We've never been to all the communities because, you know, a lot of the times you have to be
invited to, to, to come into these communities and, and during that time was also, was COVID.
So that also, uh, locked out a lot of that access as well.
But we traveled around definitely.
And, you know, if you saw a map of where we've been, it's across the world.
(31:33):
People can, can't they?
Because you also have an Instagram page for your travels, which I'll put in the show.
Oh, yeah.
And, yeah, we can see the map of where you're in the event sharing.
Uh, yeah.
Well, since we started footprint placements, old, our, our, um, travel page out and about
Australia has sort of taken a back seat, you know, there's only so many hours.
(31:54):
You're raising a family now.
It's a bit different than, so say, I will get, I mean, we get back on to it.
Yeah.
It's out and about Australia.
Um, yeah, you can see our map and it's a lot of red dirt.
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. But I think it's also a bit of an inspiration because it's like people
see what the outback is actually looking like and knowing what they can do with their long
(32:17):
service, like remote, long service, or study leave in Northern Territory or whatever it's
called, they extra leave you're getting some schools.
Yeah.
That's right.
You know, we are more, there's no more happy at moment when we're, when we camped up,
we've got a campfire surrounded by spin effects and, and red dirt.
And it's like that, that whiteness or the only sound you have, you know, the, the nature,
(32:42):
natural sounds and environment around you.
So staring up the star taking photos just, that is, that is our, that's our holiday.
You know, people are like going overseas, the meld arms or something, but that's where we
are most happy.
This is your relationship too.
Number one, you're working in a small school together, probably in the same class of sounds.
And then all this time to be out in nature and just, you know, really reinforcing what
(33:06):
you've both got and the adventures that you've both had sounds really exciting as well.
Yeah, yeah, a thing to do in communities with, we drive out, start a fire and watch the
moon.
Yeah.
Like we're really in sync with the moon cycles, that's special.
And where it was at, we actually loved it.
(33:28):
And just going to different areas and, it was fantastic.
Yeah.
Wonderful.
Well, thank you so much for your time today to come and have a chat on the podcast.
I'm really happy to see you both face-to-face in person because we've been tag teaming all over
the internet so it's nice to meet you both.
Thanks so much for having it.
(33:49):
Yeah, really appreciate it, Haker.
Yeah, and good luck and best of luck to the rest of your podcast series.
Thank you so much to both of you.
Each podcast episode, we also try and highlight or spotlight or do a shout out for amazing
businesses, organizations, groups and services that are working in remote communities.
(34:10):
This could be run or owned by First Nations people or services that regularly are committed
to going into remote communities and, and listening and working with First Nations people.
So here is our shout out and spotlight for this episode.
Lauren's little learners.
(34:31):
Lauren was a pre-primer in year one teacher in remote Western Australia.
In 2011, she decided that it was early childhood which drew the most passion.
And she completed her masters in early childhood education.
Lauren runs a blog, a TPT shop and gives away freebies.
(34:52):
But on her Instagram page, if you scroll back to her time when she was teaching at a Fitzro
Crossing in one of the communities around there, you'll see all the amazing activities
that she did with her students and how she designed her classrooms and the way she interacted
with her First Nations colleagues and it's all on there on her Instagram page.
So I highly recommend you give her a follow and you jump onto her TPT store because a
(35:15):
lot of the stuff on there has been tested and used in remote Outback classrooms as she
was teaching as well.
So that is a great business of a remote teacher that you can support today.
You've been listening to the remote teacher podcast, a podcast where we discuss all things
remote Outback teaching.
Make sure you follow us on Facebook, Instagram, join our email list and our Facebook group
(35:40):
teachers in remote communities, past, present and future.
Any important links mentioned or businesses or organisations to support your remote teaching
that our guests has mentioned today will be in the show notes.
So make sure you have a look at them to find out more.
And a reminder again, this podcast can be downloaded so you can access it when you do not
(36:00):
have internet coverage or reception.
So you can listen to it on your long drives between communities in the Outback.
Thank you for listening.
We look forward to seeing you in the next episode of the remote teacher.
(techno music)
[clock ticking]
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