February 20, 2023 • 37 mins
Episode Overview:
In this episode Corey Tutt from Deadly Science talks about his journey to get into science and how he was inspired to start Deadly Science (book, science equipment, guest speaking, Deadly Science awards for students and staff).
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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: Corey Tutt
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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 Hakyahasa, 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 excited to be meeting with Corey Tutt, a Gimilaro man who's also the founder of
(01:59):
Deadly Science and we've bumped into each other around the internet and him sharing his
amazing science program over on the remote teacher past, present and future so I'm happy
to be chatting with him today.
But before we begin, I would like to acknowledge the traditional custodians on the lands which
we meet today.
The Bungalong people of the Northern Rivers, New South Wales and the Biuripai nation where
(02:22):
Corey is for the interview today.
We pay our respects to their elders past, present and emerging and extend that respect to
any first nations people listening along with our podcast today.
Corey, welcome.
Thank you for having me.
It is a pleasure to be here on the lands of the Biuripai people and it's just, it's a beautiful
day today.
(02:43):
It is summer.
It is hot, it is the sky, it is not a cloud in the sky and I'm just very grateful to be
on this podcast today.
And can you tell us a bit about your background prior to Deadly Science because you've done
so much since but what was it like here before?
Yeah, so I'm a proud Gimilaro man.
My family come from Walgit, Lighting Ridge, North West New South Wales but I was born and
(03:09):
bred on the South Coast of New South Wales so I was born in Nara.
I've always known as Shell Haven and you know for a lot of my childhood it was quite difficult.
You know, we moved around a lot, we had a lot of disruption and you know I didn't, I was
always a very smart kid but I kind of didn't enjoy school all too much and it's kind of
(03:33):
like a stereotypical story for a lot of us but I left school at 16 because I had a dream
of being like the Blackfella Harry Butler and Harry Butler was like a hermetologist back
in the day or the Blackfella crocodile hunter.
I was that guy, I was always picking up lizzas and snakes and I started my career.
(03:55):
Other time my home in Dapto in the Lawora region, South Sydney and I went to a place called
Goyupbrook and that's not a made up name that's in Norton Gay Country in Western Australia
and I worked as a 16 year old in a wild love sanctuary and a lot of my applications, you
shouldn't lie children because you had to be 18 to be on that but I said I was 17, 16,
(04:21):
17, not that much difference but I went over there and I spent you know quite a bit of time
over there and then I came back and I worked at a place called Nara Wildlife Park now I
known as Shaw Haven Zoo and I started my career off as a zookeeper and and sort of one thing
led to another and I found myself shearing our packers, went around Australia and New Zealand
(04:42):
shearing our packers and you know that was that was probably the biggest learning her
for me and in all the jobs that I've had I'd probably learnt the most shearing because you
know I was often out at places like Rock Hanson or Deniliquan or out in Stuart Highway
or sometimes out at the back of Mining Ridge or you know these these grimoan communities
(05:05):
had a lot of our packers and sheep and different things and you saw or like when you do that
kind of role you see a lot of Australia and you see a lot of you know the problems that
we might not be as aware of in you know the metro areas is what people face in abortion
I think you know that back then it kind of so to see it into me that I really wanted to
(05:29):
help others at that point and you didn't quite know that it was going to be deadly science
how did how did that see he just turned then into deadly science?
Well that was the thing like I when I sort of moved on from shearing I worked for the RSPCA
at Yuguna as an animal attendant and also as a shearer as well and you know that classic case
(05:55):
of the sheep that I had for four years worth of wool on it I used to be the guy that used
to shear them and you know that kind of like I kind of it was a really weird situation
from going from pretty much working by yourself or maybe one other person to working in a team
of like 40 people working in an animal shelter it was it was a very big challenge for me
(06:21):
I was a bit brash as well you can imagine I was you know working in the bush all the time
so working in the city was a really hard adjustment for me to make and you know even a place
like now our own is still pretty country is pretty regional so I've only kind of I've only
kind of worked in places like that so when you work in the country or regional areas it's
(06:45):
a bit different when you work in the city it's a different sort of culture and different
sort of atmosphere and I ended up working at the English side AWL animal welfare league and
I was lucky enough to meet my wife there but I didn't earn a lot of money there as you do
as an animal attendant and I was struggling living on the northern beaches and I kind of
(07:07):
had a promise to myself there was a dogbick or a bouncer and bouncer unfortunately had his
throat cut and he'd gone for all this rehab to get to the animal shelter and you know there
was quite a few times where bouncer was like very close to being put down for behavioral issues
and I really was determined to get bouncer adopted I got bouncer adopted and then I ended
(07:32):
up getting a trainy ship down at Australian virus horses at Garvin I went through and became
a lab tech and animal technician I looked after colonies of rodents and then I moved on I
I'd met my wife my current my own my current wife I've been married once but I met my my
(07:53):
wife at the animal shelter and she lived in Sydney and we're doing the long distance being
and I decided after I'd worked at the Garvin Institute down in Mossvale that you know I'm
going to try and move to Sydney I'm gonna you know I'm gonna try and make this relationship
work I'm gonna move to Sydney and go be closer to Kate it's gonna be a lot better and and
that's kind of when I started working at University Sydney and you know it started off really
(08:16):
well really good but I was never challenged really by that role and it's hard when you have
a role where you're not really challenged especially mentally like you know it was really
hard for me to find challenges within that workplace and and that's because it was so well
established and and you know there was no real places where you could see improvement in
(08:38):
the sense of like you know you can you can clean a mouse cage or or take DNA of a mouse in
so many different ways but there's only really one way to do it and you know I started deadly
science then so I it was when I was working at University Sydney where I was getting
pretty bored my role but I was always had this burning desire to you know show other Aboriginal
(09:03):
people that hey like there is a way into science and to be a scientist without going for
the traditional ways and and I was wearing a lab coat but I'm not a you know old wrinkly
avid Einstein white man wearing a lab coat I was a young gemillary lad and you know I didn't
have the best background I bring I didn't get any scholarships to go to any fancy schools
(09:25):
or anything like that I I went to dapto high which was you know it's a good school now but back then
it was a pretty rough school and you know it and you went the long way around as well you you
took up every opportunity went everywhere and kind of gathered that knowledge as you went by the sounds
exactly right it was it was one of those things where it just it kind of grew a grew from there and
(09:52):
I started young with these kids and we'll talk about how you know reptiles have a third eye like
though this parallel eye which allows them to see how I would talk about space stations we would
talk about how octopus have eight brains three hearts and blue blood and why is that and why do
we have red blood and these kids would just become you know they just be like well have them no
(10:12):
ones really spoke into me like this before we don't have things like this and and it it just kind
of grew from there and and then you know I was working the lab one day and I said you know what I
I've got some books at home I'm going to ring some of these remote community schools I think
Jill Communion was one of the first schools I rang and they just had nothing like they had nothing
(10:36):
in terms of science resources in the classroom and Scott Ryan was the principal at that point
back in 2018 and and he said yeah I would love some books and then he texted me an address and then
I I've clicked I've already sent some books to Mordor Jullaroo and and places like that and it
(10:56):
kind of just grew Scott talked to his teacher mates they needed books and resources and then before
I knew it there was hundreds of people trying to contact me to send resources so I was really stubborn
I didn't ask for help back then and I was working in the the mouse lab and had 500 cages of mice
(11:19):
just naturally at me and I was using all my savings to buy books from Demix and and eventually
what happened was I started to go find me page and the go find me page you know it raised quite a
bit of money but it is really hard to get people interested in in getting Aboriginal and kids into
(11:40):
science and STEM and and the problem is with that is that like even mainstream Australians see
sciences this Albert Einstein, Thomas Edison thing this thing that's unachievable yeah so it's like
to convince them to give their money to Aboriginal people to do science even with the
(12:04):
works of thinking yes yeah and you know so I had to I had to think outside of the box a little bit
when I started to go find me it was because I was working two jobs and I was driving along
Duffey's Forest Road in North Sydney and I nearly crashed my car because I I was working nights and
and I just I had a professor from the University of Sydney and again like again when I was working
(12:28):
at University of Sydney I knocked on most professors doors and they shut their doors on me and said
no it's a bad idea and you know I'm not and imagine those people now looking at what deadly science
has become and the amount of young people it's impacted and the the stories that they're telling
about science adding remote communities now the success what at that point I at that point I was
(12:49):
a bit of a pinball you know I'd get smashed from one one pillar to post and I'll just bounce off
to the next person just to try and get someone to listen and it was professor Mary and large and
and Dr. Alice motion who will professor Alice motion now back then it was Dr. Alice motion and then
they really gave me a lot of confidence but they also told me this up a go find me page so it
(13:12):
probably would have never have happened if Mary Anne had the told me this up a go find me page but then
how do you get people who donate to go find me page well that's that was really hard because it was like
you know yes you're selling books but hey the Indigenous Legislative Foundation is selling
the sending books so why would you send books if they're sending books like but they didn't get
(13:34):
that I was sending specific types of books which was highly planned or orchestrated it was like
these were books that were going to get kids into science into STEM and they're right like the
Indigenous Legislative Foundation does incredible work I love them they're great but I was doing
my own thing and I was calling it deadly science and then I drew a logo on a napkin and my cousin
(14:00):
fixed it up for me because it was pretty crappy and that's how the logo account of me and then
you know I got this weird email one day it's like you've been nominated for young Australian in the
year and I'm like I thought it was a I've literally thought it was on those scams and then you know I
(14:21):
probably couldn't shut up about it to be honest afterwards because I'm pretty chuffed like you know it's
it's a very special award it's a it's I never in my wildest dreams I still pinch myself I don't think
that I really have ever come to terms with the fact that you know I I won that award I it's not
why I do what I do and it's very cliche thing to say but I literally don't do it for awards or anything
(14:47):
like that yeah most certainly and you know the best thing about it was I was out of bringing my
mum to the awards and I was able to you know celebrate with my family and and you know my family
being for a lot for me to be in a position to get that and I'm very privileged to get that but
(15:10):
you know to get there has been a pretty rocky road with a lot of hot holes and and things like that
so it it changed my life but I wasn't ready for it not in my wildest dreams like I I done stuff at the
zoo where I'd had you know been filmed by getaway or the weekend or or something like that but
(15:31):
when when you've got cameras in your faces and people want to talk to you like my phone completely
blew up the next day and then you have to go to Canberra with the expectation where you might
have the same media attention but it might be a hundred times that and there's no amount of media
(15:55):
training that I got that prepared me for that but quickly it changed my behaviour very quickly
as a young man because you know suddenly you can't be out of the pub you know having a good time
with your mates you can't you can't be you know seen to to do some of the things you probably used to do
(16:19):
and like I've never tried drugs or anything like that but like you know I can't be out of the
reflection yes yeah and you know like and that was a really good thing and it was a great thing for
the like the view of deadly science it it changed the world it also highlights the pressure that like
(16:40):
role models for First Nations young people everyone especially when they're in the spotlight
are under as well that yeah you are oh yeah it is role model for everyone and you know and just
further me a fact that you're on telly or radio or like on social media there's always someone
(17:01):
that doesn't like you and it's just like in life and multiple times I've had to sort of pull myself
back or I've slipped up because I've bitten back or like you know and I'm getting better at it
but it's not easy the first the first death that I got was you know it was really hard
(17:24):
and and you know you don't understand like people do send you this stuff because it's like you know
you are literally packing up boxes of resources and send in to remote children that don't have them
but it's it's something you've got to grow with because we are in a we are in a world where information
has never been cheaper you are you and everyone and their dog is going to criticize you in some way
(17:51):
but like I wear it because I love it like the moments I have like you know last year
cabbage tree island the the community got destroyed by floods they got hammered by COVID
but these kids just have so many like they just have a reason to smile and um well that isn't it
because selling selling science to donate donors is hard but selling science to kids isn't
(18:17):
and selling science to remote kids who are already out there you know chopping up a kangaroo or knowing
how to track an animal or you know looking at the stars and telling dreaming stories selling them
on the traditional science knowledge in these books and their resources that you provide isn't hard
it's that's not the hard thing at all it's convincing everyone else to support it um that's the
and so I can't with this idea where I'd make a deadly science shirt and you know it worked for the
(18:44):
for the most part it was really great like I used Twitter and Facebook as my sort of um you know pilots
to to get me to where I am today but it was like where are you wearing your deadly science shirt
where are you celebrating deadly science in these kids um and we have the deadly juniors scientists
awards where we were awarding kids for not just um you know being good at science or academic it was
(19:09):
being a good person because like if you're a good person first you're a great scientist next because
you really care and you know explaining that and just making science sort of cool like it you know
we don't have like with our communities we might have the three mental doctors or the South Sydney
Rapidoe's or but we don't have anything that is you know indigenous that is for science or STEM um
(19:39):
you know we have SIRO we have a couple of other smaller not-for-profits but we have nothing that
really celebrates young people and STEM um and that's that's sort of where deadly science comes into it
it's you know and the thing is is that like I think even if I wanted to I couldn't replicate
(20:00):
with deadly science is somewhere else because deadly science was so authentic and so is so
authentic and so personal um you know I literally put my blood sweat in tears
yeah and like I broke my foot carrying boxes of books to the post office um I actually felt
(20:20):
my foot shattering um and I could feel the bones breaking in my foot um these are these are things I've
had um you know and and from that it is the whole like you know like last year I was getting married
it was going to be the the year that I I back off now it's this year um but how does Kate feel about
(20:45):
the fact that you haven't backed off yet oh look it's she knows like everyone around me knows that
like the work that we do is so important and they know how important it is but there is a time
where you do need to be you and like go out fishing or something like that and sometimes I do I just
go out in the charter and I just go fishing and I just switch off but you know for me it's it's more
(21:11):
about like not getting caught up in the drama more so um because there's a lot of like there's a lot
of stuff that's said about Indigenous communities and you do get passionate about it because you see it
but I know for the fact that I do my bit by you know supporting our mob and and in different ways
(21:32):
like you know there's there's different ways like and help now like um before it used to be I'll
go to the shops and I'll buy every single thing in the shop and I'll send it to you um but now it's more
like um you know I I want to actually start selling in my community but I don't really know how to
start it or or talk to who to talk to and I'm like you know I know I've been through this um so many
(21:57):
times so now I've become kind of that person where it's a bit of a connector like just recently
um a fellow that I've known for you know 16 years like I we did aim together back in the day and um
you know he sent some baby clothes off to Jill Comenian and you know I'm able to hook that relationship
up because I know people in Jill that need baby clothes like yes um so supporting initiatives grass
(22:24):
roots now instead of being on the front line so much you're doing the mentoring and grassroot most
definitely like it's kind of changed a little bit like I still pack the resources like we I sent
68 palates were for Lego last year to remote communities and that was all gonna end up in landfill
but we we saved it from landfill and we passed it on to the the people that needed the most and
(22:46):
and I still pack the boxes I still do all the same stuff I've always done but then it's like no I can
actually be that person that's an advocate or I can be that person that's a a bit of a steering
will to to help them start their own version of deadly science um yeah so it's become it's become a
it was like I never wanted it I never wanted to be about me but then it became about me because
(23:11):
as all the people came and go when when I was starting out or like um I was the original one that
just kept going and going and going and I didn't stop for anyone I was kind of a bit of a train
with no breaks and and now I'm having to find myself like I have to bring out people in like
there has to be other places of deadly science and and successions just so important and um you know
(23:37):
I I would love to see deadly science you know get the same amount of funding as something bigger orgs
but still keep that authentic um relationships like um I like I've said no to funders before that
could have helped us immensely because I knew that would compromise a relationship that I had with
(23:57):
a particular community the particular time um and yeah sometimes the real strength is in saying no
yeah and holding those core values like you said and I think the power of what you've also done
or what deadly science has done although it is you writing the books as well so it's not just
leaning on you to provide resources anymore you've got the books and like you said encouraging
(24:20):
grassroots startups as well to kind of carry the science message through yeah the book the book for
me like the first scientist book the idea was like I had sent so many STEM resources and like
obviously we've had the emergence of dark emu and and these sort of books have come out but
there was nothing but that captured it all you know like it was um and captured in in in
(24:46):
it all for kids as well like um you know let's think about forensic science like every single time someone
is rescued in the bush someone used forensic science to find them for observation and critical for it
so let's let's put that into a book and like I really wanted to write the book that I I dreamt of
sending to remote schools um to encourage kids and and like it's the same with the next one it's like
(25:12):
well this new one that's coming out this book thinks you're deadly um is an adult book but it's like
I've written it because the only time we talk about Aboriginal people and and when they're successful
as they were in their own sport art or when they're dead and there is an amazing group of young young
and living Aboriginal people in this community in this country doing wonderful things and
(25:37):
and I wanted to share anecdotes of how they impact me um but I hope that this is a book that I can pass
under other indigenous writers first nations writers and they can write about people they find deadly
as well um and there can be a real celebration of black excellence in this country and you know for me
with these challenging graphic books there's a lot of me in those books as well like um
(25:59):
analytications is based on the first book I learned how to read which is reptiles in color but
after harrow koga it's orange just like the book so um it's got a lot of that kind of stuff in it
and you know I really just wanted to have books that like a right book that kids just you know kids
(26:19):
and old people just pick up and they just love like I just wanted them to love the book and if they
didn't love the book then that was fine but at least it was out there um and if someone thought
they could write a better book then they they definitely can and I hope they do um because we need more
books out there and we need more books to encourage our kids but you know I wanted to that's why
(26:41):
it was so meticulous in the referencing and the you know if you've seen first scientists it's it's a
very well-researched book it's a it's everything's done perfectly to a tee but I really wanted to set
the standard of um first-natured science books in this country for kids. Yes yeah and I think once
(27:01):
once young people are exposed to all these different um streams of science that they can then
have these big dreams of like maybe marine biology out you know what I'm point is my thing or maybe
I can be a ranger or maybe I can be an astrologer in the middle of Australia you're understanding
that science is so diverse as well what kind of message you've had because you've obviously worked
(27:24):
doing your sharing around and you've interacted with heaps of communities and you've also guessed
done guess speaking with young people I'm wondering what advice do you have or the most important
message you have for people who are working in these remote communities um you are supported
um even if it doesn't seem like the support's there um if it seems like you're a bit alone and if
(27:47):
you seem like you're you're eight-year-wits and you know you are supported there is organizations that
will support you there is someone that will pick up the phone um these communities are the most
beautiful communities you were ever like on earth but they're also challenging communities there
there's things that um young graduates aren't prepared for um and uni universities need to be
(28:11):
better at preparing young graduates um for the life in the bush because life in the bushes you're
not just a teacher you're not a you're not a nine to five teacher you were a 24/7 teacher um and
therefore you know the training needs to be better but also the support for teachers um there needs
to be a national support network for teachers um in remote communities because we lose too many
(28:35):
either to like just the industry in general or the education industry or or completely um and
I think that you know if we if we truly care about education in this country and about our children
in these remote communities we need to encourage um these people to stay um build relationships but
we need to put the infrastructure around them uh if we can't if we can't do the latter which is the
(29:01):
infrastructure then we can surely put some support networks in and some proper training in um because
everyone everyone kind of thinks they leave uni they're going to get their dream job they're going
to go out to Madorankha they're going to go to this beautiful desert oasis um but quite quickly they
find themselves burnt out and um for me I've seen it across the communities um I've picked up the phone
(29:25):
for principals and teachers at two in the morning and eleven o'clock and nine um in all different
sorts of hours um and you know for all those teachers out there you're not alone but you also
do a wonderful job and you should be you should be commended for that and um keep going
to make a huge difference because a good teacher makes a world of difference and imagine all these
(29:47):
remote teachers that might be inspiring the next stem and you and deadly science and the next round
of First Nations teachers that are like teaching in their own communities how powerful would that be?
100% a community teachers they might not have the tertiary education but they're worth their weight
and gold they're amazing people and um the thing that I've found in my many years now working with
(30:12):
remote community teachers and schools and and elders and different people is that the remote
community teacher is a special breed um it is a it is a someone that is very selfless it is someone
that that gives service that goes beyond the typical realms of an education um an educational
(30:34):
setting it's someone that deeply cares about their community it's someone that that doesn't just
put the extra hours in you know marking assignments it's sometimes you're opening up your home
to kids and and community members and and you you know I think that that needs to be celebrated a
little bit more um than what we do we don't really have like we have state awards for teachers so
(30:55):
it's kind of one of the driving factors why deadly science has the deadly science educator of the
Year Award both community and um teacher because it's important to recognise the efforts of teachers
and you know although your students might not see it all the time and we were all young once um
and we all bought we knew it all um at some point they're all the other um and you know
(31:21):
but these kids do remember you they do have if you keep it positive they will remember you when
they're old and they will you know they'll have those relationships with you um what hints and tips
do you have for getting more STEM into remote community schools obviously deadly science is doing
so much around that but what can we do on the ground in remote communities oh there's so many
(31:43):
things you can do science is all around us um in fact this podcast and science it is a form of chemistry
and engineering being blended together and the hypothesis is that you'll like this podcast but the
risk as you want um but for me it's it's all around us we scientists such a great way to communicate
with children um you know whether you're taking a small baroque and putting it in a jar full of water
(32:08):
and olive oil and food coloring and making the best lava lamp possible um you know that is
that science and it connects us all it connects every single facet of life um and the the truth is if
you want to show a scientist to a child you just hold up a mirror because they look like us all um
(32:29):
and you know for me the way we fix the shortage of STEM in remote communities is by two things
empowering our teachers to teach STEM um but providing them the resources they need
and then we create our own resources that help encourage the kids along because
it's all well and good to have all these scholarships for STEM and science um at the end of the
(32:52):
tree but we're not going to get the kids that need them um and that's that's the facts um we need to start
grassroots and needs to start at you know prom school age work its way out to prom to high school age
and then we need to talk to high school students that are dropping out and create crew pass for them
wonderful anything else you'd like to talk about Corey before we wrap up?
(33:14):
uh no um anything i say will be held against me in the port of the internet um so it's all good
which i'm so sorry to hear that there are people out there that have negative things to say
it kind of highlights the racism and the stereotypes and the things that still exist on the internet
with the trolls and in Australian society so i'm sorry that that happens um it happens like but it's
(33:38):
it's just one of those things you know like you you take the good and the bad for every bad common
they get it and about a thousand that are great so um you know that's a pretty good ratio to me um and
i think that you know part of it like part of it also is that you know it's easy to get burnt out
doing this work and um when you burnt out and stuff you tend to apply to people that are a bit of
(34:02):
um womba on the internet and when you apply it encourages more people to say stuff so um for me
i've got to be bit smarter um and just water off a ducts back but when i'm bit burnt out i get
a bit offended so i need to be better at that so i guess um for me it's you know i for me if i
(34:24):
want to be a good role model i've got to be able to take it and i've got to take the criticism as
it comes and and i've just got to wear it and and that's just something that's part of life um and
any person that's forward facing and that puts themselves out there is going to encourage things
which i think highlights as remote teachers for us to be aware of the messages that we're bringing
(34:44):
back home as well the the positive things that remote communities dispelling stereotypes and
joining in as a conversation as allies not just letting you and other people who are forward
facing take all the brunt for this oh yeah but like you know the best thing about deadly science is
that it's highlighted the lack of some resources in remote communities and it's put it on the
(35:05):
national conversation and that that's an amazing thing and regardless of like you know yes my
involvement is as a founder and stuff but it's as schools like perna-luloo school as schools like
Mediarlay, Robinson River, Manali, Malak you know all of them, Walgat, everyone who has really
(35:28):
turned this little idea I had into saint that is we're all kind of supporting each other like schools
are supporting us by getting involved and sharing photos and and you know making making them
cells accessible to us and helping us build a profile of them and the work that we do together but
(35:49):
it's also creating a national conversation which is being addressed which is great.
Thank you so much Corey and thank you for the time and on behalf of right teachers and schools
thank you for all the work you do. No it's an absolute honor and I love being on the page and
sharing stuff and I think it's really great I've got a lot of really great contacts off that that
(36:13):
Facebook group as well which is awesome. All supporting each other thank you so much Corey
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 teachers in remote communities past, present and future any important links mentioned
(36:37):
or businesses or organizations 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 have internet coverage or reception
so you can listen to it on your long drives between communities in the outback thank you for listening
(36:59):
we look forward to seeing you in the next episode of the remote teacher
Welcome to the Remote Teacher podcast. We're excited to have you here.
(00:09):
I'm Hakyahasa, 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 excited to be meeting with Corey Tutt, a Gimilaro man who's also the founder of
(01:59):
Deadly Science and we've bumped into each other around the internet and him sharing his
amazing science program over on the remote teacher past, present and future so I'm happy
to be chatting with him today.
But before we begin, I would like to acknowledge the traditional custodians on the lands which
we meet today.
The Bungalong people of the Northern Rivers, New South Wales and the Biuripai nation where
(02:22):
Corey is for the interview today.
We pay our respects to their elders past, present and emerging and extend that respect to
any first nations people listening along with our podcast today.
Corey, welcome.
Thank you for having me.
It is a pleasure to be here on the lands of the Biuripai people and it's just, it's a beautiful
day today.
(02:43):
It is summer.
It is hot, it is the sky, it is not a cloud in the sky and I'm just very grateful to be
on this podcast today.
And can you tell us a bit about your background prior to Deadly Science because you've done
so much since but what was it like here before?
Yeah, so I'm a proud Gimilaro man.
My family come from Walgit, Lighting Ridge, North West New South Wales but I was born and
(03:09):
bred on the South Coast of New South Wales so I was born in Nara.
I've always known as Shell Haven and you know for a lot of my childhood it was quite difficult.
You know, we moved around a lot, we had a lot of disruption and you know I didn't, I was
always a very smart kid but I kind of didn't enjoy school all too much and it's kind of
(03:33):
like a stereotypical story for a lot of us but I left school at 16 because I had a dream
of being like the Blackfella Harry Butler and Harry Butler was like a hermetologist back
in the day or the Blackfella crocodile hunter.
I was that guy, I was always picking up lizzas and snakes and I started my career.
(03:55):
Other time my home in Dapto in the Lawora region, South Sydney and I went to a place called
Goyupbrook and that's not a made up name that's in Norton Gay Country in Western Australia
and I worked as a 16 year old in a wild love sanctuary and a lot of my applications, you
shouldn't lie children because you had to be 18 to be on that but I said I was 17, 16,
(04:21):
17, not that much difference but I went over there and I spent you know quite a bit of time
over there and then I came back and I worked at a place called Nara Wildlife Park now I
known as Shaw Haven Zoo and I started my career off as a zookeeper and and sort of one thing
led to another and I found myself shearing our packers, went around Australia and New Zealand
(04:42):
shearing our packers and you know that was that was probably the biggest learning her
for me and in all the jobs that I've had I'd probably learnt the most shearing because you
know I was often out at places like Rock Hanson or Deniliquan or out in Stuart Highway
or sometimes out at the back of Mining Ridge or you know these these grimoan communities
(05:05):
had a lot of our packers and sheep and different things and you saw or like when you do that
kind of role you see a lot of Australia and you see a lot of you know the problems that
we might not be as aware of in you know the metro areas is what people face in abortion
I think you know that back then it kind of so to see it into me that I really wanted to
(05:29):
help others at that point and you didn't quite know that it was going to be deadly science
how did how did that see he just turned then into deadly science?
Well that was the thing like I when I sort of moved on from shearing I worked for the RSPCA
at Yuguna as an animal attendant and also as a shearer as well and you know that classic case
(05:55):
of the sheep that I had for four years worth of wool on it I used to be the guy that used
to shear them and you know that kind of like I kind of it was a really weird situation
from going from pretty much working by yourself or maybe one other person to working in a team
of like 40 people working in an animal shelter it was it was a very big challenge for me
(06:21):
I was a bit brash as well you can imagine I was you know working in the bush all the time
so working in the city was a really hard adjustment for me to make and you know even a place
like now our own is still pretty country is pretty regional so I've only kind of I've only
kind of worked in places like that so when you work in the country or regional areas it's
(06:45):
a bit different when you work in the city it's a different sort of culture and different
sort of atmosphere and I ended up working at the English side AWL animal welfare league and
I was lucky enough to meet my wife there but I didn't earn a lot of money there as you do
as an animal attendant and I was struggling living on the northern beaches and I kind of
(07:07):
had a promise to myself there was a dogbick or a bouncer and bouncer unfortunately had his
throat cut and he'd gone for all this rehab to get to the animal shelter and you know there
was quite a few times where bouncer was like very close to being put down for behavioral issues
and I really was determined to get bouncer adopted I got bouncer adopted and then I ended
(07:32):
up getting a trainy ship down at Australian virus horses at Garvin I went through and became
a lab tech and animal technician I looked after colonies of rodents and then I moved on I
I'd met my wife my current my own my current wife I've been married once but I met my my
(07:53):
wife at the animal shelter and she lived in Sydney and we're doing the long distance being
and I decided after I'd worked at the Garvin Institute down in Mossvale that you know I'm
going to try and move to Sydney I'm gonna you know I'm gonna try and make this relationship
work I'm gonna move to Sydney and go be closer to Kate it's gonna be a lot better and and
that's kind of when I started working at University Sydney and you know it started off really
(08:16):
well really good but I was never challenged really by that role and it's hard when you have
a role where you're not really challenged especially mentally like you know it was really
hard for me to find challenges within that workplace and and that's because it was so well
established and and you know there was no real places where you could see improvement in
(08:38):
the sense of like you know you can you can clean a mouse cage or or take DNA of a mouse in
so many different ways but there's only really one way to do it and you know I started deadly
science then so I it was when I was working at University Sydney where I was getting
pretty bored my role but I was always had this burning desire to you know show other Aboriginal
(09:03):
people that hey like there is a way into science and to be a scientist without going for
the traditional ways and and I was wearing a lab coat but I'm not a you know old wrinkly
avid Einstein white man wearing a lab coat I was a young gemillary lad and you know I didn't
have the best background I bring I didn't get any scholarships to go to any fancy schools
(09:25):
or anything like that I I went to dapto high which was you know it's a good school now but back then
it was a pretty rough school and you know it and you went the long way around as well you you
took up every opportunity went everywhere and kind of gathered that knowledge as you went by the sounds
exactly right it was it was one of those things where it just it kind of grew a grew from there and
(09:52):
I started young with these kids and we'll talk about how you know reptiles have a third eye like
though this parallel eye which allows them to see how I would talk about space stations we would
talk about how octopus have eight brains three hearts and blue blood and why is that and why do
we have red blood and these kids would just become you know they just be like well have them no
(10:12):
ones really spoke into me like this before we don't have things like this and and it it just kind
of grew from there and and then you know I was working the lab one day and I said you know what I
I've got some books at home I'm going to ring some of these remote community schools I think
Jill Communion was one of the first schools I rang and they just had nothing like they had nothing
(10:36):
in terms of science resources in the classroom and Scott Ryan was the principal at that point
back in 2018 and and he said yeah I would love some books and then he texted me an address and then
I I've clicked I've already sent some books to Mordor Jullaroo and and places like that and it
(10:56):
kind of just grew Scott talked to his teacher mates they needed books and resources and then before
I knew it there was hundreds of people trying to contact me to send resources so I was really stubborn
I didn't ask for help back then and I was working in the the mouse lab and had 500 cages of mice
(11:19):
just naturally at me and I was using all my savings to buy books from Demix and and eventually
what happened was I started to go find me page and the go find me page you know it raised quite a
bit of money but it is really hard to get people interested in in getting Aboriginal and kids into
(11:40):
science and STEM and and the problem is with that is that like even mainstream Australians see
sciences this Albert Einstein, Thomas Edison thing this thing that's unachievable yeah so it's like
to convince them to give their money to Aboriginal people to do science even with the
(12:04):
works of thinking yes yeah and you know so I had to I had to think outside of the box a little bit
when I started to go find me it was because I was working two jobs and I was driving along
Duffey's Forest Road in North Sydney and I nearly crashed my car because I I was working nights and
and I just I had a professor from the University of Sydney and again like again when I was working
(12:28):
at University of Sydney I knocked on most professors doors and they shut their doors on me and said
no it's a bad idea and you know I'm not and imagine those people now looking at what deadly science
has become and the amount of young people it's impacted and the the stories that they're telling
about science adding remote communities now the success what at that point I at that point I was
(12:49):
a bit of a pinball you know I'd get smashed from one one pillar to post and I'll just bounce off
to the next person just to try and get someone to listen and it was professor Mary and large and
and Dr. Alice motion who will professor Alice motion now back then it was Dr. Alice motion and then
they really gave me a lot of confidence but they also told me this up a go find me page so it
(13:12):
probably would have never have happened if Mary Anne had the told me this up a go find me page but then
how do you get people who donate to go find me page well that's that was really hard because it was like
you know yes you're selling books but hey the Indigenous Legislative Foundation is selling
the sending books so why would you send books if they're sending books like but they didn't get
(13:34):
that I was sending specific types of books which was highly planned or orchestrated it was like
these were books that were going to get kids into science into STEM and they're right like the
Indigenous Legislative Foundation does incredible work I love them they're great but I was doing
my own thing and I was calling it deadly science and then I drew a logo on a napkin and my cousin
(14:00):
fixed it up for me because it was pretty crappy and that's how the logo account of me and then
you know I got this weird email one day it's like you've been nominated for young Australian in the
year and I'm like I thought it was a I've literally thought it was on those scams and then you know I
(14:21):
probably couldn't shut up about it to be honest afterwards because I'm pretty chuffed like you know it's
it's a very special award it's a it's I never in my wildest dreams I still pinch myself I don't think
that I really have ever come to terms with the fact that you know I I won that award I it's not
why I do what I do and it's very cliche thing to say but I literally don't do it for awards or anything
(14:47):
like that yeah most certainly and you know the best thing about it was I was out of bringing my
mum to the awards and I was able to you know celebrate with my family and and you know my family
being for a lot for me to be in a position to get that and I'm very privileged to get that but
(15:10):
you know to get there has been a pretty rocky road with a lot of hot holes and and things like that
so it it changed my life but I wasn't ready for it not in my wildest dreams like I I done stuff at the
zoo where I'd had you know been filmed by getaway or the weekend or or something like that but
(15:31):
when when you've got cameras in your faces and people want to talk to you like my phone completely
blew up the next day and then you have to go to Canberra with the expectation where you might
have the same media attention but it might be a hundred times that and there's no amount of media
(15:55):
training that I got that prepared me for that but quickly it changed my behaviour very quickly
as a young man because you know suddenly you can't be out of the pub you know having a good time
with your mates you can't you can't be you know seen to to do some of the things you probably used to do
(16:19):
and like I've never tried drugs or anything like that but like you know I can't be out of the
reflection yes yeah and you know like and that was a really good thing and it was a great thing for
the like the view of deadly science it it changed the world it also highlights the pressure that like
(16:40):
role models for First Nations young people everyone especially when they're in the spotlight
are under as well that yeah you are oh yeah it is role model for everyone and you know and just
further me a fact that you're on telly or radio or like on social media there's always someone
(17:01):
that doesn't like you and it's just like in life and multiple times I've had to sort of pull myself
back or I've slipped up because I've bitten back or like you know and I'm getting better at it
but it's not easy the first the first death that I got was you know it was really hard
(17:24):
and and you know you don't understand like people do send you this stuff because it's like you know
you are literally packing up boxes of resources and send in to remote children that don't have them
but it's it's something you've got to grow with because we are in a we are in a world where information
has never been cheaper you are you and everyone and their dog is going to criticize you in some way
(17:51):
but like I wear it because I love it like the moments I have like you know last year
cabbage tree island the the community got destroyed by floods they got hammered by COVID
but these kids just have so many like they just have a reason to smile and um well that isn't it
because selling selling science to donate donors is hard but selling science to kids isn't
(18:17):
and selling science to remote kids who are already out there you know chopping up a kangaroo or knowing
how to track an animal or you know looking at the stars and telling dreaming stories selling them
on the traditional science knowledge in these books and their resources that you provide isn't hard
it's that's not the hard thing at all it's convincing everyone else to support it um that's the
and so I can't with this idea where I'd make a deadly science shirt and you know it worked for the
(18:44):
for the most part it was really great like I used Twitter and Facebook as my sort of um you know pilots
to to get me to where I am today but it was like where are you wearing your deadly science shirt
where are you celebrating deadly science in these kids um and we have the deadly juniors scientists
awards where we were awarding kids for not just um you know being good at science or academic it was
(19:09):
being a good person because like if you're a good person first you're a great scientist next because
you really care and you know explaining that and just making science sort of cool like it you know
we don't have like with our communities we might have the three mental doctors or the South Sydney
Rapidoe's or but we don't have anything that is you know indigenous that is for science or STEM um
(19:39):
you know we have SIRO we have a couple of other smaller not-for-profits but we have nothing that
really celebrates young people and STEM um and that's that's sort of where deadly science comes into it
it's you know and the thing is is that like I think even if I wanted to I couldn't replicate
(20:00):
with deadly science is somewhere else because deadly science was so authentic and so is so
authentic and so personal um you know I literally put my blood sweat in tears
yeah and like I broke my foot carrying boxes of books to the post office um I actually felt
(20:20):
my foot shattering um and I could feel the bones breaking in my foot um these are these are things I've
had um you know and and from that it is the whole like you know like last year I was getting married
it was going to be the the year that I I back off now it's this year um but how does Kate feel about
(20:45):
the fact that you haven't backed off yet oh look it's she knows like everyone around me knows that
like the work that we do is so important and they know how important it is but there is a time
where you do need to be you and like go out fishing or something like that and sometimes I do I just
go out in the charter and I just go fishing and I just switch off but you know for me it's it's more
(21:11):
about like not getting caught up in the drama more so um because there's a lot of like there's a lot
of stuff that's said about Indigenous communities and you do get passionate about it because you see it
but I know for the fact that I do my bit by you know supporting our mob and and in different ways
(21:32):
like you know there's there's different ways like and help now like um before it used to be I'll
go to the shops and I'll buy every single thing in the shop and I'll send it to you um but now it's more
like um you know I I want to actually start selling in my community but I don't really know how to
start it or or talk to who to talk to and I'm like you know I know I've been through this um so many
(21:57):
times so now I've become kind of that person where it's a bit of a connector like just recently
um a fellow that I've known for you know 16 years like I we did aim together back in the day and um
you know he sent some baby clothes off to Jill Comenian and you know I'm able to hook that relationship
up because I know people in Jill that need baby clothes like yes um so supporting initiatives grass
(22:24):
roots now instead of being on the front line so much you're doing the mentoring and grassroot most
definitely like it's kind of changed a little bit like I still pack the resources like we I sent
68 palates were for Lego last year to remote communities and that was all gonna end up in landfill
but we we saved it from landfill and we passed it on to the the people that needed the most and
(22:46):
and I still pack the boxes I still do all the same stuff I've always done but then it's like no I can
actually be that person that's an advocate or I can be that person that's a a bit of a steering
will to to help them start their own version of deadly science um yeah so it's become it's become a
it was like I never wanted it I never wanted to be about me but then it became about me because
(23:11):
as all the people came and go when when I was starting out or like um I was the original one that
just kept going and going and going and I didn't stop for anyone I was kind of a bit of a train
with no breaks and and now I'm having to find myself like I have to bring out people in like
there has to be other places of deadly science and and successions just so important and um you know
(23:37):
I I would love to see deadly science you know get the same amount of funding as something bigger orgs
but still keep that authentic um relationships like um I like I've said no to funders before that
could have helped us immensely because I knew that would compromise a relationship that I had with
(23:57):
a particular community the particular time um and yeah sometimes the real strength is in saying no
yeah and holding those core values like you said and I think the power of what you've also done
or what deadly science has done although it is you writing the books as well so it's not just
leaning on you to provide resources anymore you've got the books and like you said encouraging
(24:20):
grassroots startups as well to kind of carry the science message through yeah the book the book for
me like the first scientist book the idea was like I had sent so many STEM resources and like
obviously we've had the emergence of dark emu and and these sort of books have come out but
there was nothing but that captured it all you know like it was um and captured in in in
(24:46):
it all for kids as well like um you know let's think about forensic science like every single time someone
is rescued in the bush someone used forensic science to find them for observation and critical for it
so let's let's put that into a book and like I really wanted to write the book that I I dreamt of
sending to remote schools um to encourage kids and and like it's the same with the next one it's like
(25:12):
well this new one that's coming out this book thinks you're deadly um is an adult book but it's like
I've written it because the only time we talk about Aboriginal people and and when they're successful
as they were in their own sport art or when they're dead and there is an amazing group of young young
and living Aboriginal people in this community in this country doing wonderful things and
(25:37):
and I wanted to share anecdotes of how they impact me um but I hope that this is a book that I can pass
under other indigenous writers first nations writers and they can write about people they find deadly
as well um and there can be a real celebration of black excellence in this country and you know for me
with these challenging graphic books there's a lot of me in those books as well like um
(25:59):
analytications is based on the first book I learned how to read which is reptiles in color but
after harrow koga it's orange just like the book so um it's got a lot of that kind of stuff in it
and you know I really just wanted to have books that like a right book that kids just you know kids
(26:19):
and old people just pick up and they just love like I just wanted them to love the book and if they
didn't love the book then that was fine but at least it was out there um and if someone thought
they could write a better book then they they definitely can and I hope they do um because we need more
books out there and we need more books to encourage our kids but you know I wanted to that's why
(26:41):
it was so meticulous in the referencing and the you know if you've seen first scientists it's it's a
very well-researched book it's a it's everything's done perfectly to a tee but I really wanted to set
the standard of um first-natured science books in this country for kids. Yes yeah and I think once
(27:01):
once young people are exposed to all these different um streams of science that they can then
have these big dreams of like maybe marine biology out you know what I'm point is my thing or maybe
I can be a ranger or maybe I can be an astrologer in the middle of Australia you're understanding
that science is so diverse as well what kind of message you've had because you've obviously worked
(27:24):
doing your sharing around and you've interacted with heaps of communities and you've also guessed
done guess speaking with young people I'm wondering what advice do you have or the most important
message you have for people who are working in these remote communities um you are supported
um even if it doesn't seem like the support's there um if it seems like you're a bit alone and if
(27:47):
you seem like you're you're eight-year-wits and you know you are supported there is organizations that
will support you there is someone that will pick up the phone um these communities are the most
beautiful communities you were ever like on earth but they're also challenging communities there
there's things that um young graduates aren't prepared for um and uni universities need to be
(28:11):
better at preparing young graduates um for the life in the bush because life in the bushes you're
not just a teacher you're not a you're not a nine to five teacher you were a 24/7 teacher um and
therefore you know the training needs to be better but also the support for teachers um there needs
to be a national support network for teachers um in remote communities because we lose too many
(28:35):
either to like just the industry in general or the education industry or or completely um and
I think that you know if we if we truly care about education in this country and about our children
in these remote communities we need to encourage um these people to stay um build relationships but
we need to put the infrastructure around them uh if we can't if we can't do the latter which is the
(29:01):
infrastructure then we can surely put some support networks in and some proper training in um because
everyone everyone kind of thinks they leave uni they're going to get their dream job they're going
to go out to Madorankha they're going to go to this beautiful desert oasis um but quite quickly they
find themselves burnt out and um for me I've seen it across the communities um I've picked up the phone
(29:25):
for principals and teachers at two in the morning and eleven o'clock and nine um in all different
sorts of hours um and you know for all those teachers out there you're not alone but you also
do a wonderful job and you should be you should be commended for that and um keep going
to make a huge difference because a good teacher makes a world of difference and imagine all these
(29:47):
remote teachers that might be inspiring the next stem and you and deadly science and the next round
of First Nations teachers that are like teaching in their own communities how powerful would that be?
100% a community teachers they might not have the tertiary education but they're worth their weight
and gold they're amazing people and um the thing that I've found in my many years now working with
(30:12):
remote community teachers and schools and and elders and different people is that the remote
community teacher is a special breed um it is a it is a someone that is very selfless it is someone
that that gives service that goes beyond the typical realms of an education um an educational
(30:34):
setting it's someone that deeply cares about their community it's someone that that doesn't just
put the extra hours in you know marking assignments it's sometimes you're opening up your home
to kids and and community members and and you you know I think that that needs to be celebrated a
little bit more um than what we do we don't really have like we have state awards for teachers so
(30:55):
it's kind of one of the driving factors why deadly science has the deadly science educator of the
Year Award both community and um teacher because it's important to recognise the efforts of teachers
and you know although your students might not see it all the time and we were all young once um
and we all bought we knew it all um at some point they're all the other um and you know
(31:21):
but these kids do remember you they do have if you keep it positive they will remember you when
they're old and they will you know they'll have those relationships with you um what hints and tips
do you have for getting more STEM into remote community schools obviously deadly science is doing
so much around that but what can we do on the ground in remote communities oh there's so many
(31:43):
things you can do science is all around us um in fact this podcast and science it is a form of chemistry
and engineering being blended together and the hypothesis is that you'll like this podcast but the
risk as you want um but for me it's it's all around us we scientists such a great way to communicate
with children um you know whether you're taking a small baroque and putting it in a jar full of water
(32:08):
and olive oil and food coloring and making the best lava lamp possible um you know that is
that science and it connects us all it connects every single facet of life um and the the truth is if
you want to show a scientist to a child you just hold up a mirror because they look like us all um
(32:29):
and you know for me the way we fix the shortage of STEM in remote communities is by two things
empowering our teachers to teach STEM um but providing them the resources they need
and then we create our own resources that help encourage the kids along because
it's all well and good to have all these scholarships for STEM and science um at the end of the
(32:52):
tree but we're not going to get the kids that need them um and that's that's the facts um we need to start
grassroots and needs to start at you know prom school age work its way out to prom to high school age
and then we need to talk to high school students that are dropping out and create crew pass for them
wonderful anything else you'd like to talk about Corey before we wrap up?
(33:14):
uh no um anything i say will be held against me in the port of the internet um so it's all good
which i'm so sorry to hear that there are people out there that have negative things to say
it kind of highlights the racism and the stereotypes and the things that still exist on the internet
with the trolls and in Australian society so i'm sorry that that happens um it happens like but it's
(33:38):
it's just one of those things you know like you you take the good and the bad for every bad common
they get it and about a thousand that are great so um you know that's a pretty good ratio to me um and
i think that you know part of it like part of it also is that you know it's easy to get burnt out
doing this work and um when you burnt out and stuff you tend to apply to people that are a bit of
(34:02):
um womba on the internet and when you apply it encourages more people to say stuff so um for me
i've got to be bit smarter um and just water off a ducts back but when i'm bit burnt out i get
a bit offended so i need to be better at that so i guess um for me it's you know i for me if i
(34:24):
want to be a good role model i've got to be able to take it and i've got to take the criticism as
it comes and and i've just got to wear it and and that's just something that's part of life um and
any person that's forward facing and that puts themselves out there is going to encourage things
which i think highlights as remote teachers for us to be aware of the messages that we're bringing
(34:44):
back home as well the the positive things that remote communities dispelling stereotypes and
joining in as a conversation as allies not just letting you and other people who are forward
facing take all the brunt for this oh yeah but like you know the best thing about deadly science is
that it's highlighted the lack of some resources in remote communities and it's put it on the
(35:05):
national conversation and that that's an amazing thing and regardless of like you know yes my
involvement is as a founder and stuff but it's as schools like perna-luloo school as schools like
Mediarlay, Robinson River, Manali, Malak you know all of them, Walgat, everyone who has really
(35:28):
turned this little idea I had into saint that is we're all kind of supporting each other like schools
are supporting us by getting involved and sharing photos and and you know making making them
cells accessible to us and helping us build a profile of them and the work that we do together but
(35:49):
it's also creating a national conversation which is being addressed which is great.
Thank you so much Corey and thank you for the time and on behalf of right teachers and schools
thank you for all the work you do. No it's an absolute honor and I love being on the page and
sharing stuff and I think it's really great I've got a lot of really great contacts off that that
(36:13):
Facebook group as well which is awesome. All supporting each other thank you so much Corey
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 teachers in remote communities past, present and future any important links mentioned
(36:37):
or businesses or organizations 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 have internet coverage or reception
so you can listen to it on your long drives between communities in the outback thank you for listening
(36:59):
we look forward to seeing you in the next episode of the remote teacher
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