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"I think that we have an obligation to make our profession as strong and well-regarded as possible within the wider community and the two best ways to do that are through our own performance and through guiding those who are new to or just starting out in the profession." – James Hindle

UWA pre-service teacher Samuel Marsh began his practicum at Scotch College earlier this year teaching history to secondary students. Under the guidance of teacher mentor James Hindle, Sam flourished and left Scotch College with experiences and lifelong lessons that will help him carve a successful career in education for himself.

"On my first day, James Hindle brought me a post-it-note which listed his ‘three ingredients to becoming a successful teacher.

The post it note read:

Know your content

Know your students

Use humour to foster community," says Sam.

"I quickly discovered that these were not empty statements. It takes James 10 minutes to walk the 100 metres from his office to the staff common room. He stops to talk to students about their personal interests and he knows them all by name. It was clear that James lived and breathed authentic education and cared deeply for his students."

"As a practicum student I challenged myself to mirror as best as I could, this devotion."

James began his teaching career in 1993 and joined Scotch College in 1996 where he teaches History to Years 9-11.

"Working with people like Sam is a great reminder of why I got into teaching. He has a different way of looking at things, and it’s important to accept that I can learn from him as well," says Mr Hindle.

"It’s also been nice to have my own worth reaffirmed. More than anything, it has pushed me to reflect on how I teach."

Professional Practice Coordinator, Rachel Wicking, and the professional practice team have the challenging task of securing school placements for approximately 200 students each year. With a record number of student enrolments in 2016, they will be busy securing placements for 360 students at secondary, primary and early childhood centres.

"Providing quality placements where both school and student are able to learn from one another is our priority and it is highly rewarding for us when we hear stories such as James’ and Sam’s," says Ms Wicking.

"Professional practice is an essential component to a student’s learning as they gain first-hand experience on how to prepare for class and interact with both students and staff. Following graduation, our students go out into the workforce confident because they are prepared and have a great understanding of school and classroom dynamics."

The Faculty of Education encourages schools to participate in the mentor program for students. To find out how your school can be involved please contact Rachel Wicking on [email protected]

Media references

Siaw Chai , Marketing and Communications Officer  +61 (08) 6488 2382