QIEU Teacher Exchange Program
From +35◦C to -35◦C; Reflections from an Aussie Exchange teacher As I write this article, the time left on my teaching exchange to Canada and to the Louise Dean School here in Calgary is rapidly running out. What a year it has been! I arrived on the second of January having left Townsville, my hometown in north Queensland, with temperatures at a balmy +35◦C and desperately tried to acclimatize to the -30◦C temperatures and snowfall. I also quickly got used to putting on thick socks, boots, gloves, a scarf, a beanie (or toque as they are called over here) and a big jacket EVERY time I went outside and I too became obsessed with checking the weather (and ski) report at every available opportunity. To say that the initial learning curve was a little steep, would be a considerable understatement, but thanks to the welcome I received from staff and students at Louise Dean and to the friendships that I formed mostly with other exchangees from Australia who were ‘in the same boat’ here in Calgary, the transition was surprisingly smooth.
Looking back on the past 11 ½ months and forward to the remaining few weeks left here, I have mixed feelings. I am excited to return home to reconnect with friends and family, but I am also melancholy to be leaving Canada. As I reflect on the time spent teaching in Calgary, it seems fitting to compare my Australian and Canadian schools. The school that I left (and will return to) in Australia has approximately 1200 students
and is a private co-educational day and boarding school. There are approximately 60 teaching staff and I am one of 12 in our Science department. This contrasts noticeably with my Canadian school, in that here I am the only Science teacher (and one of only 12 teaching staff) and the students (of which there are only about 150) are all either pregnant teens or already parenting infants or toddlers.
So it was with some nervousness that I began my exchange. Not only did I have to cope with the Calgary weather (Who knew that you had to plug your car in once the temperatures dipped too low? Or that the doors could freeze shut resulting in the driver having to spend 10 minutes thawing out the lock with a hairdryer?), but I was not sure how I would cope with teaching at such a specialized school. However, it didn’t take me long to realize that ‘kids are kids’ and even though the students I had taught previously and the students at Louise Dean are from opposite ends of the planet, they really are not that different from each other in terms of their emotions, behaviours, reactions and abilities.
QIEU Teacher Exchange Program I also had to get used to other cultural stretch of 16 weeks straight through from differences in moving to Canada. Even September to late December, however, having though Canadians and Australians both 2 month’ holiday over Summer made those speak English (I was asked early on by two challenges all worthwhile. I have visited students if that was in fact the case?) there Montreal, Niagara Falls and much of British are still lots of differences in the names we Columbia here in Canada, as well as Hawaii, use for certain things and the way that we Alaska and Texas in the US, and I also flew to say them and while I don’t think I have picked the UK, Scotland and Ireland in the Summer. up the accent over here, I know I have However, some of my best travel adventures started to use some of the terminology. I now have happened much closer to Calgary; the say ‘cell phone’ instead of mobile, I say world famous Rocky Mountains and arguably ‘washroom’ and not loo, I use an ‘eraser’ not the best skiing (hiking, white water rafting, dog a rubber (the look on one of my student’s sledding, snow shoeing and picture-taking) face when I asked her to pass me her conditions in the world have been only an ‘rubber’ to correct a mistake will always bring hour’s drive away… a smile to my face) and I quickly realized that Undertaking a teaching exchange has truly my ‘thongs’ in Australia are really my flipbeen a once in a lifetime opportunity for my flops in Canada… But recognizing and sister (who has also been here for the year) celebrating our diversity is what makes us and I and the friendships that I have made with richer human beings; and some of the Canadians and other Australian exchange discussions around our differences have teachers alike will be lasting and profound. I been some of the most entertaining and have learned the value of resilience, tolerance, insightful that I have had this year. creativity and perseverance and I am grateful The main reason for my undertaking the for experiencing both the challenges and the exchange was obviously to gain valuable adventures along the way. professional development, but another important reason for coming on exchange was to get the opportunity to live in another country and feel like I was really immersing myself in the culture; and of course there was the prospect of traveling to new places. The school year is set up differently in Canada due to the different seasons. I arrived at the very end of the first semester and found myself working hard to get to know the students before assessing and reporting on them after only 3 short weeks. Another major difference has been the recent teaching
QIEU Teacher Exchange Program Work and live overseas for 12 months, return to your current position and still accrue your entitlements. To be eligible you must be QIEU Member working fulltime with a minimum of five (5) years teaching experience. Interested? Contact QIEU Teacher Exchange Coordinator, Jenny Zugno Ph 3839 7020 or jennyz@qieu.asn.au More information can be found on www.qieu.asn.au