Stepping Stones to a Passionate Teaching Career

Through Traineeships, Sam discovered his passion for teaching and gained a clear vision of his career aspirations. In this article, we delve into Sam’s Traineeship journey and how it shaped his path towards taking on a Teaching Career.

Embarking on a Traineeship can open doors to invaluable experiences and equip individuals with lifelong skills that set them apart. Sam Rattray’s Traineeships not only provided him with valuable insights into the teaching industry, but they also gave him a competitive advantage as he pursues further studies at the university level.

Sam Rattray believes his two Traineeships not only gave him valuable insight into the teaching industry. Plus an array of life-long skills have given him a competitive advantage when he pursues further study at University.

“I think one of the most important things in a Traineeship is that it puts you in the box seat if you are wanting to do further study.” Sam said.

“If it wasn’t for those two years in my Traineeships. I would not have the confidence nor the motivation to commit to a long road of further study to  become a PE teacher,” he added.

Sam started his Traineeship journey in 2019 at the school he studied at, Marcellin College. He worked in the Sports Department where he assisted the Head of PE and studied a Certificate III in Sport and Development.

“I always had PE teaching in the back of my mind as a possible career option. But I wasn’t sure which pathway to go down. So, I thought a Traineeship would be really good because it would give me experience. A bit of money and it would give me that insight to see what PE teaching is actually like.

The College was like a family to me and because I went to the school, transitioning to a Trainee was easy because I knew the staff and I knew the students. I felt supported every step of the way.”

The Traineeship provided Sam not only with an insight into teaching, it confirmed that this was the career for him. He loved the Traineeship but wanted to experience what primary school teaching would be like.
So the next year he took on a second Traineeship at Camberwell Grammar School.

“Dealing with kids from prep to year 6 was a completely different experience. Everything was different from the students to the way the school operated and the COVID-19 situation made it even harder.

But I loved every moment of it because I love the energy and enthusiasm kids have. When you are a passionate and enthusiastic teacher, they feed off that. So it became clear to me that I wanted to be a primary school teacher.”

Thanks to his Traineeships Sam was able to get a feel of both primary and secondary school teaching. Both gave him even more direction in his career aspirations.

“This is why Traineeships are so amazing because I would have never discovered my love of primary school teaching. My path is so clear, and I am so excited to become a teacher.”

Sam enrolled in a Diploma of Teaching at RMIT University in 2021 and plans to pursue a Bachelor of Teaching.

“There is a long road of further study ahead of me. But I know now how a school operates and what everyday teaching looks like, so studying doesn’t faze me. In fact, I can’t wait because I know at the end of it all, I will be a teacher and I know exactly what that career will look like.

And if it becomes challenging, I have these awesome memories of my Traineeships and the knowledge that this is the career for me.”

#realskillsforrealcareers

Image: Sam Rattray