Australian Rural & Regional News asked a few questions of the Remote Teachers, answered below the article.
Remote outback teacher, Hakea Hustler, had never even seen the red dirt or thought beyond town life before undertaking the Story Writing in Remote Locations (SWIRL) program with Victoria University in 2006. She’d planned a long and happy life in the suburbs of Geelong with a teaching career at one of the local schools.
The passion was sparked and many years later she’s worked all over the Kimberley in outback Western Australian schools.
Hakea has seen the best and the worst of outback education. The teachers that lasted one day with students literally swinging off fans, others that just stayed. She has seen the teachers who made real, lasting friendships and connections; those who made really difference to their students; those who went on to spark the passion for learning in others.
Hakea, and her friends Carl Merrison and Lynette Gordon, went on to start the Facebook group “Teachers in Remote Communities (Past, Present, Future)” to connect with other remote teachers in October of 2018.
“I remember getting my first teaching position in the outback and just wanting to connect and learn from others as much as I could about what I was heading into. But back in 2009 there wasn’t anything out there. You’d find a few articles or research papers online and that was as good as it got. So the Facebook group was a way to connect with others and help them not have to face the same challenges I did when I went remote,” Hakea said.
Since then Hakea and Carl have been busy starting the website www.theremoteteacher.com.au where they support new remote outback teachers to find their feet and confidence.
“We want teachers to feel supported, competent and confident in their new remote teaching roles,” Hakea shared, “We want teacher success because teacher success equals student success.”
With the education outcomes of remote students significantly lower than that of their city counterparts, Hakea and Carl are working from the bottom up, grass roots to improve teacher recruitment, quality and retention.
“John Hattie’s research shows it; the impact of teacher quality and relationships with students,” Hakea said, “We know that quality teachers in remote classrooms make a difference. Our work at The Remote Teacher just helps get teachers who feel prepared for the opportunities and challenges they will face.”
The Remote Teacher offers courses, resources, blog and podcasts to remote ‘curious’ preservice and graduate teachers, as well as support to those new to remote schools.
Questions from Australian Rural & Regional News
ARR.News: A pile of work has gone into your really informative web site, The Remote Teacher. How did you all meet?
The Remote Teachers: The Facebook group Teachers in Remote Communities (past, present, future) was started by Lynette, Carl and Hakea. Carl and Hakea then went on to do the small business The Remote Teacher.
Lynette, Carl and Hakea met in Halls Creek WA. Carl was one of Lynette’s teachers! They ended up both working together at Halls Creek District High School. Hakea was a teacher from Victoria who applied to teach remote and taught in the high school as well.
ARR.News: Where are you each working now?
The Remote Teachers: Hakea is a relief teacher in Northern Rivers NSW as well as an author and working in The Remote Teacher delivering support and PD.
Carl works as an Aboriginal Education Assistant in Northern Rivers NSW.
Lynette is a qualified Aboriginal Education Assistant and Language Teacher.
ARR.News: For a person thinking about their teaching career, what sort of teacher would suit remote teaching?
The Remote Teachers: We encourage anyone at any stage of their teaching career to explore if remote outback teaching is for them.
It is often ‘easiest’ when you are a new graduate before you have other life commitments. Another common time is when you are more experienced and your own children have left home.
But we have worked with and supported parents with young children to work remote too. So any stage in life.
As long as a teacher has an open mind, willingness to learn and is confident in their teaching abilities, they could explore outback education.
ARR.News: What sort of (minimum) time frame should a teacher commit to spending at a school to do the best for their students and get a good experience for themselves as a remote teacher?
The Remote Teachers: The longer the better. Committing to your contract ideally. Two years+ is a great timeframe as communities get to know you, and you spend less time learning and getting to know the new context in your second year. You really gain confidence and find your feet.
The high turnover of remote staff means that some schools have an average stay of nine months, less than a full teaching year. We have seen teachers leave after one day. You can image the impact this has on students and their learning.
ARR.News: Do you have any idea how many remote schools and there are across the country and how many teachers are working at them?
The Remote Teachers:
- 5500 remote teachers (ECU 2020)
- Up to 60 per cent turn over in some remotes (McConaghy 2008)
- 9 months average stay (Chris Keightly director of NT RTS 2010)
- Stats of remote teachers: average 24.6 years old, 90 per cent are kid free, 31 per cent are interstate teachers (Versland 2022)
- Fun fact – 70 per cent of Australians never move town, 90 per cent never move state… so our remote teachers sit in that adventurous 30 per cent!
ARR.News: What would you say are the key ups and downs of remote teaching?
The Remote Teachers: We blog and podcast about this extensively. And we offer courses for teachers to overcome some of the challenges too.
Homesickness and culture shock are some of the biggest challenges.
Ups? So many! Adventure, new friends forged in fire, cultural experiences you’ll never get anywhere else. You become a better teacher and person for it.
ARR.News: What inspired your Teachers Pay Teachers Store and how does it work?
The Remote Teachers: We noticed that there weren’t many appropriate resources for our remote students. So we decided to make some!
Our resources are often suitable to ESLD students, differentiated and culturally appropriate. We offer teaching packs, teacher PD, decorations and more.
