Organisation: Catholic Education
Job Title: Various Secondary Teacher roles within Catholic Education
I am interested to apply for this position due to my passion for teaching children within the
Catholic education environment and to encourage students to become lifelong learners as a result
of their experiences. Having worked with child abuse and neglect cases within the Police Force, I
am all too aware of the issues children face in this world, and am passionate about teaching and
supporting them to achieve their goals and potential.
I enjoy fostering children’s spirit and love of learning, and have the belief that all children can
progress in their learning, no matter who they are at the beginning of their journey within my
classroom. I believe this can be achieved by fostering and maintaining productive relationships
with students and parents alike, as well as the development and commitment to high quality
curriculum programs which include appropriate pedagogy and allow for measurement and
reporting of children’s progress.
I am particularly attracted to teaching within the Catholic education environment due to the
holistic approach to teaching and learning that exists here. As a values-driven person myself, I
understand and resonate with the student centred approach, supporting the students’ spiritual
and moral development within Catholic education, and believe it fosters a better whole person as
a result.
Describe the strengths that you would bring to this position, including some examples of
previous achievements
As a Teacher with a large amount of life experience in previous positions, I have numerous
strengths which I can bring to this role. During my role in the Police Force, I demonstrated the
attributes of empathy, understanding and compassion when dealing with young victims and young
offenders, and this has enhanced my ability to communicate effectively with children of all ages.
Whilst a Graduate Teacher, I have developed my strengths within the English department during
my significant voluntary time at St Columban’s College in Caboolture. This volunteer role
demonstrated my ability to interact and assist students with their learning, and also gave me an
invaluable insight into the benefits of teaching and learning in the Catholic education
environment.
I am a strong believer in working to be as inclusive as possible within the classroom, and have
worked hard on my differentiation planning skills to ensure this happens effectively. As the only
Student Teacher volunteer at St Columban’s College, I have shown considerable enthusiasm to
work in this environment, and have gone above and beyond what was expected of me during my
formal education.
On one notable and memorable occasion whilst on my first student placement at St Columban’s
College, there was a terrible incident where a Year 8 girl was stabbed multiple times by a Year 11
boy. This incident had a dramatic effect on the school, especially the friends of both students. At
the time of the incident, and due to my considerable experience dealing with youths in my policing
career, I was able to offer my assistance in effectively counselling students after the incident, and
talk to students appropriately about the legal and mental health issues associated with the
incident. My work in this was acknowledged and thanked formally by the Principal of the school,
however the incident actually impacted positively on me through the calming, thoughtful and
supportive way the school dealt with the incident within its community. This was truly a driving
factor in my decision to teach within the Catholic education community.
3 Tracy Scanlan
Describe your commitment to the ethos and traditions of Catholic education, or if you are
applying to an Ecumenical school, the ethos and traditions of the faiths represented in that
school
I am committed to the ethos and traditions contained within Catholic education, and believe these
values align well with my own values and moral code. I am keen to ensure the education I provide
students will support the traditions, teachings, values and practices expected of a Teacher within
this environment. Very willing to contribute to the pastoral care and well-being of students, I have
demonstrated this in my response and support after the incident mentioned in the previous
question. I believe in the holistic and spiritual approach to teaching the whole person, not just
academics, and think that this results in well-rounded, capable and good people.
My learner-centred approach fits well within Catholic education professional practice, and I am
committed to creating the kind of nurturing and supportive environment required for this to be
effective. It was after the incident mentioned earlier, and during weeks of prayer at the school
related to the incident, where I realised the extent that the role of the church is important in
Catholic Education. It is often in the worst times when the building blocks of any situation are
revealed, and this incident revealed to me that the combination of the church, the community,
events and celebrations, and learning and teaching programs is the cornerstone of high quality
education.
