Walking along the beach every day with her shoes off to get to work is an unforgettable experience for Canadian exchange teacher Suzanne Rea.
Rea works in a government primary school in British Columbia and said working in the Catholic system at St Francis Xavier Primary School Woolgoolga was a new experience.
“There’s quite a big difference with a lot of religion taught at this school,” Rea said.
“But everyone has been very helpful and supportive and it’s so interesting to see how the school is run.
“There’s a lot of team teaching and that’s been a positive as I’ve been able to share and collaborate.”
On the negative side, she’s noticed Australian teachers are loaded with much more paperwork than Canadian teachers. Rea attended the NSW/ACT Branch AGM in October and it struck her that this was an issue of concern to all Australian teachers.
The pressure to recruit new members to the Union and explain the benefits of union membership to new teachers also jumped out. In Canada union membership is mandatory for teachers.
Rea said she has loved travelling around Australia during her exchange and has made friends she will stay in touch with for life.
Interested in exchange? Contact IEU Exchange Coordinator Helen Gregory: helen@ieu.asn.au