‘A Little Piece of My Heart Was Left in Both Communities’
Throughout all of my studies, remote work has always been a career aspiration and boy-oh-boy am I glad I pushed myself to do it. During my grad year in 2022, I decided to take the plunge and put my name in Footprints’ Teacher Pool. I was offered a position in the Pilbara at Strelley Community School, Karntimarta (Warralong), WA. As not having done any solo travel previously, this was a huge step for me. It meant shifting my life here in Victoria across the country…completely solo.
In my travels across (and up), I got to experience some pretty incredible places throughout SA and WA. During my time in Warralong, I worked with some wonderful students, teachers and community members. At this school, we had weekly On Country days. These were an opportunity for the teachers to support the local staff in delivering authentic learning experiences to the students that aligned with cultural knowledge and practices, specific to themselves as Martu people of the area.
Following Term 1 in the Pilbara, I spent my holidays exploring Karijini and the west coast again before travelling south. Soon enough I found myself heading north to Papunya School in Warumpi (Papunya), Central Desert, NT to join them for 5 weeks of relief teaching at the tail end of Term 2. Those 5 weeks turned into 12, before having to head home for a family emergency.
Papunya’s traditional owners are the Luritja/Pintupi people who have so much knowledge to share. I had Grade ¾ students here, who were quick to show me the ropes of community, including teaching me how to speak Luritja, inviting me to explore their local dreaming sites and discussing the surrounding areas and communities. Bonus points to Papunya for being so close to the Larapinta trail! My weekends were filled with four-wheel driving and hiking, seeing the most remarkable sunrises and sunsets.
Working in two remote communities from different states has opened my mind to the variety of opportunities we have as teachers to make our students’ education (urban, rural and remote) meaningful. We have rich resources for learning everywhere; in our environment, our language and the connections we build with ourselves and others.
Remote life is not easy, but it is this challenge that stimulates you and scratches an itch that an urban classroom may not. I have found that teaching remotely is much more than my role in the profession. It has been about immersing myself in different cultures, learning things about our country that you would not discover elsewhere and fostering relationships with people who light a fire inside you. It is because of this that a little piece of my heart was left in both communities. Already I am excited to get back to remote teaching, either back with these communities or another pocket of Australia!
Tash Bunting - Remote Teacher
Short term teacher placements in the Pilbara, WA and Central Desert, NT. Placed by Footprint Placements.
