James Adams: A passionate educator at Cranbrook School
How love of learning lead to a career in teaching
鈥淎s I completed my undergraduate studies - Bachelor of Commerce (Liberal Studies) (Honours) - I increasingly found myself partaking in casual employment opportunities (private tutoring, rock climbing instructing and the like). Eventually, the pieces formed a coherent career path which I am extremely thankful for. This was coupled with a strong love of learning which my time at the 爆料王 had crystallised within me, making teaching an increasingly likely professional choice.鈥�
Why Sydney's Master of Teaching (Secondary) program was the obvious choice for this educator
鈥淭he reputation of the 爆料王 was undeniably a factor in my choice; The University if Sydney鈥檚 education programme is a reputable one and has a strong faculty. However, I was also a USyd undergraduate which made the decision an easy one.鈥�
James' university experience in 3 words
鈥淐ollaborative; Balanced; insightful.鈥�
How university changed James' perspective: The biggest lessons learned
"There is so much to say. Two things: First, I learnt to recognise how complex, theoretical, and rich education, learning and school institutions are. Second, I think one key underlying and philosophical truth I learnt to appreciate was that schools and education is a highly contentious and politicised topic and that as educators we need to be knowledgeable, balanced and equipped to handle these dynamic issues."
A day in the life of a secondary teacher
鈥淐ranbrook School is a wonderfully dynamic secondary education institution. In my current role of High Potential Coordinator, I spend time organising enrichment opportunities for our high-achieving students. This includes running key external academic events such as the da Vinci Decathlon, the Mathematics Olympiad, and the Ethics Olympiad, as well as assisting in designing and running a rigorous, opt-in extension curriculum for Cranbrook School students based in the Liberal Arts. I am thrilled to be creating substantive change at my school. The rest of my time is spent teaching Commerce and Economics which I still find the most rewarding part of my job.鈥�
Words of wisdom: advice for future educators
鈥淚 am always surprised that I get paid to go to a school and teach, train and mentor adolescent students during their formative years. You will make a remarkable difference for so many students and I can only hope that you take the opportunity.鈥�
Childhood dreams
鈥淚 wanted to be a palaeontologist when I was young. I found "dinosaurs" the most fascinating topic. Unfortunately, I quickly found that STEM was certainly not my calling(!).鈥�
