Learning On The Job

Newcastle Herald

Tuesday September 2, 2008

writes Victoria Jack

SOME say the days spent at school are the best of your life.

That seems like reason enough never to leave, and Scott Eacott may be one to agree.

With years of experience as a teacher, in post-graduate university study and as a university lecturer, he couldn't imagine a better career.

"Teaching is a wonderful job," he said.

"Being entrusted with people's children, or at uni level being entrusted with preparing people for their futures, it's a noble profession."

Teaching has taken him to many places and introduced him to inspiring people. After completing a degree in early childhood teaching at the University of Newcastle, he taught for a few years locally, then decided it was time for something different.

That's certainly what his job at a Lord Howe Island school had to offer.

"Children didn't wear shoes to school over there," Mr Eacott said. "When we went on an excursion we just used to put [the children] on the back of the ute.

"The swimming carnival was in a lagoon; swimming lessons were in the ocean.

"So in some ways [work] was similar, but in others it was completely removed. It was a gorgeous place to live."

After two years, he returned home to take a job as assistant principal at Floraville Public School.

At the same time, motivated by a desire to improve the way schools are run, he completed a masters of leadership and management in education and began a PhD.

"Often, principals don't have training in leadership and management, but often that's what their role is, so hopefully my research will help bridge that gap a little bit," Mr Eacott said.

"Yes, I'm young enough that I still hold the hope that my research would be able to initiate change. I'm not that cynical just yet."

Last year he left Floraville Public and began lecturing at the University of Newcastle, a job he says has plenty of parallels to teaching children, and is just as rewarding.

"Every set of students teaches you something new, which is especially true at university level when your students come from such diverse backgrounds," Mr Eacott said.

"They're still students. There are still reasons why they haven't done their work, there are still tangents to go off on, whether they're 7 or 8, or 27 or 28," he said.

"There's still a similar relationship where you can work together and have fun together; just the nature of the questions changes a little bit."

Amid a hectic schedule of work and study, Mr Eacott still finds time to spend with his wife Amy and two young children, Daniel and Madelyn. It's a juggling act he seems to have well under control. Two weeks ago he submitted his PhD thesis, all 85,000 words of it, with a sigh of relief.

But he says there's plenty left to do working overseas, further research and more students to teach. At just 31, he's certainly proof of just how diverse and rewarding a career in education can be.

© 2008 Newcastle Herald

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