Today I’m proudly the Principal of St Ives High School and have been so since 2010. However, my career in education began back in 1985 as a teacher at Deniliquin High School.
What I’m doing today
Today I’m proudly the Principal of St Ives High School and have been so since 2010. However, my career in education began back in 1985 as a teacher at Deniliquin High School. Computing in education was in its infancy in those days and I was in the right place at the right time with my computing degree from Macquarie.
After Deniliquin I was appointed to Bathurst as a computer education consultant working with schools in Western Region. Then, in 1992 I took up the position of Head Teacher Information & Technology at Cherrybrook Technology High School, the same school that oversaw my transformation from computing to educational leadership. To be honest, when I began my career, becoming a Principal wasn’t my original career objective. However, I have embraced the challenge. I have incorporated an algorithmic approach to solving school leadership issues in the same way I would if I was coding, and have balanced this with a dose of people skills, imperative to anyone in a leadership position.
What’s my typical day like? Unlike a classroom teacher, a school principal’s day is anything but predictable. Issues of a wide and varied nature for students, parents and staff arise out of nowhere. In addition to dealing with these, it’s important to leave time for the educational leadership of the school.
Recently, the school celebrated its 50-birthday, having been established in 1964, the same year as Macquarie University. The school’s performance has been improving in recent years according to a number of measures. But to be honest, the most rewarding aspect of my job is making a difference to the lives of those I come in contact with. There is nothing nicer than a former student contacting you to thank you for setting them on their life’s journey.
My time at Macquarie
I grew up and completed my schooling in Young, NSW.
I was the first in my family to achieve a Higher School Certificate; my parents left school when they completed sixth class. I did not have exposure to people with degrees, with the exception of medical practitioners and teachers in Young. Teachers I knew spoke highly of Macquarie and encouraged me to study there.
Apart from loving computing, I learned from its study the importance of understanding first principles and design when developing solutions. Those who just hacked out code inevitably ended in a muddle. This approach applies to multiple fields and was a valuable lesson to learn. I first applied my knowledge of computing to course development at Deniliquin High School. I continued to use my knowledge to develop courses ultimately using it as a member of the syllabus writing teams for the two HSC courses Information Processes & Technology and Software Design & Development. At a practical level, I used my coding skills I had learned at Macquarie to write school administration software and, more importantly, managed software written by others.
My advice for anyone entering this profession is this: go with your passion. Understand the underlying principles of the discipline, including the historical developments that have led to current practices. Be flexible and look for opportunities, especially those that come from left field.
A little bit more about me…
Working in school leadership can be a stressful occupation. So I ran. Not away from issues that arose, but as a way of dealing with stress! I began running a few kilometres every couple of days and it wasn’t long before I was consistently running ten kilometres a day, then half marathons and marathons. And it really does help. I often begin a run with a problem I am grappling with and end it with a solution and a lot less stress.
Another way to enhance peace of mind is to disconnect. A few years ago my wife and I purchased a weekender only 90 minutes from Sydney. There is no mobile coverage so it’s a great way to reduce stress. I also belong to a book club in the community and have been reading widely on a diverse range of topics.
My wife Cathy means everything to me - and you guessed it, we met at Macquarie University! Cathy holds a PhD from Macquarie and together we have tackled all that life had to offer over the past 35 years.
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