Student Profile

Ashleigh Gleeson

Bachelor of Education (Primary Education)

After studying a Bachelor of Arts for a year at UWA, I decided that I wanted to pursue a career in teaching instead. I asked a few of my friends (who are teachers) which university they thought produced the most flexible and capable teachers. They all pointed me towards Curtin, so that is where I enrolled.

I have absolutely LOVED my time at Curtin. The Bentley campus is modern and exciting with its sculptures that pop up all over the place. The people that you see every day in your building become great friends, and there is always someone to talk assignments over with, or to just simply pass the time with. I also strongly recommend the kebabs at Georges Kebab Shop next to the Tavern – tastiest food ever.

The best part of my whole degree was the Integrated Programme unit with Leith Hogan. After four years of learning bits and pieces about being an effective teacher, this unit brought it all together, giving me the ‘big picture’ as it were. It was the most beneficial unit that I have taken in my time at Curtin, tying my loose thoughts of teaching together and completely changing my viewpoint about what teachers can provide for their students – that is, a connected and holistic view of life, focusing on topics that motivate the students.

The teaching staff members at Curtin are an absolute goldmine. Throughout my time in building 501 I have made sure to pick their brains about anything and everything related to being the best teacher possible. Now I just have to sort through all the wonderful ideas and decide what is best suited to my teaching style. Still working on that one…

I have decided that the first thing I am going to do when I graduate is to go travelling. I want to open my eyes about other cultures and gain a different perspective on the way people live and have some well-earned fun after four years of studying. When I return from abroad I intend to take a post in the country for a couple of years, then return to Perth and gain a post in a metropolitan school. This way I can gain permanency in two years (instead of the ten if I were to stay in Perth), fine-tune my teaching style and work on becoming part of a community.

I think if you have a passion for continuously expanding your skills and knowledge and you love to share your discoveries with others, then teaching is the career for you. You have a room full of students which consider many things new and exciting and they constantly remind you of the joy of uncovering the workings of the world.