Grammar Gazette- Issue 1, 2012

Staff profiles

Mrs Karen West Head of Mathematics A

Dr Rashna Taraporewalla Teacher of Humanities

Dr Sally Stephens Director of Science and Mathematics I have always been fascinated by science but the interesting thing for me about teaching is perhaps not why I got into it in the first place but why I stayed, given that the profession suffers an attrition rate estimated at twenty-five per cent after the first five years. But stayed I have and, while working full time, I have added to my initial science and teaching qualifications with a Graduate Diploma in Commercial Computing, a Masters in Science Education, and a Doctorate in Education with a thesis on the coordination of experimental research and model-based reasoning. Last year on World Teachers Day, I was asked to reflect on what I enjoyed most about being a teacher. The appeal for me is the variety associated with my professional life. Every day is vastly different. I have great colleagues who, like all teachers, suffer highs and lows in the course of a day but who will always strive to see the positive or even amusing side of most situations. I also have fabulous students who make it a joy to come to work; the girls here are especially delightful. Owing to the School’s educational travel programme, I also have the chance to travel with students and colleagues. This opens up a whole new level of interpersonal interaction. I am constantly astonished by the sensitivity and perception of our students. Grammar girls know what it means to be a part of a community, whether it is a class, a House Group, a team or a touring party. This sense of connectedness is what has kept me in the teaching profession.

I began my career with Education Queensland as a Mathematics and English as a Second Language (ESL) teacher. A few years later I relocated to Adelaide, where I taught at the all boys Prince Alfred College as a Mathematics and ESL support teacher. When it came time to move back to Brisbane in 2008, I decided that I had quite enjoyed teaching in a single-sex environment and I was interested to see how it compared to an all girls school. Having taught all levels of Mathematics over the previous years, I was discovering that I particularly enjoyed teaching Senior Mathematics A, because I was able to provide real- world context for the skills that the students were learning. It was, and continues to be, very satisfying to be able to answer the common question, ‘When am I ever going to need to know this?’ I find it hugely rewarding to have a past student contact me and tell me how they are using something they learned in my classroom; be it completing their tax return, using statistics in their psychology degree or using network theory to plan an event. This passion for the subject led me to apply for and be appointed as the Head of Mathematics A in 2011, a role I have found to be both challenging and enjoyable. In this role, and in my role as a classroom teacher, my goal is to have students finish their schooling with not only a love for Mathematics, but being able to see a purpose for their learning beyond the classroom walls.

The ancient past has long held a fascination for me. From the moment I first sat in awe listening to my ancient history teacher at high school, I have been enthralled by the classical world. During my undergraduate studies at The University of Queensland (UQ), I immersed myself in the world of the Greeks and Romans, studying their language, society and culture, and graduated with First Class Honours and a University Medal. My studies then led me overseas to the University of London, where I studied Greek epigraphy and pottery, and completed a Masters degree in Classical Archaeology. I returned to Brisbane to complete a doctorate in Ancient History at UQ, spending time during the course of my research at the Institute of Classical Studies Library in London and the British School of Archaeology at Athens. Between 2005 and 2010, I lectured within the School of History, Philosophy, Religion and Classics at UQ, teaching a range of subjects including Classical Greek and courses in Greek and Roman culture, society, art and archaeology. I remain an active researcher in Greek history, archaeology, and culture more broadly, and have recently co-edited a volume on the Statue of Zeus at Olympia, one of the seven wonders of the Ancient world. My odyssey in the world of classics now leads me back to the classroom and I very much look forward to sharing my enthusiasm for the classical world with students at Brisbane Girls Grammar School.

Grammar Gazette Autumn 2012 22