Skye Beauchamp (BEd(Sec),BHlthSc ’11) credits her Loxton High School physical education teacher, Rick Garrad, as the inspiration for her own career path as a physical education teacher.
“He was someone that had a huge influence on my career direction. I really admired him, liked a lot of his qualities and he was probably a huge reason as to why I chose the path I did,” Skye says.
“Thanks to a country teaching scholarship I secured, I knew I would end up teaching in a country school. Then it just happened to be that when I was graduating, Loxton High School had a permanent position available, and I was fortunate enough to land that role.”
Working at Loxton High has been a really rewarding experience for Skye, predominantly teaching physical education and outdoor education to Year 7 students, but also teaching to all year levels through to Year 12.
Loxton High School is located in the Riverland in rural South Australia, approximately three-hours’ drive north-east of Adelaide. They have approximately 600 students from Year 7 to Year 12.
“Our Outdoor education course generally involves kayaking and bushwalking, and it’s really growing in popularity,” Skye says.
“I had been a faculty coordinator in Health and Physical Education and recently returned to teaching after a stint as an assistant principal here. I missed being in the classroom with students and I’m really enjoying being back in a hands-on teaching role.”
“I feel fortunate to have accomplished so much in my career. I took on leadership roles at the school and contributed to curriculum writing, which has now been implemented in other South Australian schools.”
Skye enjoys teaching because it’s always different, and it offers something new every day. It’s a challenging profession and can be tiring, but building positive relationships and helping students to be the best they can be motivates Skye.
“For those considering a career in teaching at Flinders University, I can vouch for the support and sense of community I received during my time there,” says Skye.
“It’s a nurturing environment that helps you grow both personally and professionally. And if you’re contemplating moving to a rural school to teach, I encourage you to give it a try. The strong sense of community and the chance to connect with students beyond the classroom make the experience truly special.”
“I was taught to be the best teacher that I could be. I felt like I came out with quite broad skills, combined with the encouragement to be a critical and reflective learner which I think was really important in such a changing world.”
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