{"id":2119,"date":"2025-10-27T12:06:22","date_gmt":"2025-10-27T01:36:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.flinders.edu.au\/alumni-stories\/?p=2119"},"modified":"2025-10-27T12:06:41","modified_gmt":"2025-10-27T01:36:41","slug":"andrew-mittiga","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.flinders.edu.au\/alumni-stories\/2025\/10\/27\/andrew-mittiga\/","title":{"rendered":"Creating opportunities for others to grow"},"content":{"rendered":"

For Andrew Mittiga (BEd(MidSecSch), BA\u201918), teaching has always been about more than just lessons in the classroom. It\u2019s about connection, inspiration, and creating opportunities for others to grow.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cI had great memories in high school and connected really strongly with my teachers,\u201d Andrew recalls. \u201cI wanted to combine my love of sport with the fulfilment of helping people.\u201d<\/p>\n

That combination has guided his career, from his early teaching experiences through to his current leadership roles at Wilderness School and membership on the ACHPER SA Board. Along the way, Andrew developed a personal leadership philosophy that guides his teaching: to inspire people about what\u2019s possible, empower them to achieve it, and remain present in any discomfort.<\/p>\n

Beyond the classroom, Andrew has been involved in coaching, particularly with the South Australian National Football League Women\u2019s Development League.<\/p>\n

\u201cI love football and working in girls\u2019 education,\u201d he says. \u201cIt\u2019s incredible that girls now have an opportunity and a pathway to play football \u2013 something that didn\u2019t exist when I was growing up.\u201d<\/p>\n

Watching players learn and grow through training has been especially rewarding; \u201cTo see their development in front of your eyes is something really special,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

At the heart of Andrew\u2019s teaching is the relationships he builds with his students. \u201cI get to make a real impact on people\u2019s lives,\u201d he reflects. \u201cI might be that one trusted adult in someone\u2019s life who makes them feel valued and heard.\u201d<\/p>\n

He has also learned to embrace flexibility and emotional awareness in both teaching and coaching. \u201cLoosening control of the constraints in the environments I operate in enables more discovery and curiosity in learning,\u201d he says. \u201cAnd being aware of the emotional climate is so important, because it influences everything about how students engage.\u201d<\/p>\n

Andrew\u2019s proudest professional achievement so far has been stepping into leadership. \u201cWinning my first leadership position at Wilderness was a really significant moment,\u201d he shares. It\u2019s a role that allows him to influence student wellbeing more broadly, an area he is increasingly passionate about.<\/p>\n

Andrew\u2019s decision to study at Flinders came down to two things: the University\u2019s reputation for modern facilities and the strength of its physical education program. \u201cI had heard great things about the physical education offering. The learning was always contemporary and relevant to the various elements of pedagogy,\u201d Andrew says. \u201cThat\u2019s been invaluable in preparing me for the career I have now.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"
Andrew Mittiga (centre) with Wilderness Deputy Principal and fellow Flinders alumnus Brad Snell (BEd(UP\/LS) \u201908) (left) and HPE teacher Ebony Jack (right).<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Looking ahead, Andrew hopes to see greater equity in education, both locally and globally. He believes strongly that access to quality education should not depend on circumstance. And as a Flinders graduate, he feels supported to keep striving toward that vision.<\/p>\n

\u201cBeing part of the Flinders alumni community means having a base for my journey as a lifelong learner,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

In 2024, Andew was awarded the Australian Council for Health, Physical Education and Recreation SA Howard Mutton Memorial Award (Secondary Excellence in HPE) for his on-going leadership in Health and Wellbeing, Physical Education and Sport at Wilderness School as well as active involvement with the SACE Board and ACHPER. Andrew received a glowing review on the night:<\/p>\n

\u201cHis work in schools with students and teachers is characterised by a positive and thoughtful approach. He builds capacity of colleagues and HPE professionals through sharing best practice via ACHPER conferences, the SACE Board and community coaching beyond the School at the Norwood Football Club.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

For Andrew Mittiga (BEd(MidSecSch), BA\u201918), teaching has always been about more than just lessons in the classroom. It\u2019s about connection, inspiration, and creating opportunities for others […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2445,"featured_media":2120,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[826,2072],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2119","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-college-of-education-psychology-and-social-work","category-study-education"],"post_mailing_queue_ids":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.flinders.edu.au\/alumni-stories\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2119","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.flinders.edu.au\/alumni-stories\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.flinders.edu.au\/alumni-stories\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.flinders.edu.au\/alumni-stories\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2445"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.flinders.edu.au\/alumni-stories\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2119"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.flinders.edu.au\/alumni-stories\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2119\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.flinders.edu.au\/alumni-stories\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2120"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.flinders.edu.au\/alumni-stories\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2119"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.flinders.edu.au\/alumni-stories\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2119"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.flinders.edu.au\/alumni-stories\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2119"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}