Beginning his career 16 years ago as a casual teacher in a NSW public school, Aaron has a breadth of experience, working as a classroom teacher, relief from face-to-face teacher, learning and support teacher and a wellbeing officer.

Aaron has always been a reflective practitioner in pursuit of excellence. He is motivated to share best practice based on current research. This led him into an assistant principal position before moving into his current role as an assistant principal - curriculum and instruction.

We recently interviewed Aaron to explore the many facets of his teaching journey.

What is the best part about being an assistant principal - curriculum and instruction?

The thing I love most about this role is the opportunity to be a part of everyone’s classroom across the school. It’s such a privilege to be welcomed into classrooms by teachers and to work alongside them to improve student outcomes in literacy and numeracy. One thing I’ve always loved as a classroom teacher is building quality relationships with students and I love that this position allows me to do that with all students K - 6 rather than just those in my classroom, grade or stage.

Looking back, have there been pivotal moments in your teaching journey that you didn’t realise at the time?

Hindsight is a wonderful gift when we are able to look back on our journey in the context of where we are now. I had certain plans about how my career was going to go. Looking back now, some of the most pivotal moments have been those that didn’t work out the way I wanted to, or how I planned. The positions I applied for and didn’t get, saying ‘yes’ to opportunities that came my way that were never on my radar. I can honestly say these moments have brought me to where I am today and made me who I am now as an educator and without them I know things would look very different for me. It’s all about how you respond to the unexpected, continue to grow professionally and personally while making the most of every situation, even the ones that we can’t control.

What is something you learned to embrace over time as a teacher and a leader?

I always felt I had to put up this front that I was all over it, I knew it all, could do it all and never struggled. One thing I’ve learned is to embrace the areas where I’m still growing and be open and honest with those around me when I don’t have the answers or need support. This has been a game changer for me personally. I no longer feel all the pressure is on my shoulders and I’m learning to accept the ‘growth opportunities’ for me to develop further. Being vulnerable enough to own these is important, for myself and those around me. It creates an environment where we are able to support one another and feel safe to be open and honest when we don’t know it all.

What advice would you give to your first-year self?

Be kind to yourself, take it slow and work on improving your knowledge and practice one step at a time. There’s no use comparing yourself to a seasoned educator who has been developing their teaching practice over many years and decades. You will get there too.

What is the most used teacher tool in your toolkit?

One of the most powerful tools we have at our disposal as teachers and as leaders is quality relationships. When we create places and spaces that value connection, trust and respect, there’s a lot we can achieve. Everything we do comes down to relationships and we will never regret spending time building and maintaining those positive connections because it makes the work we do so much easier. It’s like the saying goes, they may forget what you taught them, but they will never forget the way you made them feel.

What inspires you daily as a teacher?

It sounds cliché, but for me it’s remembering the ‘why’. I became a teacher to make a positive difference for my students and it’s keeping this in mind, knowing that the work I do has an impact on the lives of my students. Teaching is about creating a future for our students and some days are hard but I know the difference that the teachers I had as a student made on me because they helped create a future for me. Knowing that I can do the same for my students is a tremendous privilege and that’s what keeps me inspired.

To hear more about Aaron’s teaching journey, tune in to Episode 6 of the Teach NSW Podcast. Aaron reflects on building teacher capability in the classroom and how his Instagram persona @Mr.J.Learning.Space helps to extend his impact. Listen now via Spotify, Apple Podcasts or YouTube.