Teach in WA - Paul's teaching journey - Video transcript

My name's Paul Natale, I'm a science teacher at Newman Senior High School.

I started here through the Murdoch University Internship program as a mature aged teacher and I got my chance here and have never left.

So as a science teacher, I love Newman because it's related to my field of work.

I love the wilderness, all the flora and fauna that's unique to the area.

I do love my storm chasing so, I do get out and about and I love how you can just be two minutes out of town and be in the middle of nature and that's all linked to my passion for science teaching.

When students undertake experiments in my class, they find it enjoyable, because they usually make something that they can take home.

They usually make something that they can talk to their parents about, talk to their peers about and that's when science is at its most fun and even trying to launch rockets unsuccessfully.

(Paul chuckling)

Newman sits on the traditional land of the Nyiyaparli people and the custodians of the land are the Martu people, 30% of the school's Aboriginal.

So the multicultural nature of this school ensures that I have a broad understanding of how students learn from all sorts of cultures and backgrounds and as part of the AITSL standards you need to understand how students learn and with a broad student base like that, you can really gain confidence in your skillset.

In my third year of teaching here, the deputy identified me and made me the upper school year coordinator and that's an opportunity perhaps that I wouldn't have got at a bigger metropolitan school and it enabled me to look at whole school data, event organisation, that has enabled me to grow my practice a lot, because now I see students from the broader angle.

Some of the benefits of teaching in regional WA include subsidised utilities, subsidised rent, government housing, close proximity to the school, low cost of living and generally beautiful weather.

So on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays I play social sport in town.

It's great to relate to those students on a different level and you can win them over in class a lot better.

I would strongly recommend moving to a regional area like Newman, because you just get so much opportunity in your career.

You're gonna get exposure to high levels of management.

You're gonna get exposure to a broad range of students.

You're gonna have to differentiate your teaching to meet the needs of all of those students and you're just generally going to have a good time moving through your career.