Our hero teachers

Completing all my schooling in a small country town many years ago, I still have fond memories of my Year 6 teacher, Mr Moore. He was responsible for nurturing my love of writing and encouraging me to strive to achieve my best on the sporting field. It would be fair to say his positive influence set me on my path in life.

Fittingly, on October 25, Australians will have the opportunity to honour the efforts of teachers around the country when we celebrate World Teachers’ Day. With its theme of ‘Not All Heroes Wear Capes’, the day will recognise the ‘incredible role that teachers play all over the world and their important contribution to society’.

In my work as a journalist, I have interviewed many teachers over the years and witnessed the amazing work they do in Catholic schools, so I jumped at the chance to catch up with one of my favourites.

Deb Lubatti has been a teacher in Catholic education in South Australia for more than 30 years, working in the classroom, as a year level coordinator, house leader, religious educator and mentor for teachers. Her most recent role was at Mercedes College as the Assistant Principal of Religious Identity and Mission (APRIM).

Her husband is a teacher in Catholic education and their children attend Catholic schools (one has since graduated), so Deb is naturally a strong supporter of Catholic education as it “works for me and my family”. She is also adamant that teaching for her is much more than a job; it is her calling, her passion, her vocation.

Working in the religious education space now with senior secondary students, she says there is still nothing better than those “aha moments” in the classroom.

“For example, when someone starts to understand the broader context of a faith journey and what that means to people, or why social justice is so important to people of faith, why human dignity is so important or what solidarity means. I adore that when you finish a class the students say thanks, or I think that’s powerful, or I enjoyed that, or can I have some more information, or thanks for preparing that,” she says.

“At the end of the day I love working with the students, that is nourishing. For me, defining teaching is two things – I learn from them and they learn from me – or we learn together. That is vocation, I think, it’s the way you live your life.”

With two stints working as a Catholic Identity Mission Advisor with Catholic Education SA, Deb says she felt privileged to visit schools and mentor teachers. However, it also made her all too aware of the need for teachers to be supported and the many pressures they are facing today.

For starters, the prevalence of social media has added a different element to the teaching space, she says. Some teachers now feel they need to provide an “element of entertainment” in the classroom and there has to be “some hook” in order to bring interest to their lessons.

Then there are the ongoing demands of teachers to mark students’ work in a timely fashion, write reports, attend meetings, fulfil yard duty requirements and be present at a multitude of extra curricular school activities. 

As Deb points out, teachers will have about 25 individuals in their care at one time – all of whom have diverse needs. If you’re a middle/senior school teacher you will likely see four lots of those diverse needs in a day, so it can be mentally draining.

And to cap everything off, today’s society has adopted a ‘user pay’ mentality and Deb says many parents believe because they are paying for an education, they have the right to make often unreasonable demands of their child’s teacher.

“If your child has a bad day at school, then someone is to blame for it,” she laments, adding there are good and bad ways to have a discussion with a teacher.

“It’s important for parents to remember that what you see of your child and what is seen in the classroom can be two different things. You’re talking about professionals (teachers) who are trained to see with a different lens, not the parenting lens, but the professional educator lens, so be open to asking them ‘what do you see?’ And do it in person.

“If you send an email, don’t write in capital letters; don’t leave a long voicemail and don’t try to catch them (teachers) five minutes before they have to teach 25 people. Make appointments, treat it like you would treat a professional meeting.”

Deb adds that parents and guardians should make themselves aware of the school’s protocol for raising issues.

“If you’re worried about something, who do you talk to? Don’t complain, don’t write a big email … you’ve got to do your homework too. Know who the school deputy is, know who the house or year leaders are, know the school protocol,” she explains.

Joining the school’s Facebook and Instagram pages also keeps you in the loop about what is happening and make sure you’re on the relevant email lists and your details are up to date.

“And finally, go to parent teacher interviews or learning interviews, WITH your child.”

Looking back on her teaching career, Deb reflects there have been many changes in subject matter and teaching techniques, but believes change is good and can help you grow.

“One of the first things I teach my Year 11 SRM (Spiritualities, Religion and Meaning) class is ‘recontextualisation’. First I make them spell it – and then I teach them what it means!

“Everything we do, if we can find a way to recontextualise religious concepts and bring meaning for today, then it makes more meaning. As your life grows and your faith grows and your world grows, it changes. And teaching is no different.

“What we were doing 30 years ago is definitely outdated now and we have to accept that. There is nothing bad about that, but we do have to find fresh ways.”

Born in Adelaide to Italian immigrants, Deb describes her own schooling experience at Catholic primary and secondary schools as “very positive” and says many of her teachers were inspiring role models.

She recalls her “amazing” R-2 teacher, Mrs Fitzgerald, who showed such patience and understanding as the Italian-speaking young Deb only started learning English when she started Reception at St Bernadette’s Primary School. Then there was Dominican Sister Pat Brady, her favourite teacher in Year 12 at Cabra Dominican College, who not only taught English but inspired with a “genuine, on the ground approach to faith and spirituality” that translated to her teaching.

“The Dominican Sisters treated everyone as individuals and genuinely ‘cared’ about their students,” Deb recalls.

“As a teacher now, I find it so important to recognise individual successes. Not everyone in the class is an A grade student – and that’s OK, but every student matters.”

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