Discover the rewards of rural teaching - Video transcript

(upbeat music)

- [Director] You ready?

- [Beth] Yes, I am ready.

(laughing)

I think coming out to a rural community has really helped me to get to know who I am, and the kind of person I am, outside of being a teacher as well.

My name is Beth Salter, and I teach at Kambalda Primary School.

Before I was a teacher, I was an education assistant, and I'd always worked at metro schools, so I wanted to see what teaching would be like and give that a bit of a try.

When I first came out here, I said to myself, right, one year and that's it.

But here I am, three years on and I'm still here, and really enjoying it.

- [Rielle] Being a graduate teacher in the metro setting and moving around, working part-time then full-time, it was a real goal of mine to move somewhere so that I could get a job full time.

So I think I had in my head, there was always the appeal of coming to the country.

I'm Rielle Fowler, I'm the Year 1-2 teacher at Dowerin District High School.

I wanted to come immerse myself in the town and the community in the school.

And I'm doing that right now by living in town.

I joined hockey!

Never picked up a hockey stick in my life but the people out here are so encouraging.

They just want you to have a go and come along.

- [Caitlin] I did all of my pracs as a university student in the metro area bar one.

And I suppose it was that one that really convinced me that I could give it a go, and that it was worth a least trying out.

My name's Caitlin Gillies, I teach at Meckering Primary School.

So the plan was when I came to Meckering, to spend a couple of years here, gain that experience, and then move on somewhere.

That plan didn't come to pass, there was a new plan.

It involved making lots of great friends, meeting my husband.

That wasn't part of my plan (laughs), that wasn't part of my plan but that's what happens.

- [Rielle] As far as career development goes, I'd love to become a level three teacher, so to further my career within classroom teaching, and teaching in the country school really provides that opportunity.

- [Beth] Being out in a rural school, I'm really lucky.

There's a lot of things that I can take on here that I wouldn't have the opportunity to do so early in my career in a metro school.

- [Caitlin] There's lots to offer, and the community is really supportive and really involved in what we do here at the school.

And I think that adds to the environment, and definitely is a positive.