Welcome to our ‘Meet the Trainer’ interview series, where we introduce you to the passionate and dedicated trainers at VFA Learning. This month, we are excited to introduce you to one of our most beloved trainers. Kerri Glowacki teaches our CHC30221 – Certificate III in School Based Education Support course.
Kerri is our education support trainer and is committed to making a real difference in the lives of children. With her infectious enthusiasm and engaging teaching style, she has helped many students succeed in their careers as Education Support staff. We hope you enjoy reading about her journey and insights in this interview.
Over to you, Kerri!
1. What inspired you to teach educational support?
Throughout my career, I have had many rich and wonderful experiences working in big and small primary and special needs schools. So I thought that becoming an education support trainer would be a great way to continue to share my passion for education by providing an exciting new way to share my knowledge and skills with older students.
I really love working at VFA Learning because of the many opportunities I have had to work with fantastic young people who have successfully trained and gained their qualifications in Educational Support.
I like my training sessions to be full of fun, music and lots of hands-on experiences so that when my students go out into the workplace, they have the need to be engaging at the front of their minds!
Many of my students have become awesome staff members in schools. And most importantly, they are making lifelong learning differences in the lives of children they work with by creating smiles and fun in learning.
2. How do you stay up-to-date with industry advancements and use them in your teachings?
I work in special needs schools a couple of days each week, allowing me to work alongside some fantastic education support staff and think about how to best train my students with the up-to-date industry experience I gain.
Especially in Geelong, many skilled, purposeful, effective, and caring educational support staff in schools make a difference. I am constantly learning from their strategies and taking the opportunity to talk about, plan and implement successful learning outcomes for students.
I also continue to update my skills via professional development opportunities too. Still, it’s not as much fun as working in schools with real people who work hard to solve real learning challenges!
3. Can you share a particularly memorable experience or success story from your time as a trainer at VFA Learning?
Every time I visit one of my students in the workplace and see how much passion and skill they are using to make a difference in a child’s life is a success story! I puff up with pride when they show their care and commitment towards this valuable and important job.
4. What advice would you give someone considering pursuing a career in your field?
Do it!! Some days are diamonds, and some days are stones! But you will make a real difference in a child’s learning journey because you will help them to have regular, purposeful, and happy success on their learning journey. Plus, you will make a difference to how a child feels and help them become socially and emotionally stronger. It’s a great job!
5. If you could have any teaching-related superpower, what would it be and why?
If I had a superpower, I would love to have the ability to be a time traveller with a second seat, of course! I would take each student into the future to share why I believe in them and my faith in their success!
If you have a passion for improving the lives of young learners, check out our Education Support course or contact our friendly Course Consultants.
