When I arrived, I had to adapt quickly to the socio-cultural, moral, physical and political aspects of teaching in Mareeba. With a 39 per cent Indigenous enrolment, an understanding and respect for different cultural histories, and the influence that these have on present day home and education life, was imperative. I was provided with insights into the history of Mareeba from local Aboriginal community members, as well as getting useful information from local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander elders, parents, and family members. This increased cultural understanding and awareness enabled me to teach diverse cultures and languages, a skill that has continued to grow to this day.
Teaching in Mareeba offered many unique opportunities, such as participating in a structured beginning teacher induction program and being provided with mentoring support to develop my knowledge of pedagogy, curriculum and strategic initiatives specific to the local school community. But my proudest achievement was the creation of the school community garden.
The impact of a community garden
After observing many students not bringing lunch to school each day, I came up with the idea of creating a school garden to encourage them to share knowledge and the many benefits of growing food within their family and community, enabling them to potentially replicate the practices in their own backyards. I applied online for a Growing Good Gardens Grant through Yates Gardening and Life Education and was fortunate to be successful.
The garden brought the wider community together through donation of time and consumables in the interest of a shared vision for health, wellbeing, and lasting good practices at home. Through using the garden, students in each year have been taught to grow their own food to improve their health, reduce waste and live more sustainably.
