Shea

STARFISH CLASSROOM ASSISTANT

What is your background?

I grew up in country QLD and NSW, moving around quite a bit. My childhood was full of riding horses, mustering cattle, and enjoying the farm life. We moved to the Byron Shire in 2009, when I was 9 years old, and have been here ever since! I went to Byron Bay Public School and Byron High School, and have loved spending the the last 12 years of my life in this beautiful part of the world.

What do you remember best about primary school?

I remember loving primary school. It was a massive change for me coming from a small school in QLD with 100 students to Byron Public. It was quite difficult fitting in with all the surfy kids, but I have fond memories of my time there. My favourite subjects were PDHPE and Music. I remember taking a lot of pride in my handwriting and playing amongst the fig trees. 

What qualifications do you have?

Cert IV in Education Support.

What are your main philosophies about children’s learning?

In my role as a classroom assistant, my aim is to always help the teacher in any way possible. I always try to create a supportive and welcoming environment where anyone can feel they can come to me. I love to bring a positive energy to the classroom and make learning productive but also enjoyable. 

Why do you enjoy working at BCPS?

I love the community aspect of working at BCPS. Compared to everywhere else I’ve worked and also where I went to school, it really does feel like a family here.

What is your greatest achievement?

One of my greatest achievements would be running the local Celtic dance school with my best friend and business partner. We’ve maintained the title of Australian Celtic Dance Champions for the last 4 years so I’m pretty proud of that. Working at BCPS is also a pretty major achievement for me. It’s been a dream job of mine for a really long time. 

What aspirations still lie ahead of you?

I’m currently studying a Bachelor of Education to become a primary school teacher! I’m so excited to further my journey in education. There were a few teachers in my time at school that really made a difference in my life so I’ve known I wanted to be a teacher since I was 8 years old.

What occupies your time outside school hours?

I’m actually a Celtic dancer! (not your everyday hobby).

We tour with a 12-piece Celtic band from Brisbane, performing at festivals, theatres and venues around the country. When I’m not gallivanting around the country-side dancing, I love to get back to nature. Anything outdoors is right up my alley!

If you weren’t a teacher assistant, how to do you think you’d be spending your time?

If I wasn’t working as a teaching assistant, I’d love to tour full-time performing with the band. I’ve always wanted to start my own music career, which could still be on the cards sometime in the future.