Laughter, Dirt and Education
A podcast for rural and remote educators to share their stories.
Episodes
Episode 45: Bec
In today's chat, Bec and I discuss how she copes and manages having a chronic health condition, all while living in remote Australia!
Episode 44: Holly
As just 18 years old, Holly found herself moving her life from South-East Queensland to the rugged country of the Northern Territory. How did she end up there? Make sure you listen to find out her story!
Episode 43: Kate
Teachers... we certainly know how to change pace and go with the flow, however, today's guest, Kate, most certainly jumped into the deep end at the beginning of her teaching career. Listen now to find out more!
Episode 42: Annie
Growing up with her Mum and Dad working as teachers, Annie never thought she would end up being a governess. However, that is the path her life has taken, and it is so clear how perfect she is for this role!
Episode 41: Liv
What happens when a Brisbane teacher needs a break from teaching early in her career? Some might go on an overseas holiday, but this week's guest, Liv, decided to head west to governess. While her life looks very different now, she certainly is thriving!
Episode 40: Sarah and Beth
Friends, Sarah and Beth, come from very different backgrounds but have governessing to thank for bringing them together.You can join the Govies in the Bush Facebook Group here. Or to purchase their guide, you can find it here!
Episode 39: Sarah
Welcome to season 2! Gosh- it has been a long time between episodes. In today's episode, you will hear from my wonderful friend, Sarah. From growing up in Brisbane, to now calling Central West Queensland home, her life certainly looks different!
Episode 38: So you want to be a govie?
This episode is a solo one, where I give my personal advice of what to look for when searching for a governess job. As I mention in the episode, I do not know everything about this job, so I would love for my community to contribute. Head over to our Instagram or Facebook pages and comment with your advice!
Episode 37: Vanessa Williams
Vanessa was a born and bred Adelaide girl, but after a trip to Central Australia, she found herself moving to the Northern Territory to governess. While she is still governessing many years down the track, that doesn’t mean that she has felt like every family has been the right one for her. This is a vulnerable chat and I love that we have had an opportunity to discuss this!
Episode 36: Georgia Luscombe
While teaching wasn’t Georgia Luscombe’s first choice of career when she finished school, after finding herself in the Early Childhood sector for a few years, she decided she wanted to further her study and went to university. Now a first-year teacher in North West Queensland, Georgia and her partner took the massive leap to move their from Brisbane. She speaks candidly about her first year in the
Episode 35: Amanda Ferrari (Boarding Expo Australia)
Amanda Ferrari knows first hand what it is like to choose a boarding school for her children, but her business, Boarding Expo Australia, takes some of the stress away from this important decision. I encourage you to share this with any families you know who may be sending their children off to boarding school, and take a look at their website, https://www.boardingexpo.com.au/
Episode 34: Miss Megan
After starting off her teaching career in Melbourne, Megan took a massive jump and not only move to be with her partner, but also start teaching in the remote town of Alice Springs. Our chat covers a very real side of moving and teaching and some of the struggles that Megan had to face. Please remember that there is always some you can go to for help, and if needed, make sure you reach out to Life
Episode 33: Kylie Jones
From growing up in Tasmania, to then taking a massive leap as a graduate teacher and moving to the Northern Territory, Kylie Jones knows what it’s like to not miss an opportunity. Kylie is now the Founding Director of RAISEducation, a service that provides individualised support to isolated families. To find out more about the amazing work they do, including how to support them, head over to https
Episode 32: Lucy Grant
Welcome back to the podcast! After a break, I am excited to bring this week's guest, Lucy Grant, onto the show. We had a wonderful chat about what her life looked like after leaving school, and how it now looks.
Episode 31: Emma O’Shaughnessy
From starring on Masterchef, to working as a teacher at School of the Air, you could say that this week’s guest, Emma, has had a wide variety of experiences. The passion she has for her job is so clear in our chat and I just loved chatting to Emma and getting to know her better!
Episode 30: Hannah Richardson
From growing up in Sydney, to nannying in western Queensland, this week’s guest, Hannah, has made a few huge life changes over the past two years. I loved her perspective after being out west and how she has been able to connect with the people around her on a deeper level.
Episode 29: Meg Irvine
I have my very first Tasmanian teacher on the podcast, and I have loved listening to Meg Irvine’s story of her childhood and her teaching career in Tassie. You can find Meg on Instagram, @learningto_teach Make sure you give her a follow!
Episode 28: Jaquarra Chapman
This week I got to speak with Jaquarra Chapman, who after governessing for a few years, has recognised how important it is for our stories to be told! We have a chat about her adventures, plus about her new project, The Govie Diaries. Make sure you listen to the end to find out how you can contribute your story to Jaquarra’s new coffee table book!
Episode 27: Tips for Rural and Remote Professional Experience
A short and sharp episode this week for pre-service teachers, who may be considering heading to a rural or remote school for their professional experience. Please make sure you share this episode with any pre-service teachers you know!
Episode 26: Behaviour Management Tips
This week I have collaborated with the lovely Hannah Calcino, to put together our top tips for managing behaviour. While we have aimed these tips at govies, we hope that everyone is able to take something away from it. Please remember, we are all on a learning journey, and it’s okay to change your behaviour practices.
Episode 25: Demi Grace
From rural Australia, to Melbourne, and then the remote NT and QLD, Demi Grace has certainly spread her wings around the country. What started out with a nanny job while doing university, turned into Demi finding a passion for working with children, which lead her to remote parts of the country to governess and now be a teacher aide. I love Demi’s honesty, she speaks about some of the negatives, b
Episode 24: Abbie Gilchrist
Not many 17 year old’s can say that they decided to one day apply for a governess job and move thousands of kilometers away from their family. However, that is exactly what this week’s guest, Abbie Gilchrist, did in 2021! After an amazing year in the Northern Territory, she has since moved to South-West Queensland. What I love most about this though is that the School of the Air that her student’s
Episode 23: Adelaide Ford
Adelaide’s story has just blown me away- from living in the remote West Arnham Land, to teaching in a ‘tent’, this lady has such a unique story. While there may be tough times, it is clear that Adelaide has an adventurous spirit and gives most things a go. To see more of her incredible life, you can find her on her Instagram @__radelaide
Episode 22: Bec Hannam
I am a true believer that everything in life is meant to be… And for this week’s guest, Bec Hannam, it turned out that one small email from a friend would change the course of her life (in a positive way). Bec now is a teacher up in North- West Queensland, and it is obvious that she is in love with it all (and I’m sure the entire community feel the same about her. You can find more of Bec’s advent
Episode 21: Kate Kearnan
From starting her life in Western and Central Queensland, to then growing up in Brisbane, Kate has always had country in her blood. This stuck with her once she finished her teaching degree, and she headed back out west. Not only did she get to experience mainstream teaching, but also distance education teaching! While she has since moved back closer to her family, she has still ensured she teache
Episode 20: Cass Kath
EPISODE 20- Cass KathImagine deciding when you were in preschool that you wanted to be a govie, and then many years later, you continue that dream. That is exactly what happened for this week’s guest, Cass Kath. Even more amazing is that she governesses through the same school that she also attended school. Talk about a complete 360! If you head over to the podcast’s Facebook or Instagram pages, I
Episode 19: Advice for new teachers
Welcome to the start of the 2022 school year! This episode is a little different this week. Instead of an interview, I have sat down to share with you my top 10 pieces of advice for new teachers. Please make sure you share this episode with anyone you know who is just starting off in their teaching career. I hope it is helpful to you all!
Episode 18: Steph Bremner
I don’t know about you, but when I hear of a school that only has 20 students, I instantly think of a school out in the country. However, this isn’t the case for this week’s guest, Steph Bremner. I discovered Steph through her Instagram page, @thelittlebushschool, and was surprised to find out that the school she teaches at (with the teaching principal) is actually in southern Sydney! While Steph
Episode 17: Top 10 Govie Packing Tips
Welcome back to the first episode for 2022! This week I am bringing an episode aimed at first time govies. I have put together (with the help of my amazing Instagram community), a list of 10 things you may like to consider packing for your new adventure. Don’t forget to follow the podcast on Facebook and Instagram!
Episode 16: Grace Kummerfeld
After deciding to governess when she left school, Grace Kummerfeld has had some amazing experiences in her life so far. She speaks so passionately about her job, but also keeps it real and tells us about some of the difficult times that she has had. I hope you love the episode!
Episode 15: Sophie O'Brien
From growing up on a sheep and cattle property in South- West Queensland, to now teaching in North Queensland, Sophie O’Brien has experienced a lot in her life. I really enjoyed chatting with Sophie for this week’s episode, and it felt like I was talking to an old friend! Sophie proves that country runs in her blood, which has now led her to a career in teaching the next generation of bush kids.
Episode 14: Amy Steginga
While I may be the host of the podcast and I have to listen to my voice each week, it is definitely strange being on the other side. My beautiful friend, Lauren, from last week’s episode, kindly offered to interview me. I share my journey from teaching to governessing and how it has shaped me as a person. I hope you enjoy getting to know a little bit more about me!
Episode 13: Lauren Baguley
The year 2020 definitely had an impact on us all, but imagine being a student nurse and being thrown into a pandemic. This is exactly what happened to this week’s guest, Lauren Baguley. However, while it threw out her original life pathway, she is now on an amazing adventure and is thriving. To follow Lauren’s adventures of governessing, you can find her on Instagram @literallylifeloz
Episode 12: Lily Cronin
From completing a course in Zoology, to now living and working in western Queensland, Lily Cronin has definitely had some big changes in her life. We chat about her quick decision to start governessing and how she hasn’t looked back. It is clear that Lily was meant for station life and she has taken on all the adventures and challenges that she had to take!
Episode 11: Tanya Heaslip
This week I get to chat with the amazing Tanya Heaslip. Having grown up on a remote cattle station in the Northern Territory, Tanya has gone on to publish three books (Alice to Prague, An Alice Girl, and Beyond Alice) about her life. In our chat we discuss what School of the Air looked like from a student’s point of view and how she transitioned to boarding school, thousands of kilometres away fro
Episode 10: Mindy Petersen
Once again I have had the privilege of speaking with another passionate educator. This week’s guest, Mindy Petersen, knows first hand the struggles that rural and remote children face. After her family moved to another farm, she had to face the daunting move to boarding school. These struggles have truly shaped her into the wonderful person she is today, with it leading to her governessing. Now sh
Episode 9: Lucy Gower
After growing up in Adelaide, Lucy Gower now calls a small town in South-Eastern South Australia home. While Lucy never pictured herself working and living in a rural town, she now loves it. We have a great chat about how she implements the Walker Learning Approach into her classroom, and some of the struggles that she first had as a beginning teacher. After the interview, make sure you jump over
Episode 8: Kiralee Fuller
In this week’s episode I chat with governess, Kiralee Fuller. After spending part of her childhood in remote New South Wales, she moved to America, before coming back to Australia in her teens. After spending a few years nannying in various area of Australia, this year Kiralee calls a cattle station in remote Queensland home. We have a great discussion around the stereotypes that are present for r
Episode 7: Sarah Taylor
This week I catch up with deputy principal, Sarah Taylor. Although she is now in a leadership role, and has been since relatively early on in her career, she speaks about the worries she has and proves that leaders can still doubt themselves. Since moving into her role as deputy principal at a distance education school, she has been exposed to a new way of teaching and is open to continued learnin
Episode 6: Brittanay Purtell
Were you (or maybe you currently are) someone who wasn’t really sure what they wanted to do after they left high school? That was the predicament that this week’s guest, Brittanay Purtell, found herself in. After a few years, she went governessing, and it’s clear in our chat that the life experiences she has had over the past couple of years has shaped her life and allowed her to work out her care
BONUS Episode- Zoe Jackson
Today I am bringing you a special bonus episode for R U OK? Day. I am very grateful to have Zoe Campbell joining us for this episode. As a registered counsellor, she shares her advice on what we can all do to look after our mental health. You can find her on Instagram @theruralwomenscounsellor or to book a session with Zoe, head to her website, www.therualwoemnscousellor.com.au Further informatio
Episode 5: Sophie Telfer
Could you imagine being 18 and moving from one side of Australia to the other? Well, that is exactly what this week’s guest, Sophie Telfer, did. It was definitely a move that paid off for her and now at 23 years old she has some amazing memories and experiences to tell. Sophie speaks about the amazing people she has met along the way, and how she is still passionate to teach in rural and remote lo
Episode 4: Tiahne Taylor
For Tiahne, being a special education teacher was something always close to her heart. However, after a few short years, she felt she needed a change to mainstream. She decided to dive into the deep end and headed west to a K-6 school where the only other teaching staff was her principal. Tiahne is honest in her struggles with moving to a small community and what she has to face. With anything in
Episode 3: Emily Caldwell
Often your career can take many turns, and in the end you end up exactly where you were meant to be. This has been the case for this weeks guest, Emily Caldwell, who has not only taught Primary and Highschool, but is now back governessing in a primary school room. On this episode, Em speaks about her passion for self care and why it is important to look after yourself. If you enjoyed this episode
Episode 2: Marnie Leahy
For many young people growing up in rural areas, there can sometimes be an expectation that to further your career you need to head to the big smoke. This week’s guest, Marnie Leahy, is breaking those stereo types. Not only is she studying for her Bachelor of Education full time, she also works as a Kindy teacher in a small community is South-West Queensland. Her determination is inspirational. Yo
Episode 1: Hannah Calcino
Life can take you in a variety of directions, but for many, once the red dirt is in your blood, it is hard to escape it. This week I catch up with Hannah Calcino, who knows this feeling all too well. Not only is she a teacher, ex-govie and rural advocate, she is also a beautiful human.You can find Hannah on her Instagram @the.urban.farmhouse or on her blog www.the-urban-farmhouse.com
Trailer: Laughter, Dirt and Education coming soon
A podcast made for rural and remote educators. Stay tuned, Laughter, Dirt and Education is launching soon!
