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When I was younger, I was fascinated by the profession that half of my family had chosen to pursue all their lives, i.e. teaching. In fact, I wondered even as a child what drove a good half of my family tree to do this work.
Only as I grew older, and experienced it firsthand, did I realise that teaching is fun. Of course, like any job, it has its disadvantages, but also its advantages. The job of a teacher is fun because probably, if there is one thing that all teachers agree on, is that you are never bored. And I believe that doing something that is challenging and never boring is crucial in life.
By sheer chance, on Tuesday, 17 October, 2023, I received an email from Sapienza University in Rome, informing all recent graduates, including me, that the university with Co.As.It. in Melbourne, was offering four job positions as an Italian language assistant in schools in the State of Victoria, Australia.
I participated in the selection process almost on a whim, since I thought that the others had a better chance than me of winning one of the positions up for grabs; but in the end, to my amazement, I managed to get one of the placements. This was certainly an unexpected outcome.
During my experience at the school to which I was assigned, De La Salle College in Malvern, Melbourne, I had a wonderful time. From the very beginning, my colleagues were very kind and welcoming, especially my supervisors, who always made me feel comfortable and consistently appreciated my efforts. In fact, the Italian teachers were able to create a healthy and stimulating atmosphere for both me and the students.
I also had the good fortune to be able to work most of the time with the final year students, whom I grew fond of in a short period of time: 11 students between the ages of 16 and 18, quite different from each other, who chose to study Italian until their senior year for a wide variety of reasons.
I am deeply grateful for a variety of reasons: for having the possibility to get to know a great country like Australia, for working as an ambassador of Italian language and culture; for growing a lot as a person and a worker and, most of all, for opening my eyes and realising that teaching is definitely my dream job. That same job that since childhood I knew I wanted to do, emulating my relatives, but that I was afraid to undertake, for a variety of reasons.
I hope this testimony will instil in readers the desire and courage to pursue a teaching career: that of a teacher is a sacred and demanding mission, but sometimes also one that is rich in satisfaction! Thank you, De La Salle College! Goodbye!
– Paolo Adamo, Italian Language Tutor
