Carl Merrison is a Jaru/Kija man from Halls Creek in the Kimberley Western Australia with over 15 years in the Education Sector. Carl has worked as Aboriginal Education Assistant, Clontarf Education Officer, Garnduwa Sports Coordinator as well as roles as pool life guard, AFL football coach and more. He is trained in suicide prevention, mental health first aid and trauma informed practice. Safe to say he has a well rounded understanding of mentoring, supporting and coaching young First Nations youth in remote communities.
Hakea Hustler is has worked as a teacher and Head of Learning in remote and rural schools for over 10 years. She holds her Bachelor of Education (P-12) English and HASS, Graduate Certificate in Special Needs, is a trained CMS Facilitator and Facilitator of Trauma Informed Teaching.
Hakea and Carl are also published authors in their spare time:
* Black Cockatoo (Magabala 2018)
* Tracks of the Missing (Magabala 2022)
* My Deadly Boots (Lothian 2022)
Each of our books comes with a FREE teacher resource pack:
www.carlandhakea.com.au
I have seen good and bad remote teaching first hand- as a student, as an Aboriginal Education Officer and as a Clontarf Education Officer for over 35 years. I know what it is like to see teachers arrive- and leave in the same day. I have seen teachers who have ‘got it’, those who don’t and those who are willing to work hard to ‘learn it’ and be successful. I’ve wanted to cry in frustration watching teachers make simple cultural mistakes that set students off. I’ve felt bad along with teachers who have tried a new strategy to support a student- only to find that it was a trigger for the student. I’ve supported teachers to make their practice and pedagogy different so they can have more success in the classroom- that was my role, to advocate for the students, to support their learning and to improve education in our school. We created this business because my son, daughter, nieces, nephews, grandchildren… and all First Nations students in remote communities deserve the best teachers. The best teachers deserve our support and guidance. -Carl
I arrived remote thinking I had this teaching thing down. I’d been teaching for four years including senior English and had taken on leadership roles in Literacy and Technology positions in my previous schools. I’d even volunteered in remote communities during my university degree. So you can imagine my surprise when I walked into my first remote teaching role and found myself overwhelmed by new behaviours, cultural expectations and diverse learning needs that I had not encountered. I never seemed to have enough time in the day for all that needed to be done- supporting a student, dealing with a behaviour, following up incidents, planning for a wide range of student needs and trying to do so broken up with brain breaks. I remember sitting shell shocked after the bell one day- unable to move just letting the utter helplessness roll over me. I felt like a failure. A bad teacher. Like I wasn’t doing my students justice. Questioning myself. Wondering how I would ever actually teach my diverse students with their diverse needs. We created our business so you don’t have to ride the same rollercoaster of confusion, overwhelm, exhaustion and failure that I did. -HakeaI
That is why we are here to make your remote teaching journey a smoother journey. You are not alone.
It’s not your fault. Remote education is very different from the mainstream classrooms you and I were educated in, trained to teach and have experience teaching in. We are from a difference culture with different norms and ways of being.
Recognising our areas to improve and being willing to learn are HUGE. The fact that you recognise the need for growth is HUGE.
That’s why we created this website. To help you feel confident in your remote teaching classroom.
It’s time to feel successful, confident and live the life you dream of remote.
Most remote teachers don’t have impartial, experienced educators on their side. Most remote teachers who fail don’t have the hints and tips from years of experience of what works. Most educators who spend their time stressing can’t see things from outside their classroom. We can help give you a different perspective- and fresh advice.
Our free download is a step on a learning journey with us- to make your teaching time rewarding and enjoyable… and leave you time to explore, adventure and appreciate all that remote life has to offer.
Enter your name and email and I’ll send Behaviour Management Survival Guide so you can spend more time on the things you love and less on managing behaviours.
We acknowledge the traditional custodians of Australia and pay respect to their Elders past, present and future.