VV_JG

I love learning. However, as a youngster I was not really aware of this. At 14, I left school and went to work. Like so many of my generation, I married young and set up a home and family. My husband and I have two children and three grandchildren.

I grew up in Brunswick. It was there that I first met an Italian family, and through them, my husband. We are all still friends. I learned to speak Italian firstly with that family and then with my mother-in-law.

 

I always loved reading and dabbled a little bit in correspondence courses and night school. But it was not until I started work at the University of Melbourne that I realized it was possible for me to study at University level. I then started night school in earnest. I was eventually accepted into the BA program through a special admissions scheme and subsequently completed a BA (Hons) in Italian. I later completed a Master of Arts in History.

 

All too soon it was time to retire and I thought ‘what next?’ I had really enjoyed working and studying at the University. My job had meant lots of contact with students and I missed this. I now knew that I wanted to be in a teaching and learning environment.  But how?

 

The first thing I did was to volunteer as a tutor helping to teach English as a Second Language at the Glenroy Neighbourhood Learning Centre. Great, I thought. What else can I do?

 

I heard about the University of the Third Age and decided to make enquiries about courses. I joined and immediately enrolled in a Photoshop course, which was well taught and useful. Towards the end of last year, Julie Nankervis approached me to see if I was interested in tutoring in Italian. A tutor was needed for the post-beginners’ class. Was I interested?  Absolutely.  I knew it was going to be a challenge, as I had never had the responsibility of running a course before. At the same time I was excited and pleased that all my years of studying Italian could finally be put to some use.

 

As I suspected, offering the Post-Beginners’ Italian course has been challenging and sometimes difficult. But it is also exciting and satisfying. For my part, I am still learning how to teach. I spend lots of time looking for material for my class, trying to find the right balance. Should there be more grammar, songs, poetry, literature or conversation. Should I show a movie?  If so, where? The students have been great and often offer their suggestions about what they would like to do. Every week I look forward to my class and always go home planning the following week’s lesson.

 

I am very pleased to be a member of such a vibrant and interested group of people. U3A has given me the opportunity to continue my interest in learning as well as a chance to teach. What this means to me is that there really is no use-by-date on learning.