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WESTLOCK - A visiting teacher from Australia is ending her exchange at Westlock Elementary School this week, marking a full year since she and her family first set foot on Canadian soil with a sense of adventure, curiosity and a willingness to try anything once.
Gemma Walker, who has been teaching Grade 5 at the school, moved to Westlock for an exchange in which she and her Canadian counterpart Darren Michalczuk traded schools, homes and communities. This week, Gemma, her husband Rick and their four children will be saying goodbye to the friends they’ve made as they take off on the last leg of their overseas trip Dec. 28.
“We’ve done more this year than we’ve probably ever done,” said Gemma right after the couple completed the Westlock Amazing Race in September, adding that along with the move came a new philosophy for the family: say ‘yes’ to everything.
Over the summer, they took trips to the mountains, attended the Calgary Stampede, where the chuck wagon races really got their attention. They were in town for the RCMP Musical Ride, a few harvest festivals, and they were hoping for corn mazes too.
The Walkers are no strangers to country-living since both of them come from small towns in Australia. They live in Gold Coast now, so their children have mostly known urban environments with dense populations and large schools.
Moving to Westlock meant their four children could make as much noise outside as they wanted since they’ve been living on an acreage, ride in a combine or drive a tractor.
“Once we learned it was a rural destination, we just said “Yeah!” They said the challenge was going to be finding a family to swap with, because we’re such a big family. That was the only hurdle but as soon as we saw the place we said “Yeah, we’ll go,”” said Rick.
Since then, they’ve also had a couple of visits from Gemma’s parents and some friends from back home.
In September, Gemma shared that, unlike most people in Canada, she was hoping for early snow — at that time, compared to last year, it was already late. Eventually, however, the true north didn’t disappoint the folks from the land of perpetual summer — they have plenty of snow action to pack into a short few days, including tubing at Tawatinaw.
It wasn’t all fun and games for Gemma though, teaching was her priority and her mandate with the exchange. Ultimately her presence here as a teacher came at a rather turbulent time for education both in the province and in Australia.
“I think it’s been interesting coming here with the change of politics, seeing how that’s impacted even the new curriculum not going ahead, and seeing the teacher cuts. At the same time, back in my school systems, they’re currently doing negotiations for pay and work conditions. We’ve been advised we’re not accepting the 2.5 per cent pay raise down there because it’s not enough.
“Back there, they’ve had in-school strikes. Yet I look here in Alberta and there’s so many cuts going on,” said Gemma.
The Australian environment could prove premonitory for Alberta, and Gemma was privy to the early stages of what could very well be a significant shift in provincial education – at least that is the indication coming from the government.
The program assistant support system within Pembina Hills, Gemma said, is something she doesn’t have back in Australia. It’s yet another feature of provincial education that recent budget cuts could force out of the system as a non-essential item.
“The impact that extra person in the classroom has, not just for behaviour management, but for learning as well, is invaluable. It just allows a lot more opportunity for one-on-one time or being able to work with a smaller group in a more managed and calmer environment in the classroom,” said Gemma.
Not all kids in a randomly selected 21-person classroom have the same learning ability, and to Gemma the PA’s role was critical for teachers to focus in customized ways.
“When you’ve got such a range of high- and low-learners, it allows you to give opportunities for those high-learners to extend their thinking while being able to support the lower-learners working on their basic skill.”
There are a few other details, some determined by environment, that made for a different experience teaching here.
The school in Australia is physically very different from what students here are accustomed to. Instead of one large building housing all grades, labs, music rooms, staff rooms, offices, it’s more of a large campus with several buildings spread out.
“My school, walking from one end to the other, is a good 500-metre walk, maybe even further, and you don’t see anyone. We also have limited play space. Back home, we have split playtimes as well. As teachers, you don’t always get to see everyone. Here, walking around the halls, you’re much more closely connected.”
One more thing: “The other thing I’ve really enjoyed too has been the door decorating.”
Although some of the things here are not easily transferable to Australia, Gemma said she’ll try to find ways to instill that connection between classes and staff that a closed building offers schools here.
“I can’t change the buildings back home, but maybe finding other opportunities where we’re having a greater presence in a greater variety of grade levels I think will have an impact as well,” she said, adding that this and the additional support person in the classroom are the main things she’ll take back.
Between Christmas break here, and when term resumes in Australia Jan. 24, the Walkers will be visiting Las Vegas and surrounding Nevada, then heading to Phoenix to visit family, eventually making their way back home Jan. 10.
The initial worry with the exchange was finding a large enough home for their big family, but what comes with a move like this is undoubtedly a question of whether or not the community itself will be a good fit. As it turns out, Westlock was incredibly welcoming to the six newcomers.
“When we finally head out the doors next Friday, that’ll be goodbye to a lot of people. We’ll catch up with a few friends just before we leave and then it’s hoping that we’ve made a big enough impact that they’ll actually come and visit us.”
