Latest / 360 with Katie Woolf / NT Secondary Educator of the Year, Darwin High Drama Teacher Mark Bennett says working with students on arts and theatre projects at school and beyond is very rewarding

Transcript

NT Secondary Educator of the Year, Darwin High Drama Teacher Mark Bennett says working with students on arts and theatre projects at school and beyond is very rewarding · 360 with Katie Woolf

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  Speaker 1: Now, last week it was World Teacher's Day and the
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  Speaker 1: Northern Territory proudly salutes our educators and also hosts an
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  Speaker 1: annual Teaching in the Territory Excellence Awards ceremony. There were
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  Speaker 1: a number of amazing teachers recognized at that award ceremony,
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  Speaker 1: and I am very pleased to say that one of
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  Speaker 1: them joins me on the line right now. It is
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  Speaker 1: Mark Bunnett from Darwin High School, who took out the
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  Speaker 1: Secondary Education Teacher of the Year award. Good morning to you, Mark, Oh.
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  Speaker 2: Good morning, Katie, and thanks for having me on.
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  Speaker 1: It's wonderful to have you on the show. Now. I
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  Speaker 1: understand that you are the drama teacher at Darwin High
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  Speaker 1: School and you must have been pretty humbled and also
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  Speaker 1: excited to receive this award, very much so, and.
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  Speaker 2: I guess even more so knowing that it was actually
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  Speaker 2: agreed with my students and some of the parents who
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  Speaker 2: put forward the nomination, so that made it even more special.
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  Speaker 1: That incredible to hear. What were some of the reasons
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  Speaker 1: why they nominated you.
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  Speaker 2: I think some of them were about being inclusive, creating
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  Speaker 2: a safe space to work in the fact that some
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  Speaker 2: of them felt that they'd made lifelong friends in those
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  Speaker 2: classes and that they had been encouraged through the work
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  Speaker 2: that I'd done with them to go on and consider
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  Speaker 2: drama or theater as a career in the future.
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  Speaker 1: But what is what do you love most about your
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  Speaker 1: job as a teacher?
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  Speaker 2: Look, I've been doing this for a long time now,
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  Speaker 2: started off as a primary school teacher for many years
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  Speaker 2: and became a secondary school teacher is dar and High
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  Speaker 2: about six years ago now. And for me, for me,
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  Speaker 2: it's about the students. It's about drama. Students are a
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  Speaker 2: lovely mix of people and it's just lovely to see
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  Speaker 2: them develop into a harmonious group who you know, functioning
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  Speaker 2: well enough to put on a performance. And like if
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  Speaker 2: I particularly those students I have from year ten to
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  Speaker 2: year twelve because that's the years we have on high
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  Speaker 2: school and just seeing that that development through through those
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  Speaker 2: three years is just a lovely process. And I think
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  Speaker 2: it was it was showing the Year twelve play that
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  Speaker 2: we did this year and at our final performance, many
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  Speaker 2: of them were in tears. Many of them were saying
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  Speaker 2: that they were really sad this was the last moment
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  Speaker 2: that they would be performing together as a group and
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  Speaker 2: they felt that, you know, their time over that that
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  Speaker 2: three year period had been very special.
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  Speaker 1: It must be you know, when the day comes when
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  Speaker 1: they do graduate and and that experience that you've just
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  Speaker 1: spoken about, then it must be hard for you, sad
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  Speaker 1: for you as a teacher sort of knowing that they're leaving,
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  Speaker 1: but also a really proud time where you go, I
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  Speaker 1: know that they're moving on to you know, it's a
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  Speaker 1: bigger and better things and the rest of their lives
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  Speaker 1: ahead of them.
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  Speaker 2: Look, it is sad, but what I love and what
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  Speaker 2: I try and promote is is finding ways where they
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  Speaker 2: can actually be involved in the arts community in Darwin
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  Speaker 2: or in e NT once they leave school. So what
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  Speaker 2: I'm finding is I'm a director as well with the
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  Speaker 2: Donk Theater Company. We've got a show at me next
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  Speaker 2: week at Brown's Mark called An Inspector Calls. But what
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  Speaker 2: I'm finding is that some of those students are then
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  Speaker 2: popping up at auditions and I'm then working with them
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  Speaker 2: outside of school and then seeing them go on to
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  Speaker 2: also drama schools. One of my students in year twelve, Mischka,
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  Speaker 2: has got a place at coll Arts, which is performing
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  Speaker 2: art school in Melbourne for next year. So what I
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  Speaker 2: find that even though they leave, I managed to keep
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  Speaker 2: connections with them in a different way outside of school.
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  Speaker 1: That's incredible. Look, I just think that the job set
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  Speaker 1: teachers can be so difficult but so rewarding, I would
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  Speaker 1: imagine in so many ways. And you've got the ability
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  Speaker 1: to really help kids to believe in themselves, help get
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  Speaker 1: them on the right path, and you know, really sort
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  Speaker 1: of get their minds going, which it sounds like you
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  Speaker 1: are doing. Mark. I think it's wonderful that you've won
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  Speaker 1: this award and it sounds like you are doing a
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  Speaker 1: phenomenal job, Katy.
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  Speaker 2: I think you've here the nail on the head. I
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  Speaker 2: think that particular for drama, you know, I see this
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  Speaker 2: as being an award for performing arts and for drama
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  Speaker 2: in general. There we've been through such a hard time
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  Speaker 2: during COVID, We've seen the arts really take a kick
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  Speaker 2: in the guts. But I think what drama particularly offers
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  Speaker 2: students are skills for life. So skills like collaboration, building
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  Speaker 2: up self confidence, developing empathy, and being able to work
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  Speaker 2: in groups, which is what being in the workforce is
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  Speaker 2: all about. It really does set them up for whatever
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  Speaker 2: job they choose. To do in the future.
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  Speaker 1: Mark, I did drama in high school. I absolutely loved it.
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  Speaker 1: It was one of my favorite favorite subjects. And I
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  Speaker 1: was never going to be an actor. Mate, never going
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  Speaker 1: to be an actor, but it's helped me in a
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  Speaker 1: lot of ways.
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  Speaker 2: It helps you on the radio in some way exactly.
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  Speaker 1: Mark, lovely to talk to you, and a massive congratulations
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  Speaker 1: to you on your award. Thanks so much for your
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  Speaker 1: time this morning.
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  Speaker 2: Thanks Katie Lovely to talk to you.
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  Speaker 1: Thank you.