English Teacher/Tutor

Each month, we find out more about a nominated staff member. 

SPOTLIGHT ON … ALICE BOWMAN

What is your role at Emanuel School?
I am an English Teacher and the Year 8 Meir Tutor.

What roles have you held before that you enjoyed/ led you to this point?
Since beginning my teaching career in 2016, I have taught English at both Geelong Grammar School in Corio, Victoria, and at Kinross Wolaroi School in Orange, NSW. I also enjoyed various roles across both schools as a Learning Support Teacher, Senior School Literacy Coordinator and Tutor. The main difference between these schools and Emanuel is that they are boarding schools, meaning that I also gained valuable experience as a sports coach and a boarding mistress.

What inspired you to become a teacher?
Ever since I was young, I have adored reading, writing and literature in general. When I was at Sydney University studying Psychology and English, I had a part time job as a study skills presenter where we would visit different high schools and run workshops for the students on helpful topics like time management and essay-writing. From this experience, I realised I loved being in the classroom and (perhaps surprisingly!) working with teenagers. The curiosity, passion, optimism and humour that I witnessed in young people in that role confirmed for me that it was my dream to be in the classroom full-time.

Is there a lesson/s that a student taught you in the past you feel you have carried forward/ currently apply in your teaching or every day life?
That little things can make a big difference; a bigger difference than perhaps you could ever understand. When I was in my first year of teaching, I had a student who didn’t seem to like me much. She was very reserved and struggled a great deal with school. I would always chat to her about how she was going and encourage her with whatever she was doing but she would perpetually respond with a frown or a scowl. I often wondered why she seemed to dislike me so very much. During her speech in her graduation dinner at the end of that year, she thanked me for being an unwavering support and believing in her when she couldn’t even believe in herself. I was blown away. Since then, I have thought about the fact that you can never know what another person might be going through and that the smallest smile or word of encouragement, while it may seem like nothing to you, can mean everything to someone else.

Do you have a favourite memory from teaching?
One of my best memories from teaching doesn’t actually come from the classroom. When I was teaching down in Victoria, we took a group of 80 Year 8 students on The Great Victorian Bike Ride. We cycled for 500km over nine days, from the Grampians down along the Great Ocean Road. It took literal blood, sweat and tears for all of us to complete that journey but it was one of the most rewarding experiences of my life.

The Grampians

What are your impressions of Emanuel School thus far?
My impressions of Emanuel School thus far are overwhelmingly positive. I have found the whole community to be incredibly warm and welcoming, in particular my stellar English Faculty. I love the genuine curiosity, love of learning and solid work ethic that (most of!) my students exhibit everyday and have enjoyed seeing their ‘chutzpah’ in action regularly. Not being Jewish myself, I have loved being part of many of the cultural celebrations this year and learning so much about Jewish life also.

Meeting some beautiful elephants in the Okavango Delta, Botswana, with my sister and best friend, Emma.

What do you do to unwind/ what do you enjoy doing outside school hours?
Unfortunately I have nothing particularly exciting or glamorous (like base-jumping or sailing) to report on this front. I love going for evening walks around the idyllic Rushcutters Bay Park, while listening to a podcast, or jumping in the ocean at Coogee or Bronte. While it is painfully cliched for an English teacher to say this, I truly do love nothing more than putting my phone and laptop in another room and snuggling up with a good realistic fiction novel.

My real passion is travelling, and I am fortunate to say I have travelled to over 30 countries. I am very much looking forward to continuing my adventures once it is a little safer to do so!

Do you have a hidden talent and, if so, what is it?
Knowing all the lyrics for many songs is undoubtedly my hidden talent! I feel as though I know every lyric to the most bizarre range of songs, from 90s R & B to the classics like Van Morrison and Dire Straits. While it is not a particularly useful talent to have, aside from karaoke, it is one that I am exceedingly proud of. You will have to test me next time you see me…

What do you wish you could tell your 12-year-old self?
Oh, so many things! Among them would be to always work hard but try not to be so hard on yourself (your ATAR isn’t everything it turns out). Your life will be full of many amazing twists and turns, and you may not always end up on the path that you had imagined for yourself – know that this is a gift. Family and friends, above all else, are all that truly matter in this life.

If you could pass on any wisdom to your students, what would you share?
If I could pass on any wisdom to my students, it would be encapsulated in this little drawing by one of my favourite visual artist/authors, Charlie Mackesy: