Deakin graduate defies odds to fulfill teaching dream

Living out of home from 15 and dealing with being dyslexic, Mr Griffin wasn’t able to finish Year 12 as a teenager but returned to study aged 38 and is now fulfilling his dream as a teacher at Warrnambool West Primary School.

Mr Griffin was discouraged from pursuing education but that didn‘t stop him. He’d wanted to be a teacher from a young age but his dyslexia and his difficult home life didn’t allow that to happen.

“I didn’t have the opportunity to do Year 12 because I didn’t have a place to live,” the long-term Warrnambool resident said.

“Because I was out on my own from 15 I couldn’t do Year 12 and so didn’t have the opportunity to go to university. I wanted to teach from when I was young but never had the opportunity.”

His work with various youth services drew him back to his dream. “I remember telling a friend that I’d always wanted to do teaching but didn’t think it would be an option. A few months later he told me he’d applied to go to uni to do teaching; I thought if he can do that, so can I.”

After completing a Special Tertiary Admission Test and going through a stringent application process, Mr Griffin started his Bachelor of Education (Primary) at Deakin University’s Warrnambool campus in 2011.

“Because I’m dyslexic, I was always told I’d never do much in the way of study. I was discouraged from studying so I was extremely nervous going to university, but my perception of uni was totally wrong. I thought that if you’re not an academic type of person then university is not for you. I thought it was a bit beyond the reach of a person like me but it was quite the opposite.”

Mr Griffin said he was supported through the whole process, not only to work through his dyslexia but in coping as a mature-aged student and father of four.

“The lecturers actually educated people on how to study at the same time as completing your studies,” he said. “The support was unbelievable.”

His dyslexia only became an issue in his final year of study as reading became more intense, but again there was support to help him through.

“The lecturers were amazing,” he said. “As soon as there was a hint of any problem you knew exactly where to go to.”

Just like his high school years, returning as a mature-aged student wasn’t easy. A father of four, Mr Griffin had to work to support his family while studying. He admits it almost became too much.

“At one stage I was going to drop out because I couldn’t afford to keep going but as soon as there was a hint of any problem the support came in.

“There were times when it was hard to get food on the table but Deakin was amazing and came up with food vouchers and other support. I was surprised at the level of support outside the academic area, whether it was social, emotional or the practical need of putting food on the table.”

Another big part of the support and encouragement he received came from the Extreme Life church. “Their support coupled with the university was the sustaining factor for me to get through and thrive through my study years. Once my studies were finished the ongoing support from the Extreme Life team has helped me get to where I am today.”

Age wasn’t a problem. There were a few students around Mr Griffin’s age but he also mixed well with younger students. “You don’t realise how young or old people are; you’re all completing the same studies and working towards the same goal. Age is irrelevant really.”

Mr Griffin completed his four-year course at the end of 2014 and secured work at Warrnambool Primary School. He later became a health, physical education and music teacher at Warrnambool West Primary School and this year has had his role expanded to include Hands-On Learning.

“It’s everything I thought it would be: a lot of hard work but good work,” he said. “Schools work as teams; we’re a small school but the team we have is amazing.”

His first day in the classroom was one of pride but trepidation. “It was quite surreal,” he said. “It’s like getting your licence and driving for the first time without a supervisor beside you. I had one of those moments when I froze and thought I’m responsible for these guys. I also took a quiet moment to say I’ve done this.”

Mr Griffin puts his lived experience to work. “If we have 20 different kids we’ve got 20 different levels of ability and 20 different backgrounds,” he said. “I can totally empathise with any kids that might come from not-so-stable backgrounds. Just to get to school is a challenge for a lot of students; the fact that they turn up is something I celebrate with them.”

He even talks about dyslexia in the classroom to broaden students’ acceptance of people with learning issues.

“I stayed away from university because of what people had said. There’s a big misconception about university and what it’s all about and who can go there. I’m extremely thankful for having Deakin in Warrnambool; there’s no way I could have done this if we didn’t have a university here. It’s not beyond anybody.”