Robyn Cox is Professor of Literacy Education and Program Director for the Bachelor of Education (Primary). Robyn’s been involved in teacher education for more than 30 years, holding positions at five Australian and three overseas universities. She’s written and edited six books with a particular focus on the preparation of teachers for the teaching of early reading.
Robyn sits on several expert panels and advisory groups supporting the Australian Government's on-going work in strengthening the teaching of early reading in schools. She’s worked as an expert for English curriculum development across the country. Robyn is a Life Member of the Primary English Teaching Association of Australia and a Fellow of the Australian Literacy Educators' Association.
What inspires you about teaching and interacting with students in Education?
Education is formal curiosity – or curiosity with borders. Education builds knowledge and skills and thinking strategies, but most importantly it fulfills the human need to know about things – or to be curious.
So, what inspires me about teaching and interacting with students is to foster their curiosity about the world, and particularly the world of how students learn. Being curious and asking questions is key to a future characterised by AI and ‘fake news’. Learning to ask questions of everything will soon be an important ‘life hack’. At the same time education is a formal part of society and school systems are required by both societal expectations and legislative processes to turn out educated graduates with the skills, knowledges and dispositions to contribute and lead fulfilled lives.
And that is the task of teachers, a giant and important task. Recognising what each student brings to learning is a powerful place for an educator to start.
What do you believe to be the most important skills and attributes that Education graduates need for a teaching career?
Curiosity.
More practically, we need Education graduates to reach or achieve the Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership Graduate Standards – which are the Federal government’s graduate requirement statements. Graduate teachers require skills and attributes under these three domains: professional knowledge (how children learn and grow and knowing the curriculum content); professional practice (how to plan and deliver and assess in a safe learning environment); and professional engagement (how to thrive in your career).
In teacher education programs we start with foundational understandings about learning, and this often involves learning about ourselves as learners. So, one of the most important skills and attributes is self-reflection, where considering how people learn is at the heart of decision-making in the classroom.
How long have you been with the University of Tasmania and what are your career highlights so far?
I have been involved in Initial Teacher Education for almost 35 years across the world, yet at the University of Tasmania for only a few months – and it is safe to say that the highlight of my time here (so far) is the location of the River’s Edge Building in Inveresk overlooking lakekeller. What a treat!
Joining the University of Tasmania was an active and well thought through decision. I am here to provide leadership in our large and famous primary teaching degree program, which is designed to graduate classroom-ready teachers for the Tasmanian education system. Colleagues and students alike have welcomed me, and I feel certain that I can add value to what is already a strong program.
My career has taken me from Queensland to Southeast Asia and then to Europe as a teacher educator, and it is basically the same everywhere – programs have similar learning outcomes and content. My academic area is language and literacy education, and I have held leadership positions in schools of Education and professional associations over this time. My career highlight is possibly visiting student teachers in schools in the deep jungles of Borneo – journeying there on a long boat gliding on a winding chocolate-brown river. Or was it that small yellow stone village school in the Cotswold Hills in England working with student teachers focused on literacy teaching with traveller communities? Or maybe that large hot classroom in northern Spain where student teachers were teaching a class of Spanish-speaking children to sing ‘Heads, shoulders, knees and toes’ - actions and all!
I am looking forward to adding some more career highlights from my time in this beautiful and peaceful part of the world.
What is your area of research interest and why is it important?
My current research involves an early childhood centre system where we are exploring a socioemotional education program delivered through stories and activities for 3-5-year-olds. The program aims to bring understanding of thoughtfulness and kindness into the early years classroom. The research is providing evidence that children are engaged in the program and are able to consider the effects of their actions and words on others. Another project is looking at using other languages or dialects in upper primary classrooms when discussing or writing. This work involves teachers in upper primary classrooms working together to learn more about the concept of translanguaging.
And, of courses there is so much more to explore driven, of course, by curiosity!
This story first appeared in Education Alumni News.