Miss Frizzle Complex

When I was a young girl, I always fantasised about what I wanted to do and who I wanted to be when I grew up. I went through phases and kept changing my mind. But two main themes kept surfacing. I LOVED art and had a long running dream to be an artist one day - just like Renoir, or Van Gogh, or Mondrian (yes, I knew who these people were when I was 7, that's how much I loved art).

My other on off thought was that I might like to be a teacher, to help others in some way. And when visualising the perfect teacher, I always thought that the goal was to be exactly like Miss Honey. You know, the soft spoken, kind, caring teacher from the Roald Dahl classic 'Matilda'. She always brought out the best in her students, and encouraged them to achieve. This is exactly the teacher I wanted to be.

From my photography days

Well, when I left high school, I already had my cert III in Photography and Dark Room practices, and I went straight into a Visual Arts Diploma at TAFE. Because being an Artist was my only goal then. Teaching had gone out the window completely. I tried my hardest but over the course of two years, I came to realise, I wasn't actually that good as an artist. I loved photography and sculpture, but drawing and painting were just not my strong points. I came to the realisation that I could never make
a career out of art. By now, my desire to help others was resurfacing.

In 2006 I was accepted into my Bachelor of Primary Education where I studied hard - despite my dislike for lectures and my inability to concentrate - and became known for my artistic ability within my lessons by both teachers and peers. It felt good to stand out from the pack, and be noticed for the right reasons while still completing the requirements. After four years and 5 practical experiences (which is where I truly blossomed) I graduated.

My teaching partner and I ready for Book Week Parade

I was very blessed to be offered a full time permanent position teaching prep/1 at a Brisbane school where I had previously worked in the OSHC. I had initially been hired there due to my creative nature, which was then noticed by the Principal, and hired as a classroom teacher and as a semi Artist-in-Residence for the school. I took this job on with relish and over the years, I have been a part of many great artistic movements within the school.

I finally came to realise that perhaps I was good at art, that perhaps I could still be an artist, just not in the traditional sense. I was great at teaching art and melding my two passions together. I decided to take this one step further and make this an official qualification. I went back to uni, and I am currently studying my Masters of Arts Education.

Emotional Panda leggings and Fairy Floss Hair!

But where does Miss Frizzle fit into this picture? Well, having now successfully been a teacher for a few years, I started to reflect on my childhood ambitions. Did I end up like I intended? Was I as good as Miss Honey? I thought so, I was kind and caring towards my students, I loved to encourage them and took the greatest pride in seeing them smile when they achieved. The only box I didn't tick was the soft spoken bit. Me? I'm loud and nutty, I'm creative and funky, and I'm the teacher that all the kids love to know.

My current daily wardrobe in the classroom currently consists of a jumper, boots and a pair of leggings. Said leggings are usually covered in something strange (popsicles, paint samples, mermaid scales, giraffe print or even Alice in Wonderland illustrations) but I try to make it match the theme of something we are studying. To boot, I also currently have fairy floss pink hair. My students love seeing what I choose to wear and happily convey to their parents what strange new appearance Mrs Mulcahy had today!

So recently, a friend said to me that I reminded them of Miss Frizzle, of the Magic Schoolbus fame. I can now see what they meant. I am now also starting to think that perhaps being a mix of both these Role Models can only be a good thing. I am proud to have a Miss Frizzle complex!