Post by Queensland Department of Education

For years, Jana operated dump trucks, water carts and graders. 👷🚧 Now she's teaching Year 1 students how to read and write. ✏️ At 40, with three children and two careers behind her, Jana didn't take the average pathway into teaching. After working in the travel industry, she moved into mining as a multi-skilled operator. Then she went looking for something more. ‘I was looking for a way to contribute,' Jana said. ‘I always seek purpose in life, whether it's personal, professional or educational. My “why” is to make a difference.’ Getting there wasn't simple. Between studying online through CQUniversity, relocating from Glendon to Mackay partway through her degree, and family commitments, Jana questioned whether she could keep going. 'There were moments when I just wanted to give up because it was really, really hard. But I thought, I’m not quitting.' she said. 'That's the value I instil in my children. You dig a little deeper. You try a little harder. You ask for help. You don't admit defeat. You don't throw in the towel.’ That same lesson now shapes her classroom at Fitzgerald State School in Mackay, where she encourages her students to embrace mistakes rather than fear them. 🌱 ‘When students say “Look, I've made a mistake and now I've fixed it”, I explain to them why that's so important. It shows us they're having a go and mistakes are how we learn.’ ‘In hindsight, it would have been awesome to start earlier, but I think I was scared of failing. I'm super proud that I did it, my family are proud and I'm where I need to be.’ What a journey! Proof that it's never too late to rewrite your own story. 💛