Outback Teacher
Gare, Sally & Marnie, FredaFresh out of teacher training, Sally Gare's first posting in 1956 is a far cry from city life - Forrest River Mission is more than 3000 kilometres from Perth, in the far north of Western Australia. Developing strong connections with her Aboriginal students and their families, and undaunted by its remoteness and lack of resources, Sally embraces outback life.
Simply written, this is the inspirational memoir of a passionate educator and intrepid adventurer, of good intentions and cultural clashes, and an illuminating snapshot of a different time and place.
Pages
304
304
Year
2022
2022
Reviews
10-04-2024
The majority enjoyed the book and rated it highly. Others expressed disappointment commenting on the writing style and lack of dialogue. Members with a background in teaching admired Sally's tenacity and her inventive ways of engaging her pupils.
03-04-2024
An easy read, the information and understanding of the aboriginal situation and education was thought provoking. Sally was a remarkable young woman with the challenges of teaching in those environments so early in her career. Clever integration of life skills into the education program. Many felt they would have liked to have read her letters home which were the basis of the book. The only disappointment was that the writing style made it hard to understand as it was more of a diary. Nevertheless it was enjoyed by most. 3.5story 3.0writing
29-02-2024
The book was enjoyed by most with a good discussion taking place. One member found it 'boring'!!
07-11-2023
We all enjoyed this memoir. The teachers in the group were full of admiration for how Sally Gare as very young woman used integrated curriculum methods to teach her Aboriginal students in a 1950s mission school. She had remarkable ability to relate to the children she taught and the people in the community, especially in the period she is writing about, a time when Aboriginal people could not even vote. We had an excellent discussion of Aboriginal culture - as much of it as we know about - and 'integration' as opposed to 'assimilation'. The book is not brilliantly written but is very readable.