Meet Mrs Erin Smith
Teacher – English & HSIE

Along with having a daughter and son, becoming a teacher has been one of the greatest joys of my life. I began my two-year full-time Master of Teaching online through Charles Sturt University when my son was 7 months old and my daughter was 3 years old. I look back on this time and think how much of an absolute whirlwind it was. It was an extremely challenging time, but I am so grateful for the challenge as it has made me the person (and teacher) that I am today.

My first paid job was at McDonalds at 14 years old. I loved this job! All my school friends worked the same shifts as me and it felt like we were getting paid to have fun!

When I finished high school, I went to TAFE to complete a Business Administration certificate and started a job in Debt Recovery at Shoalhaven City Council. Debt Recovery was a challenging job for an 18-year-old!

After this, I decided it was time to move out of my parent’s house and I moved to Hayman Island in the Whitsundays to work. All the staff on Hayman Island lived in a little village on the island. To say it was a fun time is an understatement.

Living on Hayman Island spurred my interest in travelling, and I went on my first overseas adventure to Europe. This was the first of many overseas adventures to come!

Next, I completed my first degree, a Bachelor of Media and Communication, majoring in Journalism and Australian History at The University of Wollongong. My first job fresh out of university was at The Manly Daily newspaper, which at the time was the biggest community newspaper in the Southern Hemisphere. I persevered at this job for quite a while, but it soon became apparent that working in the media wasn’t for me, and it certainly wasn’t the glamorous industry I had imagined it to be! There were bonuses though, I would get to go to the corporate box at Brookvale Oval (AKA the Fortress) when there were home games.

After leaving the Manly Daily I worked in administration roles in Sydney and continued to do so when my husband and I decided to move to the South Coast to settle down, buy a house and start a family.

While I was studying my Master of Teaching, I worked as a learning support officer at a local high school. I completed my final teaching practicum at Carroll College and was awarded Outstanding Success in Professional Practice by Charles Sturt University. After my teaching prac, I was successful in gaining employment at Carroll College and I have been privileged to teach our amazing students and work with such dedicated staff ever since!