My name is Andrew Jarrett, currently studying a Masters of Teaching (Secondary) at the Australian Catholic University. I have always had a passion for animals, the natural world and young people, interests which significantly affected the nature of my tertiary education. I completed my Bachelor's degree in Animal Science at the University of Western Sydney, Hawkesbury campus in 2010. Throughout my undergraduate studies, I participated in a number of research projects in the population management, agriculture and conservation fields, working with government organisations including Parks Victoria and the NSW Game Council and various private companies.

Although i am new to the teaching profession, i have had a number of experiences with the education and mentoring of young people through my time as a private tutor and while working for the Catholic Education Office guiding Year 10 students during their work experiences in industrial environments. It was during this time that i developed an interest in pursuing teaching as a career.

As a teacher, i will strive to always encourage excellence in my class by inspiring communication between the students and myself through exercises that relate to the real world, encourage the use of the scientific thought process and critical thinking which will compliment my emphasis on academia. I believe that students' interests cannot be properly engaged with textbooks alone, which is why i will encourage a more 'hands on' approach to learning through practicals, demonstrations and exercises aimed at developing critical analysis and scientific thought. This in my opinion, enabling students to properly visualise what they are learning helping them to understand the thought process that is needed to solve real world problems. I am also very aware that every student learns differently and may not grasp subject matter at the same rate, which is why i will assess my students through their learning. This will provide me with the areas that need to be emphasised in the future, which will hopefully allow my class to learn uniformly. My overall goal whilst teaching is to use my tools in the classroom to produce passionate students that can effectively solve problems they will encounter throughout their lives.