Teacher Profile: Evelyn Ralph

Year(s) and Subject(s) Taught

Year 1 - Maths, English, Science, History, Geography, Visual Arts, PDHPE, ICT 

How long have you been teaching? 

19 years.

Why did you become a teacher? Why did you choose teaching as a profession? 

Ever since being a small child, any job I thought about was always centered around children. Though it was not always teaching, it was always based around a sense of nurturing. As I moved through high school and I encountered inspirational teachers of my own, I realised that I wanted to be like them and do their job.  

Tell us about your own education journey.

After studying in Australia at the Australian Catholic University, I taught for two years in Australia. It was then that I moved to the United Kingdom and taught there for eight years. It was then that my family and I relocated back to Australia to teach for six years. After listening to a friend tell us how amazing Malaysia and AISM was, we felt we should give it a go. Here we are three years later with no immediate plans to move on. 

What is the most memorable moment in your teaching career so far? 

There are far too many to mention and they often occur many years later after actually teaching the children. It is when I come across them in a supermarket, or a card in the mail arrives to school with no return address and they tell you how you made them feel. How the classroom made them feel. For me this is priceless - that these children felt valued in their education.  

What do you like most about teaching? 

The daily laughter is a one of the best parts of teaching. However the joy that emanates from the faces of children when they feel success is pretty spectacular. I do love seeing that light of self belief turn on for a child and then seeing them flourish. 

What is the best thing about teaching at your school? 

The diversity of staff and children is something I have not had the chance experiencing since joining AISM, so that is certainly one of them. Though I would have to say it is the collegial spirit of the team I work in. It is truly a collaborative approach which is something that I hold dear to my own teaching philosophy. 

Who or what inspires you? 

Courage, bravery, people who stand up for what is right. Not necessarily a famous person but the ‘ordinary’ people of the world see what needs to be done and just get on with it. 

Describe the ‘perfect’ student.

The perfect student is not perfect in outcome. A perfect student always asks, “What next?” “ How can I get better?” They look for and seek feedback. This learner is excited by a challenge and can think critically and creatively to solve a problem. With all of this, the learner must be empathetic to those around them and considerate to the needs of others. Oh, and they need to laugh.