In 2023, Hills Grammar welcomed a number of new staff members to the School. The wide range of expertise amongst these new staff members will aid the School in its continued efforts to bring a holistic education to the Pre K – 12 students. Among the newest staff members is EJ Tao, the newly appointed Careers Advisor. EJ brings with her an extensive teaching career spanning over 25 years.
Ms Tao recently sat down to discuss the excitement she feels beginning her own ‘Hills Original’ journey and how she believes Hills Grammar is at the forefront of student agency and futuristic thinking. “I really love that the School has got so many programs in place, like entrepreneurship, passion projects and it’s really building that student agency.” The number of these programs across the school is part of why in 2022 Hills Grammar was awarded a ‘5 Star Innovative School’ from The Educator.
These passion projects contribute to the students discovering their interests earlier on, something Ms Tao celebrates as her sessions often include questions about students' skills, interests, and of course, their personalities, to help with decision-making about what career path they would like to be on. “I quickly figure out which area we need to work on, is it self-awareness? is it the world of work? or are we doing decision-making?” She makes sure she harnesses the student voice without taking over, stating “I start my sessions with ‘I’m not a fortune teller and I can’t tell you what to do in your future.”
“Data shows that kids that are starting school this year will be in jobs that we haven’t heard of and don’t exist today. So how do you prepare students for an uncertain future and for work that doesn’t exist? I think that’s where the innovative, entrepreneurial skills are really important as it really develops those transferable skills.”
Ms Tao credits her own career path to when she was on leave and filled her time with different programs and industry networks that helped her think about education and the future of work. This led to a change in her perspective on teaching stating that “coaching students as opposed to teaching students and using design thinking to coach them, was a real eye-opener.” After her leave, Ms Tao decided to use her optimism for the future to guide the next generation, as well as teach them.
This optimistic perspective was at the forefront of Ms Tao’s career which began after she completed her Bachelor of Education. Upon completion of university, Ms Tao elected to spend some time volunteering for different organisations, and it was here that she met people who shared similar interests and values. “We volunteered together doing youth programs and shared that passion to empower the future generation.”
This network of people remains valuable today with Ms Tao sharing that they provide insight beyond the education sector and inspire her in how she guides her students.
“I saw the difference in students' engagement level when there was a real-life problem that they were solving and that increases their engagement tremendously. You have the assessment that you create in the classroom, and then you’ve got the real-life problem that they’re trying to solve, bringing industry experts in as mentors. The engagement levels are amazing, and they pitch back and the industry experts are amazed by the solutions brought back to them.”
Ms Tao suggests that this is likely due to the School providing the students with such a personalised service with multiple opportunities to gain ‘real world’ experience with guest speakers, innovative programs and continued support.
“I think it’s a community effort, I love that there is such a close connection with the alumni, parents and teachers, it's not just the careers advisor, it’s a collaboration and surrounding yourself with people who can inspire you.”
Ms Tao concludes that her core message to students at Hills Grammar is about ensuring they remain true to their interests, “It’s important to align whatever you do in the future with your value and purpose.”
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