Australia’s Best Teachers: Teacher Jessica Davies inspired by her mum Rosy to follow a career in education

A chance conversation at a Tupperware party almost 40 years ago set Rosy Davies on a course that would see her and her daughter inspire and guide countless young minds.

A chance conversation at a Tupperware party almost 40 years ago set Rosy Davies on a course that would not only see her guide and inspire countless young minds through teaching, but set her own daughter on a similar path.

“My career as a teacher started at a Tupperware party,” Ms Davies said, adding it was there she heard of a vacancy for a Spanish teacher at Elizabeth College in Hobart and went on to spend 38 years teaching there.

“I am a native speaker of Spanish and that qualified me for the position. My life took on a different turn then.

“I had no teaching experience or qualifications and this prompted me to undertake university studies at a time when raising three children.”

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One of those children was Jessica, who from the age of six, became her mum’s “most loyal assistant”, not realising she would end up working as a teacher at the same school as her mum less than 30 years later.

Jessica fondly remembers the days helping her mum organise university notes and listening to stories from the classroom but it took many years before she realised it was the path for her.

“(Mum) always said to me when I got older, I should be a teacher and I would say, ‘no, I’m not going to be a teacher because my mum’s a teacher, that’s just embarrassing,” she said.

Elizabeth College, Hobart, teacher Jessica Davies was inspired by her mum Rosy Davies, who taught at the same school for 38 years. Picture: Nikki Davis-Jones

“It wasn’t until a lot later in my life, I’m 34 now and just finished my master’s, that I thought actually, this is a job that I would love to do.

“And that came from hearing the stories my mum would tell me, usually about a student who had struggled or wasn’t engaging or was struggling to get a concept or maybe didn’t even want to be at school.

“I thought if I had a teacher that helped me to love something that I didn’t love, that would have just been such a beautiful experience.”

Ms Davies, who is now retired, said her initial thoughts when Jessica was invested in this career were about the demands the job would bring but she was also excited because she could continue making a school connection through her.

“The excruciatingly long hours and often the selfless motivation can be exhausting,” she said.

“Her training as a teacher was a slow process as she had to combine university with full-time work.

“This can be a gruelling process … but on a positive side, it strengthened her resolve and generated a strong resilience, so needed for this occupation.”

For both the Davies teachers, what they value most about teaching is the difference they can make in a student’s life.

“Our input as teachers to help (students) develop into young adults and how they can contribute to an inclusive community is without a doubt one of the most rewarding aspects of this job,” Ms Davies said.

“Teaching as a whole is an addictive craft. You start off with … apprehension, but soon you develop this strong urge to learn new skills and always be one step ahead of your class.

“For me, teaching was not just about sharing knowledge on a subject matter, it was about finding ways to engage your audience and adapt your methodology to cater for individual needs.”

Originally published as Australia’s Best Teachers: Teacher Jessica Davies inspired by her mum Rosy to follow a career in education