Australia’s Best Teachers: St Monica’s teacher Nicole Morcom described as psychology ‘trailblazer’ by her peers

Ever since running classes for her siblings and neighbours as a child, Nicole Morcom had the itch for teaching. Now she’s not only helping the students, she’s teaching the teachers too.

Melbourne teacher Nicole Morcom with her students Ekin Dang (17), Nithya Annamalaj (17), Niko Shibata (17), and Shagun Saharan (17). Picture: Jake Nowakowski

Ever since running classes for her siblings and neighbours as a child, Nicole Morcom had the itch for teaching.

Now more than three decades into her career, she’s not only helping the students, she’s teaching the teachers too.

After getting a bachelor of behavioural science, Ms Morcom identified how important psychology can be, and made it a goal of educating young people on how to understand it, and deal with it.

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The 54-year-old, who has been nominated in this year’s Australia’s Best Teachers campaign, has been described as a trailblazer in the subject of psychology in Victoria.

“It’s a bit overwhelming to hear that, but I am really passionate about psych,” Ms Morcom said.

Ms Morcom has been described as a psychology ‘trailblazer’. Picture: Jake Nowakowski

“I think over many years you seen a lot of different students and a lot of what they’re dealing with in and out of school, beyond just in the classroom.

“Being exposed to what teenagers go through, I like to look at them holistically, not just from an academic perspective.

“I do think that they if they can connect with you, then they feel able to be supported by you.”

Working at St. Monica’s in Epping for 29 years, Ms Morcom recently embraced a leadership role, which has given her the chance to impart her wealth of experience to others.

Her ability to connect with students and staff, coupled with her strong communication skills and emotional intelligence, has made her an exemplary Year 12 Level Leader, according to her peers.

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“I always wanted to move into a leadership position but it just took me a while to find a time in my family’s life where that suited me, but I love it,” Ms Morcom said.

“It’s absolutely given me a renewed energy working with students in a different capacity.

“We have about 320 year 12s and dealing with them from a welfare and one-on-one support perspective has been incredibly rewarding.”

Ms Morcom’s career has taken her many places, travelling to St Monica’s sister school homestay program in Takada, Japan observing the different ways in which they engage their pupils. She says she still communicates with staff at the school.

Ms Morcom’s efforts have been recognised in the Australia’s best teachers campaign. Picture: Jake Nowakowski

She also remarked how teaching had come ‘full circle’ in recent years, and how the style of engaging students from the front of the class being a method that always worked for her.

“I’ve always been somebody who is in charge of the classroom and involving students to give examples and further the conversation. You might cold call on students to answer questions, and try to get every member of the class involved,” she says.

The long-time teacher says there are new challenges every day, and bizarre things like spiders crawling on her in class have kept her on her toes, while also getting a bit laugh from her class for her reaction, but what stands out is the lasting impact.

“You might bump into a student years later and they tell you something you said made a difference to them and they moved forward with that,” she said.

“You might not even remember the moment but they did and they took it forward in their life and that I think is what stays with me.”

Follow our Australia’s Best Teachers advocacy series, in partnership with Officeworks, Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools, Education Perfect and Big Ass Fans, via this link.

Originally published as Australia’s Best Teachers: St Monica’s teacher Nicole Morcom described as psychology ‘trailblazer’ by her peers