What Tonga taught us

Service learning in new culture good for student teachers

The Instagram post might read, “Experiencing a slice of summer on a bamboo-clad island in the Pacific while earning academic credit.” Twenty-four of our students did just that when they travelled to Tongatapu in Tonga in February last year so they could complete one of their placements.

Three schools in the capital, Nuku’alofa, hosted the students. The schools—Beulah College, Beulah Primary School and Hilliard Memorial School—and the students “embraced us, humbly inviting us into their classrooms so we could not only teach but learn as well,” says secondary education course convenor and Ministry of Teaching Overseas coordinator Dr Jason Hinze. He talks more about the experience with Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Teaching (Secondary) student Sally-Mae Herford.

Unlike other MOTO trips, the team stayed on campus and in the one building this time. Why did you make this change?
It meant we could do more than just teach classes. We hung out with the Beulah College boarding students and ran some of the evening worships. It also helped us bond—at the end of a long day, we found it easier to bounce teaching ideas off each other.

Are there more similarities or differences between Tongan and Australian education?
Similarities. One I noticed is the willingness of teachers to serve. Some gave up big salaries from government schools to teach at these Seventh-day Adventist schools.

Did the student teachers surprise you?
They did. They used a variety of teaching strategies and involved the students through hands-on activities. Some taught up to 50 lessons despite their practicums requiring only 12. They served with love and patience. The quality of the student teachers gave me hope. If they show the same passion here as they did there, they will be leaders in their communities.

What impact did the trip have on the student teachers?
The willingness to use the gifts God gave them to serve others. That comes only when you realise it’s the only fulfilling way to live your life.

What impact did the trip have on you as a lecturer?
It reminded me of my purpose, which is preparing quality teachers for service. I know my student teachers so much more and now I feel I can teach them so much more.

Describe the most memorable moment of the trip.
I couldn’t speak when our student teachers were saying goodbye to their supervisors because I was so enamoured by the love the Tongans had shown us. As Christians, we have God’s love we show to others but this love, so willingly given day after day, just seemed different.

What would you do again or do differently next time?
Choosing a country with a high-level of English worked because the student teachers were able to work more-so alongside their supervising teachers, which built stronger relationships. I’d ask our hosts to prepare fewer meals—the Tongans are just too generous with serving sizes. And I’d take a lot more sunscreen.