Mr Justin Hill joins our Primary School staff team at Matthew Flinders Anglican College in the role of Head of Enterprise and Curiosity. We are delighted to welcome Justin and look forward to our students, staff and families benefiting from his expertise and passion.
Justin recently launched our 'WOW on Wednesdays' series, which invites students, staff, parents and friends to step up and share their unique skills or talents with Primary students during short sessions at Wednesday lunchtimes in our new Wonderarium learning centre. The aim is to WOW students or make them curious to ask questions to learn more.
So far, WOW presentations have included a creative fruit carving and cutting workshop by a Flinders parent who is a chef at a two-hatted restaurant; fascinating Physics experiments by two superstar Year 12 students, both prefects; and a visit from an Olympian!
Enjoy this Q&A profile with Justin as he shares his career story and passion for encouraging curiosity in education.
What skills and vision do you intend to bring to your role at Flinders?
Straight out of school I completed a trade in cabinetmaking. I then completed a Bachelor of Technology Education, that led me to become a high school Design teacher. I have been teaching Design in a Prep-to-Year-12 school for most of that time and have also taught in state and private systems as well as spending six months in a remote Indigenous community in the Northern Territory.
I love anything to do with ‘making’ and have spent many holidays keeping my skills up in cabinetmaking. I am a traveler, a reader and a learner. I believe my passions combined with all of the skills and experiences I have picked up since leaving school have led me to this position.
I am excited that I can draw on these experiences to assist students to become curious about the world we live in and to learn in authentic and innovative ways.
What are you looking forward to about your new role?
I’m looking forward to getting to know our students and families and seeing how we can connect to make learning authentic and real. This new role is very exciting! Wonderations aim to support our students to become insatiably curious, so I’m looking forward to coming up with interesting provocations that will spark students' interest, engage them in deep learning, open their minds and have them critically aware of how their thinking may change.
I am also very excited to be supporting staff with i-Impact units through the design thinking process. This work is future-proofing our students and enabling them to develop entrepreneurial skills and dispositions and to have agency in the word as problem solvers and problem seekers.
Please share a bit about your background.
I was born in Brisbane but grew up and completed my schooling in Bundaberg. I played lots of sports as a kid and loved growing up in a community where we could ride our bikes everywhere. I have spent the last 25 years in Brisbane and, although I don't participate in sport any more, I love following the cricket and rugby league. I have been lucky enough to travel quite a bit and love getting off the beaten track and discovering lesser-known places. I am a keen reader. I’m also grateful to be working in a school where literature is so important and to share our Wonderarium with staff who are also avid readers.
What do you love about living on the Sunshine Coast?
I am new to the Coast and I love it here. I love getting close to the water and smelling the sea breeze and seeing families enjoying all the outside activities on land and water.
What hobbies do you enjoy on the Sunshine Coast?
In the short time I have been here, I have been riding my Vespa as often as I can to discover as much of the Coast as possible. It’s a great way to take in the sights, sounds and smells of the Sunshine Coast. I’ve been getting to the beach and spending some time with my nieces.
What do you enjoy about working in a school community?
I love that everyone brings unique experiences and skills. In a learning environment, if we can harness some of that expertise in the right areas, we have the potential to open up real and authentic learning opportunities for our students.
What is the best piece of advice you have ever received?
When I was a kid, my dad used to say, “If it was easy, everyone would do it.” I never gave this much thought until later in life and now I often think of this when faced with a challenge or when I am struggling with something difficult.
To learn more about our Wonderarium, which launched in 2022, read the launch story here.
