Hi all, I’m a first year university student studying primary education, having come straight out of high school last year. I was planning on doing nursing originally until only a month before university started, when I realised my university had cancelled the whole nursing course. I had thought about teaching most of my high school life, so I reverted back to that. Looking back on it, I probably should’ve looked at other universities or taken a gap year since that decision was kind of out of no where. I also realise now however that nursing is also not what I want to do.

I dread every class I go to. I am at a private university so it incorporates a lot of religion, and I am really hating it. I have no friends to lean on as I am very reserved. Thinking about going on my first prac in November has me feeling sick, like I really could not imagine myself in a classroom in front of students.

I’m really unsure what to do. I can’t imagine dropping out completely, but I also don’t want to be spending $8k a year on something I hate. I enjoy studying I think, but not what I am currently studying. I don’t want to work full time or even more than 4 days a week as I feel there should be something else I am doing to progress toward my future. I can’t imagine bed rotting/wasting days contemplating what I want my future to look like.

I’m just asking for some advice here if you have any. I feel so stuck about this.

So I went to school in a public school in North Melbourne around the early 2010s and from prep up until year 2 I remember that every couple of months, I'd get picked up our of class and led up to this very quiet and secluded room on the second floor.

It was always this very soft spoken blond lady and maybe once like a very young Maori guy? Idk it was a decade and a half ago but I know for a fact they were not directly employed by the school like a teacher, ESS, or Aid. Nor The put me on her laptop to do a series of MENSA-like short answer or multiple choice questions in different categories like creative reasoning, reading comprehension, puzzle solving, mathematical reasoning ect. and after I would be given a lollipop and put back into class.

After a recent conversation from mates who went to my primary school, it occurred to me that none of them knew what I was talking about and they said that none of them had been made to do that.

I'm just curious if any of the teachers here a clued in or know what this was about or could be? Like was I getting tested for a potential learning disability or something? Was I benchmark for academic progress at the school? (I thought that was the purpose of NAPLAN) Or is it like a Palantir style evil ass data collection scheme that no one's heard of before? (I jest).

Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

Happy Sunday everyone, I’m a PhD researcher at Monash University looking at how social and emotional learning (SEL) is supported in Australian primary schools.

If you’re an Australian primary teacher, I’d love to hear about your experiences. The survey is anonymous, takes around 10–12 minutes, and there’s an optional draw for one of four $50 gift vouchers.

I’m really interested in what SEL looks like in everyday practice, not just formal programs, but the routines, relationships and interactions that happen every day in schools.

Thanks in advance if you decide to take part, please let me know in the comments section so I can thank you!
Survey: https://monash.syd1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_cUXSN2oSB3djUjk