At the end of Term 1, 2018, we farewelled Mrs Trudy Sharrock after 30 plus years of teaching at CBC and Emmanuel Colleges. We sat down with Trudy to reflect with her on her long teaching career, the legacy she left behind and her plans as she moves on to her next adventure in South Australia.
Living by the sea. I grew up in the suburbs of Ringwood and wanted to be a surfy girl, so to be able to study art by the beach was a dream come true. When I applied, I didn’t really know where Warrnambool was. I definitely didn’t want to live at home while I was studying. I completed a Bachelor of Visual Arts, then went back to Melbourne and did the Diploma of Education.
My first job was at Notre Dame College in Shepparton. I was one of nine teachers at the school who were first year out, so it was really fun. It was also a great introduction to teaching, as I was extremely lucky to work alongside a retiring woodwork teacher who taught me all the basics of technical drawing. I have used this throughout my career, so it was a really good grounding. I loved it – all the complex architectural drawing.
I then returned to Warrnambool to get married and again I was lucky to get an arts teaching posting at CBC Warrnambool in 1987. I taught Year seven to nine Art as a core subject. Brother Wright was the Principal at the time. He was a beautiful man - he had a real presence. He could get all the boys eating out of his hand!
When I started I was Miss Gates, and even though I quickly became Mrs Sharrock, the boys still called me Miss. There were only four female teachers on staff when I began – Dot Read, Judy McKenzie, Chris de Grandi and Ann-Marie Dalton.
Corporal Punishment was still in use when I started, so students could still get the strap.
The boys were happy to be at school. They were generally very mischievous and cheeky, and then would be very repentant and bounce back. I was able to build a good rapport with them and I learned pretty quickly that when they were misbehaving that it wasn’t directed at me. It wasn’t personal. They were just misbehaving.
Previously the boys would go out to Caramut Road to do their mechanical and technical classes, so with my background I saw the opportunity to offer it at CBC. In 1988 I introduced graphic design as a subject, so they could study right through to Year 12.
In 1988 I attended World Expo in Brisbane, and my main memory of the trip is that the boys made me go on all the scary rides. I went on the roller coaster twice – once with eyes closed and once with eyes opened. I have never been on one again. We all slept on the floor in a local school hall – this just wouldn’t happen today.
The amalgamation was a big change that I saw from start to finish. I remember the planning that went into the amalgamation, years before it happened. Teachers from both CBC and St Ann’s would go away to lots of professional development sessions to try and bring the curriculum of the two schools into alignment. So there was a lot of work on curriculum development. It was also an opportunity for the staff of each school to get to know each other better.
When amalgamation finally happened, a lot of the St Ann’s teachers found teaching the boys really challenging. I was lucky because I had already had the experience of teaching the boys, so the transition was a bit easier for me. It was also interesting to watch how the boys’ behaviour changed. I wasn’t so important anymore, as they had an audience of girls to try and get the attention of! I think it took about five years all up for the school to adjust to it all.
In 1993 I initiated the schools first entry into the Rock Eisteddfod. I noticed there was a gap in activities that could bring the boys and girls together. Who could have foreseen how big that would get! The students loved it so much, and the school spirit it generated was phenomenal. We had about a fifth of the school participating, students from year seven through to year twelve. If they participated during year seven they would remain committed right through their schooling. We ended up having to block year sevens from participating because it was too popular. It only stopped happening because the funding stopped. The funding got switched over to the State School’s Spectacular. We would also have to do a lot of fundraising to participate – around $15,000.
Around 1995 I became the Arts Coordinator, taking over from Kevin Wright. I remained the Coordinator until a couple of years ago. It was a huge role as it included all the technology subjects and Information Technology – 39 electives and 9 VCE subjects. In 1996 I introduced Studio Arts, which is art with a photography base. So students now have a choice between Arts and Studio Arts.
I feel like my passion for architecture, design, art and travel has been passed on. I have loved being a teacher
In 2013 I completed a Masters in Education – it was just something I wanted to do.
I’m proud of all the students I’ve taught, and where they’ve gone and what they’ve done. (I feel like I’ve taught half the teachers who work here now!) Some of them have gone on to do some amazing things. I’ve always taught Art History, relating the curriculum to where the influences and roots came from. Plus, I’ve had many students comment ‘That’s a job?’ over the years as I’ve introduced topics like typography and furniture design. It’s rewarding to think they may have had their passion fostered in my little Vis Comm Class! I feel like my passion for architecture, design, art and travel has been passed on. I have loved being a teacher.
I want to be close to my sister and her family. It’s a big deal for me. I will still be near the beach, just in South Australia. I’m taking the bits of Warrnambool I love with me, and looking forward to having better access to the city.
