Scotch College

'Scotch has been my life'

Great Scot editor Tim Shearer poses some questions to retiring teaching legend, Bruce Brown.

Bruce, why did you become a teacher in the first place?

A lot of factors came into play, but as a ‘people person’ I’ve always liked the idea of school life.

At matriculation I was awarded a Commonwealth Scholarship, and I could have done Law, but the Education Department offered studentships which paid you to go to university, so I did an Arts degree and then a Diploma of Education. Under the studentship I had to teach for three years, and I found that a career path opened up for me. I enjoyed what I was doing. I had some secondments to the Education Department’s curriculum branch, and I also did some method work at LaTrobe and Melbourne Universities.

I had some great role models for teaching at Scotch, including Ron Bond, ‘Gunner’ Owen and Alec Lyne. These men were absolute giants in the teaching profession, and I was fortunate to be exposed to them and to lot of other great teachers. They were so committed to the boys. Mentoring is the critical thing in teaching, and I had a lot of mentors.

What has teaching taught you about life; or, to use modern terminology, how has it value added to your life?

Schools are an important part of the social fabric. The students bring to school the realities of the community – the fads, fashions, hopes and dreams – so it’s always changing. Although I once imagined teaching would be boring – teaching the same things year after year – I soon realised that society changes, the world changes, and teaching changes: it’s never static, and always rewarding and stimulating.

Do you feel that teaching in some way shapes the future?

When you go to teaching conferences, visiting lecturers will often say the greatest privilege a person can have is to be a teacher and shape future generations. Realistically, I know a lot of students will have a teacher for a year and then forget him or her, but there will always be former students who will come back and reminisce about an important little moment you’ve had the privilege to share with them.

What do you think are the values you’ve instilled in Scotch students over more than 20 years?

I think boys are incredibly lucky to be part of this School community, and I’ve tried to project a commitment to the place. I believe that enthusiasm and being honest with yourself are important elements in anyone’s life. ‘Enthusiasm’ is a word Gordon Donaldson uses all the time, and I think it rubs off on others.

How important is it to have a sense of humour when you’re teaching?

Teachers need to have a repertoire of behaviours. The kids have got to know that if you say something you really mean it, and if you’re cross, you’re really cross and there’s a good reason for it. You need to be firm but fair, and you do need a sense of humour – to have a joke and sometimes to laugh at yourself. Children value authenticity, and they know when someone’s insincere.

There must be boundaries. Boys must know what’s expected of them as Scotch Collegians. They get the message during assemblies and in interaction with teachers. And, when they show they’re developing mature judgment, they’re entitled to a little more freedom, on the way to becoming adults when they need to accept full responsibility for their actions.

Have parents changed? Do they expect the School to take over some of the responsibilities that were once expected to be theirs?

I think many of them are consumers, shopping around for the right ‘product’. In some cases they expect the School to take on responsibilities that may once have been theirs. Of course, that’s not to say there isn’t an enormous number of parents of good will who want to contribute to Scotch and help it become better and better; but I do think that perhaps 20 or 30 years ago there might have been more give and take.

On the whole Scotch parents are great, but if you sampled parents’ opinions, I think you’d find that they are very driven by the perception of how the School is impacting on their son.

How has the Scotch student of 2007 changed from the Scotch student of 1987?

One of things that has changed is what I call the increasing ‘privatisation’ of life. The boys are self-contained, with their iPods and mobile phones. It’s a very different world. The parenting is different. Some people would say the kids are a bit molly-coddled: too much is done for them.

Part of Scotch’s quest is to be as good as it can be, and everyone is striving for excellence at Scotch – the musicians, the drama people, the cadet people. With that comes the fact of life that staff who are leading aspects of the School program want the boys to commit fully to their particular activity and contribute as much as they can. This can sometimes impact on the boys and their families.

It’s a give and take situation, but I believe on the whole Scotch boys have a marvellous generosity of spirit – a willingness to help one another – and I think that’s the critical thing.

How has the staff member of 2007 changed from the staff member of 1987?

The transformation of the teaching role has been staggering. Although they still have to know their stuff, teachers are facilitators now, rather than the fonts of all knowledge.

And although there is still a place for the classical model of teaching where the teacher is out in front of the class period after period, today they must also have a repertoire of different strategies. They can’t simply follow the traditional teaching model all the time. It’s all about engagement, and the modern Scotch teacher has to be multi-layered with a good knowledge of technology, too.

Another remarkable thing for independent schools is the degree to which governments are impacting on the life of the schools. Dr Syd Boydell, the Director of Research and Development at Scotch, has to meticulously document the teachers’ professional development, because government funding is based on this and other documentation. Whereas 20 years ago you were appointed to teach, take a couple of sports and run a service activity, now it’s more complex and you are much more influenced by these external requirements.

I don’t want to give the impression that teachers are becoming robots, but the professional role of a teacher has certainly become more complex and challenging.

What do you see as the future of history teaching?

Although it’s a very crowded curriculum, I think it’s fundamental for an educated person to have a grasp of the human story, and an idea of how Australia has become what it is.

You have to make the boys aware of the facts, and tell them about the different interpretations that can be made of what happened. History helps students to develop their own moral and personal framework, and makes them better young citizens. I have a great belief in the subject, and I’m certain it will always be taught at Scotch.

What did you gain from teaching in the public sector which served you well in your teaching at Scotch?

It taught me resourcefulness. You had to roll with the punches in some schools, where the facilities weren’t great. I had quite a tough and demanding year at what was known as the St Kilda alternative school, and when I came to Scotch I felt that I’d had enough experience to handle almost anything.

What do you think a Scotch education gives boys in terms of life skills and personal development?

I think Scotch provides a very good developmental program, with a rich agenda of caring. The Kapumfi project and the Tiwi Islands program are good examples. One thing we need to work at is instilling in the boys that writing a cheque as a donation is one thing; committing time and energy to a project is quite another.

What has been your most memorable moment at Scotch?

I’d actually like to mention three. One was in 1986 during the 24-Hour Hike, when a bus rolled after falling off a road. The Scotch St John Ambulance Brigade took excellent care of the injured students, and when the SES arrived they were staggered at how well the Scotch boys had coped with the emergency.

The second was the 2001 Foundation Day Concert. With the Gallipoli tour, for me it was the highlight of the Scotch 150 celebrations. The third moment was the 2003 Vietnam Day, especially the assembly where Peter Gration spoke.

You won’t forget the ovation at your final assembly.

I was very flattered, very moved. There have been so many other moments – the visit of the Chinese school orchestra; Nathan Djerrkura playing the didgeridoo; torch ceremonies – the list goes on. The Memorial Hall is the heart of the School, and it’s full of memories for me. A school like this has got to value its stories.

How will life after Scotch play out for Bruce Brown?

Scotch has been my life and I’m committed to the place – there’s hardly a day when I don’t think about what’s happening at the School. One of the things I’d like to do in retirement is to make sure the links with former staff and their stories don’t become lost. It’s a social as well as a pastoral exercise – organising social events, but also being aware of any former staff members who need care and attention for whatever reason.

There have been two very important influences on your life: one is your wife, Sue.

Sue has been critically important in helping me to enjoy a happy teaching life. I’ve been very lucky. She has understood me and helped me, though I know at times I’ve frustrated her! She has particularly supported me with the history tours. Sue has been a constant source of support in my life, and I’ve valued it greatly.

The second great love of your life has been the Demons.

Melbourne has been a great therapeutic outlet for me. Realistically, Scotch has been a six-days-a-week occupation, and so it has been necessary to have something else as a talking point on Mondays at School. I know I’m a Melbourne tragic, but it’s just there and I can’t let it go! My one regret is that I couldn’t turn up at the end of the September holidays with my red and blue scarf and the flag! GS