Innisfail teacher Rob Burton is looking at Christmas this year a little differently. While we will be looking outside singing White Christmas, he will be dipping his toes in the ocean from Adelaide on Brighton, Australia.
“My wife, Tammy, and I are part of an international teacher exchange,” said Burton, an Innisfail Jr./Sr. High teacher. “And we get to spend a year in Australia teaching at Brighton Secondary School.”
He was chosen earlier this year to participate after he and his wife applied to be part of the exchange program.
“There were 40 teachers out of 30,000 Alberta professionals who applied for the international exchange, and 20 accepted the positions,” said Burton. “Of those 20, we are the only teaching couple to find a placement.”
It was not the first position he had been offered.
Burton had been offered a position in Leeds, England earlier in 2013, but it was only for himself. He had accepted, although his wife did not have a matching position to go to.
“It turns out that the other teacher had refused the exchange as she wanted to go to Vancouver, not Innisfail. So we waited,” noted Burton. “But while we were teaching here, this position was coming available.”
Rob, his wife Tammy and children Mya and Jake will be leaving Dec. 24 for Australia, and arriving two days later. They will get to meet their exchange teachers, Ian and Jill Jenkinson and their three children, Ash, Paige, and Magda for one day.
Then they exchange lives.
“We live in their house, drive their car, and teach in their school. They do the same in our home,” said Burton. “Their kids are so excited that they have already asked if they can build a snow slide from our back fence!”
Tammy teaches Grade 2 at C.P. Blakely in Sylvan Lake while Jill Jenkinson teaches the same grade in Adelaide. That makes the switch perfect. Rob, a drama teacher, will switch with Ian Jenkinson, who teaches science and outdoor education. Rob recently received notice he will be teaching drama to the Grade 8 class in Adelaide. Ian will bring his specialties to Innisfail.
“Both principals have been co-operative and done all they can to make this work,” said Burton. “Wayne (Pineau), principal of Innisfail Jr./Sr. High told me he would do all he could do to make this a match, and they did. We are working to our strengths.”
Both Rob and his wife were willing to be as flexible as they could to be part of the exchange and it worked. No strangers to international travel and teaching, Burton met his wife while teaching in Thailand in 2001.
Burton has mixed feelings about going to Australia.
“My drama class and I were talking about how we get to paint our life story, and for me, this is my chance to add some sand and surf to the canvas,” said Burton. “I will miss the kids, as they have been fantastic and made me very proud. I will not see the Grade 12 kids graduate, and may never see them again, but their life is just beginning.”
Burton and his family have a little time to settle once they arrive in Adelaide on Brighton as this is summer in Australia and the beach is only 500 metres away from their door. They also have until late January to prepare to work. The Jenkinsons don't have it so easy. They start work Jan. 6.
Rob and his family will return to Innisfail to work nearly a year from now, but before they do, they have a bucket list.
“We've booked two weeks off and plan to stop in New Zealand before we come back home. Our journey home includes a trip through Middle Earth,” said Burton. “We are very blessed, and are looking forward to the trip.”
