Somerset Lifetimes 2019 Semester 2

Staff ALUMNI

She guides her cubs to become strong, kind-hearted and full of Lion Attitude. Chief Lioness, Bronwyn Lee took her role at Somerset as Head of Andrews House to another level, experiencing the real attitude of lions in their natural habitat. From herding her Andrews cubs, to safari in Africa, here Bronwyn shares how she came to teach at Somerset and how she values her position guiding and caring for her students. BronwynLee (Class of 2004) Prior to becoming an English teacher and Head of House - Andrews at Somerset, I had been teaching at another school. After five years, I was seeking a change of scenery when I saw an opportunity to return to Somerset. Recalling the wonderful experiences I had as a student, I was eager to encounter the flipside and in doing so, keen to give back to the community which gave me so much. In fact, I actually became a teacher because of the teachers I had here. They were so passionate and engaging; I loved going to class because of the way my classes were taught. You weren’t just another student – teachers

genuinely cared about you and wanted you to do your best. It is this attitude towards education that I have adopted and that has impacted my teaching the most. Now as a teacher at Somerset myself, I especially value the relationships I have developed with my co-workers and my students who make coming to work everyday something I enjoy. I think the best part of my job is the opportunity I am given on a daily basis to encourage, inspire and support my students. In Andrews, everything we do, we do with Lion Attitude. This is our House mantra and is based on the principle that if you believe you can, one day you will; and the notion success isn’t the same as winning. One thing I’m most proud of is the spirit with which we approach competition. Andrews students are characterised by the Lion Attitude and genuine engagement with our House values – teamwork, resilience, kindness and the importance of supporting others. I hope that during their time as students of Andrews House, they learn that working together to achieve a common goal can be more fulfilling than being victorious (though we have enjoyed our couple of victories this year – especially Founders’ Day). If I’ve learned one thing as Head of Andrews, it’s the importance of practising what you preach. After all, how can I expect my students to embrace their inner lion if I’m not willing to embrace mine? The extent to which I live and breathe Lion Attitude is well-known in the Senior School so when I had the opportunity to visit Africa this year, I couldn’t wait to get on safari to not only see some actual lions up close, but to also get some quality footage of lions in the wild to use in my trademark Andrews motivational videos. I could only take a small backpack on my adventure,

Alumni Staff

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