Teaching legacies: Dan Farrant

Dan Farrant has always known the value of a good education.

Growing up in the small town of Tallangatta, near Wodonga in Northeast Victoria, Dan developed an awareness early that school can be a pathway to much more.

‘Growing up in a rural area, there wasn’t a huge number of opportunities outside of the traditional agriculture and retail, so education was always the pathway to be able to do something else,’ he says.

This belief was the spark that ignited the beginning of a remarkable teaching journey for Dan.

Embracing the TFA challenge

Dan’s leap of faith began when Teach For Australia accepted him into their first ever cohort of Associates in the Leadership Development Program in 2010.

There was just one hurdle: he would need to relocate to the other side of the state, to Gippsland.

Leaving behind the familiarity of his hometown, however, Dan faced the challenges of a new environment head-on.

‘When I first moved, it was a tough transition to move away from everyone and everything I knew, but it has all turned out alright in the end.’

A country boy himself, Dan already knew moving rurally involves more than just showing up for a job – it’s about becoming part of the fabric of the community.

‘In regional areas, you can get a lot of opportunities in education possibly faster than in the city, because of some of the staffing challenges,’ he says.

‘However, what keeps people in regional areas … is becoming part of the community, developing a support network, meeting a partner, joining the local sporting clubs, and other activities that intertwine you into the community.’

‘Developing roots helps you stay.’

Transforming STEM education

Dan’s passion for STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) has become a cornerstone of his teaching philosophy.

Now Acting Director at Gippsland Tech School, he helps design and deliver cutting-edge STEM curricula to empower students to tackle real-world problems.

‘We use design thinking methodology, so rather than have students all solve the same problem using the same methodology, we have students determine the problem and the solution, centring student voice and choice,’ he says.

‘So, while robots, lasers, coding, and VR are fun hooks, the learning is about the problem solving and working as part of a team to simulate real life workplaces.’

Dan finds this approach resonates especially with students who struggle in traditional schooling environments.

‘We often see remarkable progress and engagement with students who may be disengaged from traditional learning approaches, because for the first time in their schooling, someone has asked them, “what do you want to do, how do you want to do it and how are you going to show us what you’ve learned?”’

A career shaped by TFA

Reflecting on his journey, Dan credits Teach For Australia with shaping his career and igniting his drive to make a meaningful impact.

After completing the program, he quickly stepped into leadership roles, eager to contribute beyond the classroom.

‘If I had not done the [Leadership Development Program], I would not be where I am now. … Teach For Australia instilled in me the aspiration to make a difference.’

His work at Gippsland Tech School exemplifies this aspiration. By sparking students’ interest in STEM careers, Dan helps open doors to futures they may never have considered.

‘I love my job because I get to get students excited about new concepts, future career paths, and technology that they wouldn’t usually get to see. It’s about sparking their interest and showing them possibilities.’

‘It doesn’t matter what they end up choosing to be. If they want to stay on the farm for their whole life, that’s completely fine. If people want to go away and become a doctor, that’s completely fine, so long as they’ve got choice.’

‘Education is the key that unlocks the door to choice and opportunity.’