From high school struggles to a PhD and now the TasTAFE classroom, teacher James Haddy has come full circle

TasTAFE Primary Industries teacher Dr James Haddy is a marine scientist, fisheries expert and lifelong “nature nut”.

A passionate and gifted educator, James has been teaching the Certificate III in Conservation and Ecosystem Management at TasTAFE since 2023 – at Alanvale Campus and out in the natural realm.

But James’s pathway to becoming a TasTAFE teacher was anything but straightforward.

“When I was 15 in Western Australia, I failed high school,” James recalled. “I flunked my English exam and did not meet the literacy requirements for entry into university.

“I wanted to be a park ranger, but I was ineligible that year…so my mum put me into TAFE. And I became a straight-A student in marine biology – because TAFE was teaching me practical stuff that I could relate to, delivered in a different way than in the secondary system.”

After he finished at TAFE WA, James moved to Tasmania to study Aquaculture at UTAS. He did an Honours year, then a PhD, then became a Principal Research Scientist and a university lecturer.

“It’s interesting that high school really wasn't ‘it’ for me,” James said. “But the way that TAFE taught helped me to find my potential. TAFE gave me my career pathway.”

Now he’s back in the TAFE system, and James says the TasTAFE teaching environment suits him well.

“The job is really enjoyable,” he said. “You’re with people that want to learn, which is very different to secondary schools.”

“I also really like the classroom delivery at TasTAFE. I'm used to standing in front of hundreds of uni students, on stage, doing my expressive dance moves! But for me, the small classrooms at TasTAFE are so much better to teach in.”

There are benefits for James and his family off-campus, too: “The work/life balance is much better than at university.”

James also enjoys the positive relationships between TasTAFE teachers, and consistent support from his mentors.

“The camaraderie is great,” he said, “and the mentorship has been excellent – always making sure that I understand the systems or helping if I've got a problem. There's really solid support from a quite senior level all the way down – I never feel left in the lurch.”

Professional Development has been a focus for James during his time at TasTAFE.

“It's been really good to have access to staff PD – so that I'm a more useful teacher, so that I've got the currency and competency,” James said. “I've done a Wilderness First Aid course, some 4WD courses, small commercial training…That's been one of the highlights for me.”

James doesn’t hesitate when asked if he’d recommend teaching at TasTAFE.

“If you've got the skills, do it! I'm really enjoying teaching here. The work/life balance is great, the leave conditions, the additional training… It’s been a really good opportunity.”

But ultimately, for a passionate teacher like James, the biggest reward is seeing our TasTAFE learners develop and grow.

“I delivered an ‘Identify Fauna’ unit in Burnie recently,” James said, “then we went for a walk along the beach to find some of the things we’d just been talking about: barnacles, crabs, molluscs... And seeing the students’ eyes light up with their increased knowledge – that they were hungry to learn – it was just fantastic. There's nothing more rewarding than seeing a person's ‘Wow!’ moment.”