Some careers begin with a carefully planned pathway. Jade Meehan’s began with a persistent “what if?”
Even while studying nursing and midwifery, raising a young family and beginning her professional career, she found herself drawn back to the idea of teaching. Eventually, that curiosity became impossible to ignore.
Now a Prep teacher at St Clare’s Catholic School, Burdell, Jade considers herself fortunate to have followed the path she was always meant to take.
A calling she couldn’t ignore
Jade’s love of teaching began long before she entered a classroom professionally.
“Growing up, I always wanted to be a teacher,” she said.
As a child, she would spend afternoons playing schools with her younger brother, planning timetables and leading lessons. Yet when it came time to choose a career, she took a different path.
Encouraged to pursue midwifery, Jade moved from rural New South Wales to Townsville and completed a double degree in Nursing and Midwifery. Over the next few years, she completed more than 1,600 hours of placement, got married, became a mother of two, and began her graduate year as a registered nurse and midwife in Canberra.
But throughout her studies and early career, she found herself repeatedly drawn back to education.
“The entire way through my course, I was constantly looking up education degrees, ways to transfer courses, and every variation of ‘how to know if you should change degrees’,” she laughed.
The turning point came during the COVID-19 pandemic when she was spending time at home with her young family. As her daughter began preschool, Jade threw herself enthusiastically into the learning activities sent home by her teacher.
Before long, she knew what she needed to do. After enrolling in a Master of Teaching (Primary), she completed her first professional placement and immediately felt certain she had made the right decision.
“When I got home from the first day of my first prac, I had no doubt in my mind that I was always meant to teach,” she said.
“That’s the thing about a calling. You can only pretend you don’t feel it for so long until it becomes something you can no longer ignore.”
The ordinary moments that matter
Ask Jade about making a difference, and she won’t point to a particular award or achievement. Instead, she reflects on the small, everyday moments that shape a child’s experience of school.
“It’s the friendly smile that reassures a child’s sense of belonging, the quick affirmation that builds their confidence, or the ‘I’m so proud of you’ that reminds them that making a mistake matters less than how they respond to it,” she said.
One recent experience confirmed just how significant those moments can be.
A former student knocked on her classroom door carrying a note. The student asked Jade to read it aloud.
“Give this note to a teacher who made you feel safe.”
The memory immediately took her back to her graduate year and a student who had challenged her to grow as an educator.
“I got a bit teary,” she recalled.
“I realised that in all those moments when I had to decide how to respond, I had chosen connection first.”
Since then, more students have appeared at her classroom door with similar notes and messages of gratitude. Those encounters have reinforced a simple lesson.
“Showing up every day and leading with love is what makes the difference,” she said. “Sometimes you don’t realise the difference you make until a child turns up on a random Wednesday with a note and a smile and reminds you that the ordinary is always within the extraordinary.”
Seeing every child’s light
A deeply personal experience has also shaped the way Jade approaches teaching. During her graduate year, her youngest child was diagnosed with ADHD following a difficult experience in kindergarten. The journey gave her a new perspective as both a parent and teacher.
“As a parent, you spend your days hoping your child will be seen the way you see them,” she said.
“You hope their teacher notices the magic inside them.”
The experience strengthened her understanding of children who do not always fit neatly into expected boxes and reminded her of the importance of seeing each child’s strengths.
She also credits her teaching partner with helping shape this perspective.
“She taught me that what you look for is what you will see, and that every child has a light inside them.
“When you take the time to discover and celebrate it, they will shine.”
Leading with love
Jade’s faith is central to her approach as an educator. As a student, she attended a Catholic primary school whose motto, All Things for God, left a lasting impression on her. Decades later, the message continues to guide her work.
“My faith reminds me that above all else, to lead with love,” she said.
In practice, this means creating a classroom where every child feels safe, valued and appreciated for the unique gifts they bring.
“It means teaching and modelling appreciation, compassion and forgiveness every day, and valuing children and their families for who they are while nurturing the potential for who they can become.”
The privilege of Catholic education
For Jade, being a Prep teacher in a Catholic school is a unique privilege. For some children, school is an opportunity to deepen an existing faith. For others, it is their first encounter with faith, prayer and the story of Jesus.
Regardless of their background, she believes Catholic schools create communities where children are valued for who they are rather than what they achieve.
At St Clare’s, the school values of Compassion, Love, Effort, Appreciation and Respect guide daily life and learning.
“Being part of something so powerful is the most rewarding part of teaching in a Catholic school,” she said.
When asked about the most valuable role of Catholic education in society, Jade’s answer is deeply personal. Reflecting on the many Catholic educators who shaped her own life, she sees their influence everywhere.
“The true impact of Catholic education is often found years later, in the hearts of people who were lucky enough to have known, seen and been taught by Catholic educators,” she said.
“We teach academics, we inspire faith, but most of all we lead with love.” For Jade, that is both the gift and the privilege of being a Catholic educator.