Bec Cashmere

Bec Cashmere
Co-author of Good Science NSW Stages 4 & 5 (1st and 2nd editions)

How long have you been in the education industry?
I have been teaching since 2008.

How have you noticed your teaching style change over the years? Why do you think this is?
My teaching style has evolved over the years as the resources available to my students have changed - especially regarding the availability of ICTs. My style morphs depending on the students in the class, so that I can encourage and support their learning.

What is the importance to you of good educational resources?
Good resources are imperative, especially ones that are easy to find and that engage my students. Unfortunately they are not always easy to find or suitable for the needs of my students, which has been my motivation for contributing to Good Science.

What has been your favourite part of writing an educational resource?
Being able to create the resource that I felt best meets the needs of students - and also the ability to address concepts that are often poorly done in Australian high school textbooks.

What is your favourite part of being a teacher?
Sharing my passion for science. However nothing beats being there when students reach that ‘A-ha!’ moment as they identify links between concepts and start to think more deeply.

What are three things people wouldn’t know about you?
I’ve just run my first marathon and have plans to run an ultramarathon in 2020. I got my first tattoo last year (a mama bear and two cubs).

What do you like to do when you’re not teaching (or writing?)
I like to spend time with my family - I have a 6 year old son and a 1 year old daughter. We love visiting parks, playing LEGO and learning more about nature. I also love running! On a Saturday morning you will find me at a local Parkrun and Sunday mornings usually involve brunch with friends after a long run.

Who are three people, living or dead, you’d love to have dinner with?
This question is hard! A dinner with the Beatles back in the 1960s would be fun; a family dinner with the Obamas would be interesting; and having adult conversations over dinner with my great-grandparents would mean I could ask all the questions I was too young to think to ask when they were still alive.

What is your favourite book and why?
I love all of Jane Austin’s work. Her books are the ones that I can read over and over again.

Do you follow a sports team?
I don’t follow a sports team, but nothing beats being at the finish line of a marathon or ultramarathon - especially if it’s a trail race. I love watching people push themselves to achieve a goal. I also will take the opportunity to watch lesser known sports during the Olympics and Commonwealth Games.