Faith is a Gift

It is a glowing testament to your school when its positive influences remain part of your life, still providing light on a sometimes dark track.

One of the big ones for mother-of-three, teacher, and Tyndale alumni Shellie Pratt, is that she met her husband Michael at the school. They grew-up together. 

But there are many other aspects of her life which can be traced back to her high school years.

Shellie graduated Year 12 in 2001. She had been a student at the school since Year 1. During this time, her faith would strengthen and a love of education would be forged. “Tyndale taught me that there are adults in the world that care about you even if you’re not their kid,” she says. 

Shellie was diagnosed with dyslexia, ADHD, and auditory processing delay, in primary school. But she says in the years that followed many teachers went that extra mile for her.

“The Special Education teacher Susan Barter assisted my learning and educated the teachers how best to support me,” she says. “With tutors and the love of my parents, I was able to move through each year and enter regular programs of learning. 

Shellie feels the library is the heart of a school and is grateful that Mrs Aitchison, who is still at Tyndale, helped her throughout her degree … “with sound advice and friendship”.

Jump ahead now and this mum who stayed-at-home to raise her kids has just completed her Master of Education (Teacher/Librarianship), graduating later this year.

Shellie says that it’s been a hard road for her to become a teacher. “You don’t grow out of dyslexia, ADHD and the rest.”

As a wife, mother and teacher, she admits that it can sometimes get a little messy to navigate the roles. Not to mention the health issues that two of Michael and Shellie’s kids face.

Their 13-year-old daughter has an unnamed condition in which random benign tumours grow on her spinal cord, threatening her ability to walk and requiring repeat emergency surgeries. 

While their son has been diagnosed with high-functioning autism. Yet, thanks to early intervention, he has been able to thrive in the primary school environment.

These challenges notwithstanding, the couple is carried by faith.

“Faith is a gift from God,” she says. “And I am still learning and understanding how to be more like Jesus. What to cling to and what to leave behind. 

“I have grown in faith. We have served in many different areas in churches, enjoy many long-term friendships, and have a strong faith-filled marriage. Attending church and seeking godly mentors through life is so important. Many of my teachers are still my mentors and friends.

“I have found my walk with the Lord to move through seasons. It is alive and at times reactionary to the storms and surprises.”

She now teaches a kindergarten class and says relationships are key: “It seemed that whenever I got along with a teacher my marks improved. I try to build positive relationships with all my students and families. I want to be the teacher who always sees them, who wants to know about their lost tooth. Who wants Year 6 kids to visit to ‘just to say hi to Mrs Pratt’.”

Shellie says it has been rewarding to see how her education and love of learning was nurtured at Tyndale. 

“My personality is non-competitive, so the need to only compare my results to my PB (personal best), rather than looking to my peers, has served me well in the years after graduating.

“It impacts my classroom today.”

If she had the chance, Shellie said that she would say this to her teenage self: “There are some fantastic times ahead but there are some moments when it will be hard to even take a breath. Hold on. He is faithful, just and true.”