For Geoff Burt, creativity has never simply been a subject area, it has been a lifelong way of thinking. As one of St Stephen’s School’s Design and Technology teachers, Geoff brings decades of real-world experience, curiosity and humour into the workshop each day, encouraging students to see ideas not just as concepts, but as something tangible they can shape, refine and bring to life.
That passion for creating began long before the classroom. “I always enjoyed working with my hands, everything from building models to dismantling and rebuilding bikes, electronics and as I grew older, cars and motor bikes,” Geoff recalls. “I recall my mum frequently confronting me with dismantled household appliances that I had pulled apart only to discover that I couldn’t remember where half the parts went!”
Geoff’s pathway into teaching was far from conventional. After leaving school in 1969 in the UK “with absolutely no qualifications”, his family migrated to Australia where he built a successful career in the automotive industry, eventually working in training and development for Australia’s biggest automotive glass company. “And that is where I discovered how much I enjoyed teaching,” he explains. Determined to follow that passion, Geoff enrolled in a Bachelor of Education at the age of 60 while juggling full-time work. Which brings us to the Carramar Design and Technology Workshop.
Inside Geoff’s classroom, creativity and problem-solving go hand in hand. “I love the challenge of helping students connect ideas with design and then developing practical solutions to overcome the inevitable problems along the way,” he says. “My role is one of facilitator, mentor, sounding board and advisor whilst maintaining an environment that nurtures creativity.” That mindset also shapes the way he approaches mistakes in the learning process. “I start by not calling them mistakes. I call them steps in learning,” Geoff shares. “One of my favourite catchphrases is ‘we don’t do failure here, just degrees of success’.”
Outside of school, Geoff’s creativity continues in many forms. He has been playing guitar and singing since he was 14 and currently performs in “a very informal music trio doing 60s and 70s covers.” Alongside spending time with his two grandchildren, he also enjoys photography, video editing and flying his camera drone. And if he could master one more creative outlet? “I’d love to become a cartoon artist specializing in caricature, so I can use my wicked sense of humour to lampoon friends, colleagues and family members!”
Reflecting on the influences that shaped him, Geoff points to both music and experience. “Musically, The Beatles, The Stones, Deep Purple etc etc,” he says. Professionally, however, it was his own schooling that became his greatest motivator. “My personal school experience in 1960’s UK was totally devoid of anything resembling creativity, so to guide my creativity, I simply reflect on my school experience and do the total opposite!”