In Burning to Learn, Barbara takes readers on a heartfelt journey through her unexpected career in teaching during the transformative 1960s in Sydney. Partway through an Arts degree, she faced the sting of failure, dropping out after twice failing her second year. Demoralized and unsure of her future, she stumbled into teaching, an untrained 21-year-old thrust into classrooms filled with Catholic adolescents.

Her first position was in a Catholic high school, where she navigated tense encounters with nuns who had once been her own teachers—women who seemed as stern as she remembered. Despite their cold demeanor, Barbara found a surprising ally in her students, whose curiosity and enthusiasm opened the door for her to introduce them to classical music.

Her journey continued at Liverpool Girls’ High, a tough environment where unruly students and an authoritarian headmistress tested her resolve. Lacking confidence and struggling with discipline, Barbara’s reputation among staff was shaky. However, a transfer to Cabramatta High, a co-ed school beside a migrant hostel, offered a fresh start. Here, under the guidance of an empathetic headmaster and a visionary Special Master, Barbara learned to appreciate her students’ love of pop music and to balance it with her passion for classical pieces. Her rigid teaching style softened, her sense of humor blossomed, and even her occasional missteps—such as a clash with a cheeky senior named Jon English—became lessons in humility and growth.

Determined to grow as an educator, Barbara pursued formal training, which included an inspiring encounter with the legendary music educator Richard Gill. His dynamic teaching style left a lasting impression, reshaping her approach to teaching music as a performance meant to captivate and inspire.

In 1969, Barbara arrived at Miller High, a school in Green Valley, a newly developed area designed to house struggling families with the promise of homeownership. Armed with new skills and guided by a capable mentor, she began to find her footing. Experimentation in the classroom sparked a newfound confidence, and her passion for music education flourished. By 1970, at Busby High School, Barbara was coming into her own. She established choirs, encouraged boys to form a school band, and introduced elective music classes that ignited enthusiasm among her students.

But Barbara’s journey wasn’t without challenges. Her struggle to balance control and connection occasionally led to heavy-handedness. However, she learned that honesty, humility, and a willingness to apologize could mend relationships with her students. By the time she left Busby in 1971, disillusioned by the dismissive attitudes of her colleagues toward the children, she had profoundly impacted her students. A sign left on her classroom door on her final day read: “This is the best room in the school!”

Now, fifty years later, Barbara reflects on her early teaching years with warmth and gratitude, still in touch with many of her former pupils. Burning to Learn is a deeply personal memoir of resilience, self-discovery, and the power of education to shape lives—not only for the students but for the teachers who dare to learn alongside them.

This memoir will resonate with educators, memoir enthusiasts, and anyone who believes in the transformative power of teaching.