EPeeps Ryan Besgrove | Teacher Consultant

Why become an EPeep?

Joining EP was about having a bigger impact on Education in Australia than teaching alone could achieve. Fundamentally, the implementation of Education across the country is broken. Technology provides the best avenue to have an immediate impact on the equity and efficacy of education. EP’s reach and service support model provides for an excellent platform to make a meaningful change in this space. 

What do you look forward to most in your role?

Connecting with teachers who are out there in the field and helping them find a better way to work. EP’s product is so powerful and so simple in how it can transform what the teachers are doing. It saves time and provides insight that they can’t gain from any other avenue. Getting teachers to see that makes a difference in their day, and to their student’s. 

What are you most excited about?

In the realm of EP I’m excited to see what we can achieve in the next 12 months. We have a unique opportunity to quickly accelerate our product development and corner the market. I don’t think our competitors offer anything in the league of what we do. But we can leave them for dead if we round that out further in terms of functionality. 

Tell us your favourite teacher story

In 2015 I had a tutor/pastoral care group. I wasn’t their classroom teacher, I was just there to shepherd them through the year and be available to talk to/support them. I spent most of the time with them talking up the Wallabies and trying to share the passion, which culminated in the 2015 World Cup. The morning after the Wales game I had one of the students come down the stairs telling me that they woke up at 3am to watch the game, and then after we survived a period with 2 yellow cards to go on to win the game, they cried with pride. 

I knew then that I would never achieve anything greater in my career as a teacher.

What book/movie/music/podcast has been a big influence on you?

The book that was the most impactful to me isn’t my favourite read of all time, but it opened my eyes to so many things. It’s called the Tao of the Pooh, and that is a pretty weird title. It might even look like a typo – or like a child has just answered that question. 

Essentially it is using the character of Winnie the Pooh from A.A. Milne’s stories to explain the Taoist philosophies. It turned out to be something that crystalised and articulated so many thoughts I had about life and existence. It was pretty magical to sit down and read that. And I think I just found the book by just going about my business and wandering around; as I am known to do. Which, turns out, is quite a Taoist way of going about things. 

Where is somewhere you’d like to visit?

The Moon. It sounds lame and like I’m a 5 year old answering that question, but I think it would fundamentally challenge the foundation of your perception. To physically go beyond the borders of this Earth and out into the infinite space that surrounds us. What’s more attractive than that?

If I can’t afford the ticket I’ll take a trip back to Kamikochi in Japan. 

What advice would you pass on to a younger version of yourself?

Follow what you care about. Don’t try and think your way around how you want to spend your life. You will never be able to calculate how to be happy or fulfilled.