I was looking at a program on the development of Venice on TV a few nights ago and it sparked a heap of thoughts. I love Venice and think it’s a really magical place. Of course, millions of people think the same and tourism is placing a huge burden on the old, graceful city.

The Piazza San Marco, the principal public square in Venice, is glorious and I remember several occasions, over the years, sipping a very expensive coffee as the various orchestras played. Taking students to such a place was always special and exciting and last time we slept on one of the islands in an ancient monastery, entertained by a visiting choir, also staying there, and singing with impressive harmony. 

The Saint Mark’s Basilica and the Dode’s palace oversee the square with their marriage of European and Eastern Architecture, not surprisingly found in historically such a busy trading port. The Domes, favoured in the architecture, were always a mystery to me - how were they constructed? The TV show provided the answer. Not only was Venice a port but also had a vibrant ship building industry that went back 100s of years. The ships were well crafted out of wood, so the chief trade at hand was carpentry. These perfected skills were used to construct the complicated framework of the domes which were then sheeted in lead. The architects/builders realised these carpentry skills were highly transferable. If the architects/builders hadn’t recognised this then the domes would not have been built.

As is so often the case, my mind turned to teaching. I was doing an Abseiling course at Hanging Rock in Victoria and was engaged in conversation with the instructor. He had great faith in the wide variety on transferable skills that teachers have, well beyond their daily fare and how so often they don’t recognise how skillful they are and how valuable they can be in a wide range of employment. Understanding this and promoting it surely must raise the morale of the profession. There is much to be gained in recognising this and talking up our treasured profession.

Written by Chris Tudor