After a 48-year association with Melbourne Grammar School, 29 as a teacher and as a student before that, Danny McCoppin (OM 1981) has retired.
Danny taught Geography to many students over his years of service. Throughout this time Danny also anchored the growth and success of Environmental Science in Years 11 and 12. He served as Head of Creese House and Senior Tutor in this and other Houses for a total of 27 years, held the role of Senior School Curriculum and VCE Coordinator for eight years, coached and umpired AFL football and cricket, and supervised many overnight outdoor experiences each year.
Alongside all these commitments, Danny was committed to the development of Environmental and Outdoor Education programs throughout his time at the School. Danny established the Environmental Student Committee (SLIC) which provided a template for the growth and reorganisation of student voice from mainly that of prefects to the current broader range of Student Committees.
Deciding to teach beyond the classroom
Coming from a family of teachers, the classroom was a natural fit for Danny, who also cites his own Melbourne Grammar teachers as key influences.
“My teachers were very important to me, not only in my decision to become a teacher, but in my choice of where to focus,” he says. “My Geography teachers David Learmonth and Tim Sullivan as well as Biology teachers Rick Tudor and Peter Dick, were very progressive in their use of the outdoors as a learning space. That’s something I went on to promote – utilising spaces in the local urban area such as the Albert Park Lake, Royal Botanic Gardens and Yarra River to take the classroom into the wider world.”
Fostering a love of the natural world
Danny was also passionate in developing the Leslie Gladstone Robertson (LGR) Society, where he supported many Year 11 and 12s to complete student-led bush-walking expeditions. “Keeping LGR going, and with the help of outdoor education specialists improving it along the way, is one of the things I’m most proud of,” he says.
“We always tried to give the students a high level of independence,” Danny explains. “We kept an eye on them from a distance, which allowed them to make mistakes within bounds. Students learn the most from being able to do that. But above all, I hope those experiences taught them about the importance of careful environmental stewardship and leadership.”
Danny participated in more than 50 LGR expeditions himself, helped to develop the Beyond the Gates program and, he emphasises, tried to lead by example by being fortunate enough to be able to always ride or walk to work. “I can count the number of times that I drove to school on one hand.”
“His commitment to the Outdoor Education program has been nothing short of extraordinary,” wrote Deputy Headmaster and Head of Senior School Ben Hanisch when announcing Danny’s retirement to staff. “I will never forget seeing the students poring over maps and deciding the route for their next exciting adventure, with Danny, always in the background, giving a quiet word of encouragement or approval.”
We wish Danny well, knowing he will continue to enjoy walks in the bush and along the coast for many years to come.
