At the heart of my pedagogy is the belief that teacher influence drives and nurtures student achievements. I believe teachers respond more successfully to the needs of students when they approach their teaching as a holistic learning process. Thereby, I respond strongly to the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers, continuously striving to create a classroom experience of inclusivity and student-centred learning. I focus on creating a learning environment that is free of discrimination, encourages interaction and ensures students feel comfortable to engage in the classroom activity. Professional relationships are the key to successful teaching, and being able to build a strong rapport with students and staff quickly is an integral part of my role as a teacher. I take an active interest in each student’s life in and out of school and find common interests to share stories and experiences with them.. I apply principles of inclusion and strategies for differentiating teaching that caters to meet the specific learning needs of students across the full range of abilities. Inspired by the work of Howard Gardner’s Multiple Intelligence Theory, I modify learning programs and assessment criteria to accommodate the needs of individual students depending on their disability or learning difficulty. In seeking continuous improvement in learning outcomes, I am committed to ongoing professional development in the use of innovative technologies and varied methodologies benefiting all students, including those with learning difficulties and disabilities. Employing the goldilocks principle of challenge, I construct student learning within their Zones of Proximal Development, assisting towards reducing the gap of where a student is at and where they want to be. I achieve this by developing supportive activities in each lesson to support the student as he or she is led through high yield practices.

My Bachelor’s degree in Geography and English has equipped me with a deep understanding and knowledge to meet the requirements of curriculum, assessment and reporting. I have taught Geography, English and HASS in both middle and senior school. I have also taught Stage 2 Society and Culture and Research Project. The idea of ‘learning about learning’ is central to my identity as a teacher, as I am better able to support and empathise with student’ physical, cultural, social, linguistic and intellectual characteristics, particularly for students of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island descent. In an era of exponential development in ICT, literacy and numeracy integration, I combine dynamic learning activities to prepare the students for a changing world. It is through this teacher impact and school experience that provides the foundations for lifelong learning that will characterise the society in the 21st century.