Making connections is at the heart of my teaching practice. Unprecedented technological developments, wide-scale global mobility, and increased recognition of New Zealand’s dual heritage present exciting challenges for teacher educators. My teaching focuses on ensuring that teachers-in-training from whatever their background develop the understanding, skills and dispositions to make the New Zealand classroom a welcoming and supportive environment for every learner.
My teaching focuses on ensuring that teachers-in-training from whatever their background develop the understanding, skills and dispositions to make the New Zealand classroom a welcoming and supportive environment for every learner.
In addition to ensuring there are clear connections between learning outcomes, content, tasks and assessments in the courses and programmes I design, I also guide students to make their own wider connections - across other courses with literature and theory, in their everyday lives and in their roles as teachers or teachers-to-be.
I aim to use a blend of learner-centred practices and e-learning tools to engage on-campus students and to make distance students feel equally valued. I am proactive in seeking feedback on my teaching from students, colleagues, principals and teachers. I seek to provide the best possible learning experiences for all our students, backed by preparation, passion and research-informed knowledge.