What's your role at Knox?

I am the Head of Junior Academy. This role entails the day-to-day operations and oversight of the students, teaching staff and parent community in Years 7 and 8. In this role, I thoroughly enjoy working with students as they transition into the Senior School at Knox. It is here that we can introduce the boys to all of the wonderful opportunities and experiences that Knox has to offer. Across the two years in the Junior Academy, boys will develop into young men who begin to connect to school through co-curricular, sport, classroom and the extensive programs offered at the school.

How long have you been with the School?

I have now been back for six years, but prior to this spent ten years earlier in my career at Knox teaching Finance and Business Studies along with some time at the Preparatory School in the Science Specialist role. My dual experience in both the Senior School and the Preparatory School enrich my teaching and leadership practice.

What does a typical day look like for you?

A typical day will usually have some teaching in the classroom with the junior students, further time could also be spent working with our Academy team and the teaching/mentor staff of the Years 7 and Year 8 boys. It could then involve some of the lunchtime clubs we run for the junior students; Lego, Uno, House sport competitions and just being around the boulevard getting to know the students. Most afternoons I check in with our teaching staff and the students who are present to complete their homework or study in the ‘After-school’ study sessions.

What three things do you love most about working at Knox?

Where do I start? There are so many! I thoroughly enjoy working with the students. There are always so many perspectives and things I can learn from our boys. I also enjoy the people, this includes both teaching and support staff. We are so blessed to have many different departments – this includes our academic, sport, research, Old Knox Grammarians’ Association, and archives.

What or who inspired you to pursue a career in education?

I am sure that most people who work in education enjoyed their time at school. I absolutely loved embracing all of the opportunities when I was at school and see the impact that this can have on a young person. Taking this forward through my teaching career has been the key driver for the work I do with both young people and those who are also a part of their lives.

What part of your role do you gain the most joy?

There are many! One of the parts of my role I see most enjoyment is when boys transition through the Junior Academy and throughout their time connect with and develop the skills they need to successfully embrace the Senior School and the world beyond Knox Grammar School. I also enjoy working with the many families who need support whilst in the Junior Academy to see their son grow and flourish in his time at school.

Why did you join Knox?

I thoroughly enjoy working with and teaching boys. Boys education and single-sex education is uniquely different to a co-educational experience. The way we work with boys across their stages in both a classroom and experiential or sporting realm all contributes to developing young men who are confident in themselves and can contribute to the world beyond Knox because of their experiences at the school. This is a key reason why I came back to Knox and believe in the heritage, traditions and values of the school underpinning all that we do with the boys in their time at the school.

What is the secret to good teaching and inspiring our young people?

One of the secret’s to inspiring young people is being compassionate, vulnerable, approachable whilst empowering them to know themselves better as both a learner and a person.

What achievement are you most proud of from your time at Knox so far?

One achievement I am most proud of is being able to bring the Robotics program back to Knox. The school’s Robotics program began out of one classroom with one VEX robotics kit and 34 students. It has now grown to over 20 kits, with triple the number of boys involved in both the Senior School and the Preparatory School.

What’s your leadership style and why have you found this to be successful?

I like to think of my leadership style as transformational. I aim to share the vision and empower those around me to embrace this and use it motivate their teaching practice and work with the students. So too, when working with our boys, being transformational in leadership style can encourage them to be collaborative, take risks and innovate to empower their journey.

What impact do you hope to leave on the students?

I hope to leave a legacy of seeing the importance of traditions and heritage together with the school values as a framework to build from. Providing students with guidance and support allows them to grow and know the importance of identity, belonging and connection to each other.

What is the biggest challenge facing the education sector at the moment? What would you like to see in the future or how do you intend to help fix the problem?

One of the biggest challenges facing education at the moment is the role of technology and mental health. As educators, we must be at the forefront of research and key strategies to assist our young people and those who work with them the best practice in dealing with these issues. I feel blessed to work at Knox which encompasses the Total Fitness model together with our Science of Research team to model and train boys and staff with the latest best practice on this issue.

Who are you outside of Knox?

Most importantly, I am a mother, wife and partner. I enjoy the outdoors including trail running, kayaking, hiking and reading.

Share one fun fact that people might not know about you.

I have refereed basketball for Australia!

What advice would you give to anyone joining Knox?

Being a part of the Knox community is the best part of my role and teaching. I feel truly blessed to work with the boys, staff and parent community each day. There are so many opportunities to grow and develop as a person.