GROW

Creating solutions in high school education

About Me

I have lived an uncommon life in an uncommon way. Born into a family of hippie missionaries, my life has been a curation of international adventures; first, directed by my family, later authored by myself. While the beliefs of my family have been replaced with understandings of my own, I live my life as a sort of prayer - holding virtues as devotion, integrity, service, and relationship. Above all else, my life is governed by a Policy of Love.

I have a veracious appetite for learning. As a consequence of the mission of my parents, I attended at least thirteen different schools in the first twelve years of my education. I was unable to quench my thirst for learning within the shallow waters of classrooms; instead, I found sustenance in the experiences of my life. My adventures became the method through which I explored the world, without and within. I chose to ignore imposed boundaries and social expectations to live a life which has felt honest for me. In doing so, I became a passionate generalist in a hyper-specialised world.

I am exceptionally sensitive, with an artistic soul and a scientific mind; the unintentional embodiment of C.P. Snow’s “Third Culture”. My post-graduate education has been a non-linear pursuit, prioritising the pursuit of potential over career. I earned a BA in International Relations, an MSc in Food Policy, and a PhD in Fine Art, investigating meaning as perceived through the chemical senses. With parents who modelled a life of ‘noble poverty’, I never gave much thought to how I would earn an income, trusting Life to provide for me.

Perhaps it was my compulsion to learn which led me to become a high school teacher; but it is my love of play that has shaped me as an author of classrooms. I feel fortunate to have been afforded freedom to create within the wonderful schools in which I have worked. From primary school to high school, each experience has been very different from the last, and while the constraints have differed, I have always found a sandbox in which to play. My classrooms have became my canvas, microcosms of possibilities for self-expression

This space is my little corner of the universe where I share the architecture, understandings, and content of my creations in education. I believe that my practice is as uncommon as my life. Forever a student, my classroom is how I pursue my learning adventures, and in doing so, I hope to inspire others to do the same.

What you will find here

My publications vary depending upon what is inspiring me at the moment, including: thoughts on educational reform, insights from my classroom, lessons I’ve learned along the way, and stories from my life.