With over 30 years experience working in the field of special education and mainstream primary schools in both Australia and the UK, I have a broad experience in both classroom practice and leadership roles.
My research interest lies in the education of children from traumatic backgrounds and interventions which respond to the profound and long term impact on their brain development.
Listening to the experiences of both students and teachers, I have explored the use of narrative inquiry, performance based research and critical reflection as methodologies to investigate the challenges and pedagogies surrounding trauma informed practice.
In my current role as a lecturer in Inclusive Education and Trauma and coordinating the Masters of Inclusion and Diversity course, I work in partnership with education providers in regional Victoria to develop more trauma informed approaches which might alter the trajectory for vulnerable students. This research work is in the Educational Disciplinary Study Area (EDSA) of Social Inclusion and Diversity.