What has been your journey to become a specialist Science teacher?
I started teaching in 2015 and at Inaburra in 2020 as a classroom teacher. I never originally set out to become a specialist Science teacher. However, following the COVID lockdowns and remote learning, I upskilled myself around digital technologies and learnt a lot from other teachers in online communities about STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) education. Through all of this, I developed a real passion for supporting students to learn not only STEM content knowledge, but STEM skills such as critical thinking, problem solving, creativity and communication. I began as a specialist Science teacher in 2024, and am now studying my PhD, with a focus on children’s rights and AI.
You have developed a STEM digital resource for teachers. Can you tell us briefly about that?
When I began connecting with educators online during 2020 and 2021, I was inspired by how much I learnt from the experiences of other teachers. I decided to bring this knowledge together into a magazine, called STEM ED Magazine, which shared real examples of STEM teaching and learning from educators. I ran this magazine for two years and absolutely loved connecting with educators worldwide about how they were teaching STEM in their classrooms.
What do you believe are the benefits to students engaging in a weekly specialty Science lesson?
The benefit of specialist Science teaching is that students get to engage with a teacher who is extremely passionate and dedicated to the area of Science. Junior School teachers are very clever and are required to know a lot of content across many general knowledge areas; however, as a specialist Science teacher, I am able to really share targeted knowledge and skills (and experiments!) in the area of Science (similar to High School when students have specialist teachers across disciplines).
Can you think of an example where you saw a student experience a breakthrough or ‘ah ha’ moment in a lesson?
My favourite thing about Science teaching is to see how many students genuinely enjoy learning in Science, because it is all about the world around them! I enjoy hands-on projects where students can engage in the Design Thinking Process and come up with heir own sustainable solutions to solve problems. Currently, seeing Year 5 girls really engaging with (and enjoying!) our learning on the effects of climate change on the environment and developing a prototype to try and prevent, fix or reduce the problem has been very exciting to see!
Inaburra has hosted a Junior School Science Day the past two years. How does this day enhance learning?
The Junior School Science Day is a fantastic opportunity for students to engage with a range of scientists from our parent community, representing diverse fields and areas of expertise. It helps students see that Scientists come from all walks of life and that there are many different pathways within Science. This exposure can spark curiosity and inspire students to pursue areas of Science they are passionate about, while also bringing real-world relevance and authenticity to their learning.
What is a fun fact about Fiona?
In my spare time (when I have it around study, work and family!?), I enjoy playing soccer (and watching my family play soccer) and running. I am training to run my 3rd marathon this year in August.