ProfessorJoanne O'Mara

I am the Chair of the secondary subject English teaching method units:  Teaching English: Middle Years (ECL 761) and Teaching English: Senior Years (ECL 762). I have taught secondary English and Drama education in a wide range of school and university settings. I have
taught in Melbourne, Ballarat, Brisbane, Vanuatu and Canada, and bring this experience to my research, curriculum design and critique, and teaching.

I am an experienced post-graduate research supervisor and have successfully
supervised a range of doctoral and masters students and their projects. I work
in partnership with my post-graduate students, supporting them in the pursuit
of their chosen project. I have worked across a range of critical theoretical
resources and discipline areas. I am particularly interested in the usage of
the creative arts as a research method and innovative approaches to research
in the field of education. I have a strong record of supporting students
through their studies to completion and beyond, assisting them to achieve
their research and employment goals.

I believe that you have to start with where people are at and try to take them
where they need to/want to go. This student-centred approach to learning and
teaching in the context of my Higher Degree Research students means getting
to know their working style closely, so that I (and other members of the
supervision team) can best help them to draw on their strengths to work
towards their goals.