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Mrs

Melissa Adam

Lecturer in Early Childhood Education, Education-focused

Faculty of Arts and Education/School of Education

  • Lecturer in Early Childhood Education, Education-focused
    Faculty of Arts and Education/School of Education
  • Melbourne Burwood Campus, 221 Burwood Highway, Burwood, Victoria 3125

BIO

Melissa's career has been as an early childhood teacher and leader, with a strong wellbeing and people-centred focus. Her teaching and research interests encompass professionalism and legislative requirements, collaborative practices and partnerships, leadership, mentoring/coaching, and the arts. Melissa has thoroughly enjoyed over three decades of learning experience in the early childhood and education sector and her focus has remained on the wellbeing, social and emotional development of children, families and teachers. She brings authenticity and solid professional experience to her role as a casual academic. Melissa is passionate about quality education, listening and journeying with others, creative problem solving, harmonious workplaces and collective unity amidst shared ideas. Collaboration and social justice are essential to her endeavours, and she is delighted to have formed partnerships with students, staff and professional bodies that have strengthened her passion for creating supportive environments.

As an early childhood teacher and leader, Melissa had the privilege of working across multiple municipalities to support children, families and teams and provide excellence in education. Her volunteer roles have included Vice President of the Association of Graduates in Early Childhood (AGECS), advisory board member for The University of Melbourne (ECPPP project) and Deakin University (BECE/BECPE). She has written and facilitated a range of parenting workshops across many municipalities in Victoria. As a sessional academic she taught and presented at Deakin University, The University of Melbourne and Swinburne University and has thoroughly enjoyed her role as a teaching coach at Deakin University. Melissa has supported preservice teachers to deeply contemplate and develop their preservice teacher identity through strengthening foundations of theoretical perspective, contextual arrangements and solid foundations of professional knowledge. She is passionate about teacher identity and how, through opportunity, knowledge, shared discussions about pedagogy and documentation, preservice teachers can establish a career in education that shapes, guides and supports healthy communities and world class education to children and communities.

Melissa hopes to inspire the next generation of teachers towards a career in education and care that supports them to flourish!

DEAKIN UNIVERSITY CURRENT APPOINTMENT

  • Lecturer in Early Childhood Education, Education-focused
    Deakin University, School of Education

ACADEMIC POSITIONS

  • Teaching Coach
    Deakin University, Geelong, Australia2021 - present
  • Casual Academic
    Deakin University, Geelong, Australia2022 - present
  • Transition to University Coordinator
    Deakin University, Geelong, Australia2023 - present

NON-ACADEMIC POSITIONS

  • Vice President
    Association of Graduates in Early Childhood Studies (AGECS), Australia2023 - 2025

DEGREES

  • Current PhD HDR Candidate
    Deakin University, Geelong, Australia2023 - 2025
  • Graduate Certificate of Education Research
    Deakin University, Geelong, Australia2020 - 2021
  • Graduate Diploma of Divinity
    Melbourne School of Theology, Melbourne, Australia2018 - 2020
  • Master of Education (Arts and Social Education)
    Deakin University, Geelong, Australia1996 - 1998
  • Graduate Diploma of Education (Arts Education)
    Deakin University, Geelong, Australia1996 - 1998
  • Bachelor of Early Childhood Education
    University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia1993 - 1995

AREA/FACULTY

  • Faculty of Arts and Education

DEPARTMENT/SCHOOL/INSTITUTE

  • School of Education