| In the
Beginning |
B Sc (Maths) from Leicester University, England
Post Grad Cert in Education from London University |
| England |
Maths Teacher at a High School
in Essex
Teacher in Hospital School, Hertfordshire (Special Education) |
|
Australia (past) |
Because of my Special Education
background, I was recruited to work in an Opportunity School in Redcliffe
near Brisbane following my arrival in
Queensland in 1974.
These schools
were designed to cater for mildly mentally retarded children, many of
whom had considerable learning and behavioural disorders. |
| |
The next year, my application to become a
Guidance Officer was successful and I underwent a year's
training at QIT. |
| |
I worked for several years for the Brisbane West Region Special
Education Branch as a Primary Guidance Officer.
My job entailed administering IQ Tests and various
psychological instruments as a means of recommending a suitable learning
program for the child. The work also involved a substantial amount of
Social Work visiting housing commission homes because the
parents or 'parent' - usually only the mother - would not come near the
school. They were challenging times! |
| |
Following the birth of my first son, I took time out to raise a
family. |
| |
In 1989, I retrained by completing a Cert
of Commercial & Office Studies and specialized in
Computing (Software).
For the next few years, I worked part-time at a Business Academy and for
various SkillShare initiatives as a Computer
Instructor. |
| |
In 1993, I began my employment at Kangaroo
Point TAFE as a Tutor and also as a
Casual Teacher delivering Fee For
Service Courses.
I had been hired as a Tutor for a
specific purpose and that was to deliver Computer Training to the
inmates of the Brisbane Women's Prison
at Boggo Road.
"Was it because of my Special Education background that they
thought I could handle these wayward women OR was is because I could
adjust to being 'Inside' after my experience in Afghanistan?" |
| |
From 1993-1996, part of my weekly hours were spent in the
Electronic Learning Centre at
Kangaroo Point TAFE and the other part at Brisbane Women's.
From 2001-2003, I was back 'Inside' again. This time in the new
prisons at Wacol, namely Brisbane Women's
Prison and Wolston Men's Prison
for sex offenders.
I was extremely disappointed when TAFE failed to win the tender with
Corrective Services for training after 2003. Just as much as the
work was challenging, it was fascinating and, despite the complex
difficulties arising daily from working in the prison system, I found it
most fulfilling. |
|
Australia (present) |
By 2007, I was ready for another change having acquired
plenty of expertise in the Microsoft Office
Suite of packages and
Web
Design programs such as Frontpage and Dreamweaver. I moved
from the eLearn Centre
(same place, different name) across to the
Civil Engineering Faculty within Southbank Institute of Technology
(different name but the same place!) where I acquired the status
of 'lecturer' and spent three years teaching
IT to first year Engineering students. |
