Personal statement

I joined the University of Strathclyde in 2017 and am a Teaching Associate in the School of Education. Prior to this I was a Primary Teacher and worked abroad in an International School in Asturias, Spain. When I returned to Scotland, I worked in schools in West Dunbartonshire, East Dunbartonshire and finally at The Glasgow Academy in Glasgow. In 2004, I graduated from The University of Glasgow with an MA in German and Hispanic Studies and hold a PGDE in Primary Education and an MEd in Children’s Literature and Literacies. I am studying towards my EdD at The University of Strathclyde which focuses on orality in the primary classroom. I am really interested in the use of oral storytelling with children and how to build a connected and shared community through story and interaction. I am also interested in children's literature and how it can be used in the classroom to look at emotional literacy and promote reading for pleasure.

I teach on various modules across the BA and PGDE in Primary Education. I am the Module Co-ordinator for PGDE Curriculum and Pedagogy - Literacy, Culture and Environment and also the Module Leader for the BA2 Inter-Disciplinary Learning Module- Folk and Fairy Tales. This is for students from across the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences. 

Since 2017 I have worked on a number of CLPL projects with schools in Glasgow and Renfrewshire on picture books, reading and writing. I am committed to fostering links with partners in the sector as well as across wider society as I believe we need to have a common, shared understanding and objective to make the most positive impact on the children with whom we are working. I work closely with colleagues and enjoy supporting others and creating new ideas to foster curricular change.