My Bio

Who I Am

I have always wanted to be a teacher. At quite a young age, I decided that combining my two passions, art and learning was the right direction for me. I completed four years at the Australian National University studying Visual Art, majoring in Painting and Printmaking, then completed a Bachelor of Education (Secondary) at the University of Canberra. Upon graduation, I was awarded a Highly Meritorious ranking in my Graduate interview and received an early offer to teach art at Lyneham High School where I stayed form 1999 - 2003. During this time I taught art and dance and Directed three Rock Eisteddfod productions, including the State winning performance "Reflections Of a Geisha." In addition to this, I also assisted with SRC as the teacher representative, I directed three Dance Festival performances and also maintained my art practice in my spare time.

After having children, I took the time to develop my art career. I established a thriving art gallery in Queanbeyan and provided an exhibition and learning space for other artists to showcase and promote their work. I am passionate about visual art and this has been reflected in my practice.

My art work has been selected as a finalist in many art prizes, including The Paddington Art Prize, The Adelaide Perry Drawing Award, The Fleurieu Biennnale, The Kedumba Drawing Award (by invitation), The Tattersall’s Club Landscape Prize (by invitation) and most recently Paul Guest Drawing Award the Whyalla Art Prize.

Awards include: Winner Queanbeyan City Council Regional Art Award 2009 and 2015; Highly Commended at the Queanbeyan City Council Art Award (2010); and Highly Commended for the Hawkesbury Art Prize (2012), Winner of the Capital Chemist Art Award Tuggeranong (2015), Winner of the Goulburn Regional Art Award (2016), Winner of the Waverley Art Prize (Drawing).

In 2019 my personal circumstances changed, and that required me to return to teaching. After a period of time doing relief work in various Canberra High Schools, I tried disability education at Caroline Chisholm School. It was here that I discovered my "just right" fit.

My art background enables me to think in a creative way to deliver interesting and diverse curriculum. I intentionally weave rich and meaningful arts practice into most areas of the curriculum, with tangible results for the students.

About me

My name is Claire Shepherd I am a teacher in the Learning Support Unit K - 6 at Caroline Chisholm School.

This is my fifteenth year teaching in Canberra - although not consecutively. I have completed
my Bachelor of Arts / Bachelor of Education (Secondary) at
The Australian National University and The University of Canberra with a Distinction average.

This digital portfolio is designed to introduce both myself and my teaching philosophy, as well as to document my professional learning and experience.

Follow the links above to find out more.

My teaching Philosophy

I bring an open mind, a positive attitude and high expectations to the classroom every day.

It is essential to develop authentic connections with all students, and this is especially crucial in a Learning Support Unit. I believe that engagement is priority and after this is achieved, learning will follow. Units of work are designed and developed, aimed to draw in even some of our most reluctant participants.

I am committed to supporting the needs of all students, creating dynamic cross curricula learning opportunities, designed to engage.

I provide a classroom environment that is welcoming and accepting of all students (Learning Support Unit K – 6). Universal Designs for Learning

frameworks underpin all my lessons. Adaptations are made to accommodate and benefit all learners, irrespective of backgrounds or diagnosis.

Flexible teaching strategies such as multiple means of representation, multiple means of action and expression, and multiple means of engagement (Denning & Moody, 2018, pp. 17–38), are used to target specific learning barriers. By providing small adjustments for the entire class, teachers will have fewer specific changes for learners with diverse needs (Denning & Moody, 2018, pp. 17–38).

A dynamic approach to content delivery is presented in my classroom to build engagement for all learners. By providing customisation of displayed visual and auditory information such as animations, symbols, and schedules student performance can be maximised (Denning & Moody, 2018, pp. 17–38).

Education

Bachelor of Art Visual
Australian National University
( Distinction average)

January 1994 - December 1997

Graduate Diploma in Secondary Education
( Distinction average).

January 1998 - December 1998

Post Graduate Degree Inclusive Education (Autism) Queensland University of Technology

July 2023 - ongoing

Experience

What I’ve Done

January 1999 - December 2007

Art and dance teacher at Lyneham High School and Wanniassa School P-10

During this time I taught nine classes in a full time capacity, including split line electives classes. I worked collaboratively with the arts team to deliver meaningful and engaging course content, while responding to individual needs and learning styles. Adapting to a flexible approach was parament during this time to accommodate for the range in abilities. Most of my classes had a mixture of abilities, behaviour and backgrounds.

roles included:

Classroom teacher
SRC co ordinator
Rock Eisteddfod Director
Dance Festival Director

February 2011 - December 2019

Art gallery director and professional artist

In 2012 I created an art gallery space in Queanbeyan for local and national artists to showcase their work. It was run as a commercial business, and generated enough momentum to financially support my arts practice. During this time, I worked closely with artists from a wide range of backgrounds, and assisted them to present work appropriate for a commercial setting. Approximately 10 exhibitions were held each year, including solo, duo and group exhibitions. My role included:

Writing grant proposals to secure financial support for exhibitions
Liaising with media staff and art critics to promote the space and the artists
Laising with artists
Managing financial accounts
Event management and planning
Managing my own arts practice

January 2020 - present

Learning Support Teacher
Caroline Chisholm School

At the end of 2019, after working as a relief teacher for 6 months, I was offered a year contract as a specialised one on one teacher for a child with high needs at Caroline Chisholm School. My role was to develop a rapport with the students to encourage engagement and attendance. When this role was completed, this naturally lead to a teaching role in the Learning Support Unit.

My role:

To liaise with staff students and families to best need individual need.
To respond to individual need in a flexible way to create engaging and impactful learning experiences.
To assess student ability and adapt delivery accordingly.
To work collaboratively with my colleagues in a team focussed environment.
To create behaviour management plans.
To develop Individual learning plans
To stay up to date with best practise research.
To met educational goals and outcomes, while still catering to individual need.
To mentor and guide students through a myriad of social interactions.

Vincent Van Gogh