MEET OUR TEACHERS 22
BRONWYN BYE Bronwyn is Fintona’s Drama Learning Leader and joined the School at the beginning of the year after spending over a decade living and working overseas. In her spare time, Bronwyn loves to read scripts and novels, watch live theatre and is a big fan of European professional cycling having attended many big races, including Le Tour de France.
Fintona File | Spring / Summer 2021
Tell us about your past teaching jobs. For 13 years, I have been teaching in the international school system. After teaching in Australia, I wanted to challenge myself, see the world and learn more about my chosen profession. I spent four years as the Head of Drama at The American School of Doha in Qatar and then nine years as Head of Drama at United World College of South East Asia (UWCSEA) in Singapore. In an educational sense, my experiences overseas have exposed me to a diverse range of curricula and pedagogies whilst
culturally, I have been inspired by the many wonderful cultures of Asia. As a drama and theatre teacher, I love to bring this knowledge into the classroom by introducing students to incredible theatre forms from around the world. Why did you choose to become a drama teacher? As a teenager with a passion for the performing arts, I think I always knew that my career would lie in that direction. In High School, I was mentored by a wonderfully kind and generous drama teacher, who gave me numerous opportunities to direct, choreograph, design, and manage theatre productions. It was then that my love for drama and theatre found its place as a teacher. People often assume that I became a drama and theatre teacher because I want to perform. Nothing could be further from the truth! I get a great deal more joy from facilitating performers in my role as a teacher or director.
I am incredibly proud of many of my past students who have gone on to study theatre. At the moment I have former students studying at L’École Internationale de Théâtre Jacques Lecoq in Paris, New York University — Tisch School of the Arts in the USA, Royal Central School of Speech and Drama in London, and NIDA in Sydney. Just thinking about that makes me happy! What do you find rewarding about teaching? Without a doubt, working with young people and seeing them develop their creative, collaborative, and empathetic capacity. It is particularly special to see a student exceed their own expectations of themself in the drama/theatre environment. What makes Fintona special? Having come from a school with over three thousand students, Fintona’s size makes it special. I love that teachers can really get to know their students. You most definitely feel part of a community at Fintona.
