Meet our teachers

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.

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.

GEORGIE O’MEARA

Georgie started working in Fintona’s Early Learning Centre (ELC) in the K4 Banksia Room this year. For as long as she can remember she wanted to be an early childhood teacher. She particularly remembers her Grade 1 teacher’s nurturing teaching style and always wanted to be like her when she grew up. Prior to commencing her teaching career four years ago, Georgie worked as a nanny whilst studying a Bachelor of Education Degree.

How have you found starting a new job during a pandemic? What a rollercoaster year 2021 has been for us all, a year full of many ups, downs, and far more uncertainty than we would have liked. I am fortunate to work with a team of wonderful, supportive educators across the ELC who have worked tirelessly alongside me to ensure the smooth delivery of both an onsite and online program. Pivoting into remote teaching brought with it many challenges, though the incredible resilience of our students paved the way for us all. Reminding myself to take each day as it comes has been important!

What skills are important to work in Early Childhood? A passion for supporting and nurturing our youngest learners is vital. The ability to embrace the unexpected is also necessary as no two days are ever the same. It goes without saying that there is no such thing as too much patience.

What is the most rewarding aspect of your job? Supporting and observing the children mastering new skills is incredibly rewarding and something I will never take for granted. What makes working at Fintona special? The nurturing environment that Fintona provides its youngest learners makes it a very special workplace to be part of.

What brings you happiness? Last year I became an aunty for the first time to my gorgeous nephew Lenny. Spending time with him post-lockdown is something that brings me great joy. Weekly Sunday night dinners with my extended family are also very special to me.

I also love to travel. I spent the best part of my twenties travelling throughout Europe where I fell in love with Croatia and was lucky to call the breathtaking Island Hvar ‘home’ for 6 months, whilst working at a local hostel. Experiencing different places and cultures is something I will always enjoy.