# data[].attributes.body
I am Aman Punia, and my learning areas are Mathematics and Science. I was born in India, where I did my schooling as well as my undergraduate degree in teaching. For me, communication is the key while building relationships with the students. Therefore, knowing about the interests of students and incorporating them in the subject matter is something that I have always liked to do.

# data[].attributes.body
My name is Liam Edis.

I enjoy using up all the leftover ingredients in the kitchen to make an improvised dinner.

I like learning about students’ interests so that I can incorporate them into lessons, if appropriate.

Here is a picture of my beloved dogs.

I intend to research how I might teach Year [?] students at [Redacted school name] about the massacres of First Nations peoples.

# data[].attributes.body
I'm Youngken Huang. My learning areas are mathematics and psychology.

My favourite way to build relationships with my students is by trying to learn and understand their interests.

For my current inquiry topic I am thinking about either: 1) how to support students with math's anxiety or 2) how to develop self-efficacy for students learning mathematics.

# data[].attributes.body
I am Ho Yan. You can call me Michelle. I am from Hong Kong. I like the smell of bergamot in hand cream but not in Earl Grey tea. I miss my cat and wish to spend more time with her when I go back to Hong Kong. My cat is one of the most important things to me. My favourite way to build relationships with children is to listen to them, be with them (when they need me). My potential inquiry topic is related to mental health and wellbeing of young children, i.e. how I can create a learning environment that is emotionally affirming and validating.

# data[].attributes.body
My name is Yuxi, and I'm doing Maths and Chinese as my learning areas. I was born and raised in China. Instead of doing VCE, I did A-Level at high school. I think listening and then communicating is the key to building relationships with students. I also think feeling related to students in some situations can make students feel safe and would like to trust me, then we can have a better relationship.

# data[].attributes.body
My name is Megan O’Hea. I'm studying Early Childhood and Primary. I grew up in country NSW, about 2 hours from Sydney. I moved to Victoria for my job at a boarding school for Aboriginal girls.

Learning names is number one for connecting with students but also I like to hear about life outside of the classroom - student’s families, interests, what they did on the weekend etc. - to give context for our learning.

My topic will be framed around examining my place as a non-Indigenous person working in schools where the majority (or total) cohort is Indigenous students.

# data[].attributes.body
My name is Joyce Lyn and I am from Malaysia. I have completed my Bachelor in Economics with Honours in my home country. Before I embarked on this journey to become and Early Childhood Teacher, I have spent 9 years working in the corporate world but I found myself consistently unfulfilled by my work, yearning for something more meaningful. Hence, I reflected on what bring me sense of purpose and joy, and discovered that it is through my coaching of new team members as well as babysitting my niece during her early years.

My preferred approach to connecting with children involves immersing myself in their world, participating in their play, singing and dancing along with them, and most importantly, actively listening to each child's thoughts, interests, and stories that they bring with them. I believe that it is also essential to communicate with children by understanding their non-verbal cues, gestures, and body movements.

Through this capstone project, I am intending to explore further on how to enhance my teaching practice to create an inclusive learning environment for all children, with a specific focus on incorporating Indigenous ways of learning, culturally responsive curriculum, place-based pedagogy, strength-based approaches, and on-Country learning experiences. I will work towards providing social justice for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and families whereby ultimately, this capstone project will prepare me to contribute effectively to the Reconciliation Action Plan program at the centre where I teach in the future.

# data[].attributes.body
Hello! My name is Lilly and I’m in the Primary stream. I grew up on the Sunshine Coast in QLD, love crafting and currently work at a before and after school care centre. I love connecting with kids through play, as well as by listening to their interests, both in and outside of school, and finding a way to connect my own with theirs to create that initial bond. I think listening is key in building these relationships and creating a safe space for kids to share their lives.

I would like to focus my inquiry around investigating different approaches for ‘behaviour management’ within classrooms, focusing specifically on how as an educator, I can establish meaningful connections with students facing disadvantage or trauma outside of school – external factors which may impact students’ behaviour, learning opportunities, access to education and engagement. This may involve exploring trauma informed approaches to teaching aimed at addressing the unique challenges faced by students living in disadvantaged or trauma affected circumstances and exploring strategies for creating a classroom environment where students feel valued, encouraged, and empowered to learn by prioritising their well-being. This may extend to an investigation into the correlation between disadvantage and/or trauma and behavioural patterns within the school environment, delving into the critical link between student behaviour, relationships with learning and the influence of backgrounds marked by disadvantage or trauma, with a focus on discovering/researching pedagogies that foster meaningful teacher-student relationships (that encourage learning and resilience).

(sorry for the lengthy paragraph, i'm still trying to get my head around it so it might be a bit of word vomit)

# data[].attributes.body
My name is Emily Tucker. I am doing a masters in Primary Teaching. I am from Melbourne. Before this course I studied Applied Linguistics. I currently work as an EAL teacher and digital mentor to adult migrants and refugees.

I am really interested in exploring best strategies for teaching EAL/D children in a mainstream English classroom. This question is important to me as I have seen in my placements how these students can be left behind when a teacher is not aware how to best differentiate their teaching. I also found it difficult to juggle the demands of all learners with different languages and proficiencies. I am also interested in intertwining the concept of wellbeing and resilience into these questions but haven't quite worked out how to do that quite yet!

# data[].attributes.body
My name is Eloise. I am in the secondary program, specialising in Biology and Science.  I am interested in building learner engagement with science and I would like to know more about how factors such as cultural barriers, language, disability, and diversity can negatively impact this engagement.

# data[].attributes.body
Hi my name is Sam, my specialisations are Art and Design and English. I have a background in architecture and have written a thesis on the lasting impressions of bodily experience. I am interested in engagement and developing these practices. sjdawson1@student.unimelb.edu.au

# data[].attributes.body
Hi! I am Tom and my learning areas are secondary Commerce and Economics. I absolutely love running and triathlons and compete in events from 800m all the way up to 60km ultramarathons. I also love going away on camping trips at the beach and watching the footy!

For me, connecting with students and relating to them is the way I build relationships with them. I find that when they feel as though they have things in common with you and see you as a more than just their teacher who has been assigned to them, they're more comfortable and motivated to give everything a go.

For my Capstone, I am interested in investigating the ways my teaching practice and teaching practices in general can increase school attendance for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students. I have family who are currently experiencing this so it is something that's close to me.

Look forward to meeting you all!

# data[].attributes.body
Hi! My name is Wilson and I'm in the secondary stream. I have completed a BoA in history and politics. I find that building relationships with students and being understanding of the factors outside of the classroom that can affect learning is key in creating a safe and constructive environment to learn in. I'm really interested in the way in which students of different SES demographics access the civics and citizenship curriculum and to what extent the politics curriculum empowers students of different socioeconomic backgrounds.

# data[].attributes.body
My name is Amy, my disciplines are science and biology in secondary teaching. I spent half of my life in China and the other half in Australia. My favourite way to connect with students is to make sure they feel respected, and their voice be valued all the time. I'm interested in how cultural and personal experience/knowledge could be used as an advantage to improve engagement in science learning.

# data[].attributes.body
Hello! I'm Laveena, a fellow Malaysian studying her Master of Teaching (Primary) here. I've taught in PYP schools in Kuala Lumpur and Beijing and am more than happy to share my thoughts and experiences with anyone interested. I see some cat lovers here - we have that in common!

Explicit teaching is the main approach in Asian classrooms. Since coming here, I've seen incredibly rich differentiation and authentic open-ended teaching. For my capstone, I am keen to explore the perfect balance between these two teaching approaches. Get in touch with me at laveena.kukanesan@student.unimelb.edu.au if you think we'd make a great team!

# data[].attributes.body
Hi I'm Claire Haywood. I'm from the outer west of Melbourne, right on the boarder of what is considered metro and regional. I have been a dance & drama teacher as well as a professional entertainer/creator for approx. 20 years. I'm obsessed with research and learning and am beyond excited for this capstone project!

I completed my honours thesis in 2007 and became addicted to research since then. My plan is to do my PhD next year!

I'm also a parent to 2 children who have taught me more about the world and myself than I ever thought possible!

I'm interested in the teacher's experience, specifically teachers with disabilities as I myself have several conditions that make it difficult for me to navigate the world.

I am really looking forward to working with 'critical friends' to develop both my and their projects.

# data[].attributes.body
Hello, I’m Leah Sellers-Fay! I am from Mulubinba (Newcastle, NSW) and moved down to Naarm to commence the M.Teach in Primary Education. My favourite spaces to learn are contrasting: a busy public library, or outside on the grass in the calm, depending on which mode I am in. I would like to base my research in the field of inclusion and intersectionality. I have interests in disability within education, holistic education, and Indigenous inclusion in curriculum.

# data[].attributes.body
Hi, my name is Bella and I am studying primary education. I feel very fortunate to have had exposure to a multitude of opportunities while at school. Providing opportunities for students to recognise their potential through education is what I love most about teaching. I am currently working in a school as a performing arts teacher and loving teaching through a play based learning approach. I am currently loving building props and sets and creating costumes, to support students to create their own worlds of performance. Creating relationships with students for me sees a lot of sharing and talking. I love hearing about students’ worlds in and outside of the classroom, and them sharing with me their likes and dislikes. I also find sharing with students what I enjoy supports them to see me as a person and not just a teacher.

I am wanting to deepen my understanding for how I as a non-Indigenous teacher can authentically and appropriately support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives, culture and history in the classroom. I feel this is significant as I worry there are significant and dangerous gaps in inclusion and recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives in schools.

# data[].attributes.body
My name is Cuiru Liang. I'm from China and in ECP right now. I like communicating with students and observing their interests or personalities. I haven't decided my topic yet, but I might want to focus on classroom management or class sustainability.