I support children and young people being home educated, or those not thriving in traditional eduation settings. I specialise in classic education, integrated and holistic learning support, educational coaching, and child development guidance.

I act as an intermediary betwen the unique world of the child and the parental responsibility to provide a rich, developmentally appropriate, and philosophically sound learning environment for their children.

I am qualified as a teacher with additional training and qualifications in various alternative pedagogies, but I have untangled these titles from who I am with chil*dren, as I find them limiting and meaningless in isolation. No single educational system or approach can encapsulate what a child requires to thrive in this world as a confident, aware, and independent agent in this world.

Education is not a transmission of knowledge. Learning is deeply human, relational, and inseparable from life itself. My approach is research-informed, developmentally aligned, and shaped by continual personal and professional growth.

I am particularly interested in alternative education, home education, unschooling, world schooling, and nature-based learning. I believe children thrive when they are given space for curiosity, independence, creativity, deep focus, and genuine participation in their own learning process.

I am interested in the localisation movement which involves building small communities (“human-scale economies”) so we can reconnect with our food, education, healthcare, natural environment and each other. I am also drawn to ideas of deep ecology and the primal connection between humans and the natural world. I see my work with children as my small contribution to this global work.

Why alternative education?

Traditional education makes many divisions between organic wholes. It divides children from nature, learning from experience, and discipline from connection. It separates the mind and the heart, and it doesn’t allow children to grow up knowing that all the parts of themselves are equally valuable and equally appreciated.

This kind of education can dull curiosity, prioritise extrinsic over intrinsic motivation, and rush children through learning without providing time for deep focus. Too often, it’s teacher-centred — which leaves little room for developing social and emotional skills, collaboration, and real-world problem solving. Children don’t have the space to cultivate an inner ethical compass or to make their own discoveries. True curiosity is dead for most children by high school. Many home and [well] alternative-schooled children report going to university and being quite shocked at how little their peers care for the process of learning. Our culture has, since the advent of modern schools, conflated the institution of the school with the process of learning. In truth, the school itself is not a prerequisite for socialisation, learning, the development of one’s will and personality, or a true education for life.

Learning is not separable from life itself, and it is not the transmission of static bodies of knowledge to the passive and receptive child. There is an element of mystery to what every child will become, but this process is continually guided by the adults in the child’s life and the kind of activity s/he engages in. This is a continuum beginning at birth. Real education should exist in a rich atmosphere of beauty, inspiration, knowledge and values, and allow the child to act with ever increasing levels of complexity, independence, and in service of ever widening groups until he is confidently able to take his place within society itself, possessing awareness of his gifts and a readiness to contribute them in service to humanity and the world.

Sometimes people think that ‘alternative education’ and academics are mutually exclusive. In fact, home schooled children have been shown to receive on average better results than mainstream educated children on key standardised tests in Australia. Academics are very important but children need to be more active in the process, and robust alternative philosophies solve this problem in very intelligent ways. Teaching does not imply learning. The belief that it does is an illusion built in to the structure of our school systems. Learning is complex, multi-sensory process and academic success depends more on developmental stage, relationship with teachers, and a child’s sense of comfort/safety than many people think.

What I Offer

I support families seeking learning experiences beyond traditional tutoring or standardised schooling approaches.

I offer individualised support for:

• home educated and alternatively educated children

  • classical education, Montessori, Waldorf, attachment-based, nature-based learning

  • extending beyond the simplistic national curriculum to a rich, tailored education for your child

  • aligning parental/familiy values with a pedagogical approach

• children struggling within mainstream schooling

• families seeking more connected and developmentally appropriate approaches to learning

• children needing emotional, relational, or confidence-based support around education

At the heart of my work is a deep respect for childhood, human development, and the uniqueness of each learner.

My pedagogy is most influenced by Maria Montessori. However I and the way I work have been influenced by so many others, in many cases not within the realm of education. Education is above all a human act, and we must treat it with the reverence and humanity it deserves.

I run a learning community of 6-9 year old homeschooled children. We meet 2-3 times per week to learn as a closely guided community. I have considered how every aspect of the environment and the child’s activities within it practically serve what I currently think are the core intentions of education.

The children will explore the whole world through their own physical and mental activity, that is, through talking, thinking, discovering and generating their own output. Through this, they will practice their skills of questioning, imagination, communication and persistence.

Outside my work

In life, I would call myself a learner. I love to read, inquire, speak to people and make new connections. I love to cook, I commit to regular Zen and insight meditation practice and retreats, I learn Italian and music, and therapy supports me to (forever) build my emotional capacity and tools. I especially enjoy being in the ocean and embarking on long hikes in the wilderness and usually solo!

My educational approach is shaped by:

• Deep passion for learning, which makes me curious, engaged and right there in the process. All my favourite teachers loved the world and that inspired me.

• Montessori philosophy, a system now widely validated by research for its long-term academic and social benefits.

• Attachment-based developmental theory, through training with the Neufeld Institute, which explores how secure relationships support learning and emotional regulation.

• Nature-based mentoring, where self-awareness, resilience, and independence are cultivated through connection to the natural world.

• Collaborative communication, including nonviolent communication, democratic decision making, and restorative practices.

My work integrates these frameworks into practical, individualised support that respects each learner’s pace, strengths, and challenges.