Photographed above is 2020 Vice-Chancellor Sessional Staff Award recipient, Leeanne Mendonca De Mello from Macquarie Business School.
Leeanne Mendonca De Mello is a dedicated tutor within the Macquarie Business School. Her reputation for great teaching meant she was chosen to record tutorials for students in last years’ shift to online learning. Leeanne’s aim was to create the same classroom ‘feel’ for students learning online. She understood that facing the class was key in keeping students engaged and interacting effectively throughout the lesson. Leeanne transitioned from a whiteboard to a visualiser and utilised a stylus for live zoom sessions. These tools allowed students to connect her illustrations with her explanations in real-time and helped the students comprehend the application efficiently.
My passion for teaching stems from my satisfaction when students leave each tutorial feeling empowered and confident to return with an ‘I-can-do-it!’ attitude.
The Assessment Panel commended her facilitation of a safe and interactive learning environment that successfully integrated the important elements of innovation, adaptability, and empathy. The Panel acknowledged her discussion of physical body language as paramount to engagement, use of the Visualiser as discussed in her Teche article, and student surveys that corroborated her encouragement of students and helpful attitude as particularly noteworthy.
The Sessional Staff Award recognises staff for their approaches to teaching and support of learning that influences, motivates and inspires students to learn.
Interested in applying?
Attend the Award Application Writing Workshop on 30th June for hints, tips, and help to make your application competitive.
All award information including key dates, guidelines and FAQs can be found on the Awards in teaching website. If you have any questions related to this years’ Awards, please contact the Operations Team or refer to the FAQ’s.
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