About the teacher
My name is Nicole Dawson, I have four children who I homeschooled for over 14 years. I've embraced many differing philosophies over the years, and have found that unschooling is what has worked best for my family.
My family spent 3 and a half years traveling the United States, Canada, England and Europe, where I spent time with over 17 different home schooling groups. I was exposed to a wealth of education and parenting styles, and willingly learnt as much as I could.
I've have quite a curious mind and have enjoyed the fields of science and mathematics for as long as I can remember. My current interests are the psychology of motivation, ecopedagogy, plant science and indigenous epistemologies. I've studied 24 first year subjects covering chemistry, physics, mathematics, biology, psychology, computer programming, economics, law and education. I've completed a bachelors of science with a major in psychology at the University of Melbourne.
I love to learn, and I find that teaching is learning on a whole other level. Not only do I get to enjoy the unique satisfaction that comes with bringing learning to others, but I also get to learn my subject material with greater depth and from multiple perspectives with teaching in a way that I do not with my personal studies.
I'm also drawn to creative pursuits, including oil painting, drawing, poetry and particularly music. I've been playing piano since I was seven years old, I've studied music theory and love to improvise. As an older teenager I took up the violin and spent time busking right up the east coast of Australia. Currently I'm passionate about the guitar and piano.