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Teaching Notes Authors

Gillian Birrell is an English and Humanities teacher at Princes Hill Secondary College in Victoria. She has previously taught at St Leonard's College and Highvale Secondary College. Gillian has a Master of Teaching from the University of Melbourne, in which she specialised in literacy development and the teaching of Shakespeare through drama.

Louise Bourke is currently Head of English at Geelong College in Victoria where she also teaches English and Literature. She has a Masters of Education and has held positions as a VCE assessor, a member of the VCAA text advisory panels for both Literature and English and a member of the VCE English exam setting panel. She has previously been Head of English at a large Catholic School in the northern suburbs of Melbourne and taught English in government schools in the Western suburbs.

Jill Fitzsimons is the Curriculum Leader at St Columba’s College and is a VCE English teacher. Jill was previously English Learning Leader at Whitefriars College and has taught at Genazzano FCJ College, Loreto Mandeville Hall and Mackillop College, Swan Hill. She has worked as a VCE English and GAT assessor and has presented workshops for VCE English teachers. Jill has also appeared on ABC Melbourne’s Sunday School program for VCE students and has written a variety of study guides for VCE English and Literature.

Sarah Mirams taught English and history at Sunbury Secondary College for sixteen years, and worked as a history curriculum consultant at the Museum of Victoria and Heritage Victoria. She is the author of several history textbooks for primary and secondary students. Her sole-owner consultancy, Past and Future Perspectives, specialises in historical research, environmental history, commissioned histories and history education. Sarah was awarded her PhD  in 2011, and is an Adjunct Research Fellow at the Monash University School of Philosophical, Historical and Social Studies.