Pola Fanous
Sydney,NSW
Summary
Dynamic Education Professional and Junior Product Manager with over 5 years of experience in guiding the creation and continuous improvement of artistic and educational products, from concept to launch. I possess a strong background in teaching, as a NESA-certified Proficient Teacher with 3.5+ years of full-time experience across multiple subjects, states, and educational systems. My expertise extends to product design, market research, and consumer behaviour, paired with a Master's degree in Secondary Teaching (Leading Learning). As the founder of a successful Poetry Education business, I have designed, delivered, and developed educational products across 15+ schools in NSW, Tasmania, and South Australia. I am passionate about the intersection of education and product design, bringing a creative, insightful, and data-driven approach to enhancing educational experiences.
Overview
9
9
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Business Studies and Commerce Teacher
Penrith Christian School
12.2023 - Current
- Owning, planning and managing the successful running of the Commerce Market Day Stall initiative
- Participated in ongoing professional development opportunities to stay informed about current trends in commerce education and implement innovative teaching techniques in the classroom.
- Introduced real-life examples of commerce concepts into lessons, increasing student engagement and practical application of knowledge.
- Increased student participation by incorporating group projects and interactive activities into lesson plans.
- Evaluated student progress through formative and summative assessments, providing targeted feedback for improvement.
Founder and Head Poet
Pola Fanous Poetry
10.2015 - Current
- Wrote and performed dynamic Spoken-Word poetry for audiences Australia-wide.
- Won the 2018 NSW Poetry Slam Championship
- Managed complex creative projects to build a successful poetry brand, such as website creation, book writing, editing, design printing and shipping, performance planning, and workshop design.
- Spearheaded the design, delivery and development of Poetry Education products.
- Consulted with educators across NSW to design and deliver custom Spoken Word Poetry Workshops tailored for their students' curriculum-based, and cultural needs.
- Taught poetry writing and performance at schools across NSW, including James
Ruse Agricultural High School, St Clair High School, Liverpool Boys High School,
East Hills Boys High School and St Augustine's College - Wrote and published two books of original poetry and prose
- Liaised with community organizations to schedule and perform a National Poetry
Tour, with performances in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Tasmania. - Listener in Residence and Guest Speaker at ChangeFest 19', a national festival celebrating indigenous culture.
English Teacher, Project Lead: Poetry Slam Project
Sydney Catholic Schools
01.2023 - 12.2023
- Co-spearheaded Sydney Catholic Schools' Poetry Slam Project: leading Teacher Professional Development on utilising Spoken Word Poetry in the classroom and facilitating poetry workshops for Sydney Catholic Schools across the South-West Sydney network.
- Planned and delivered dynamic lessons to increase student comprehension of books and literary concepts.
- Designed and implemented assessments to measure student progress in English language learning.
- Assessed student progress and provided feedback to improve performance and establish academic success.
- Utilized data to inform instructional decisions and personalize learning.
- Utilized multimedia strategies and technology to convey information in innovative and engaging ways.
- Supported student skill development in alignment with personal and academic goals.
- Participated in professional development opportunities to maintain teaching best practices and enhance my skill set.
- Prepared comprehensive English curriculum for multiple classes to be taught to a cohort of ~250 students.
Assistant House Leader
Victorian Department of Education
11.2021 - 12.2022
- Counseled students pastorally in managing their academic and interpersonal challenges
- Created plans to support student safety and liaised with stakeholders to ensure their implementation
- Led House assemblies and utilised ICT to facilitate School Assemblies for the House cohort of approximately 170 students
- Supported student de-escalation and proactively led conflict resolution processes in Emergency Situations
- Greeted students at the house door each day, to build a culture of connectedness and respect, in line with the whole-school vision
English and Humanities Teacher
Victorian Department Of Education
01.2021 - 12.2022
- Taught English to students across Stages 4 and 5, resulting in students seeing learning improvements of 0.5-1 year, per term
- Diversified teaching methods and instructional materials to better cater to students' varying interests and diverse social, emotional, and cognitive needs
- Conferred with English faculty members regularly to evaluate, improve and create school-wide curriculum to enhance student learning
- Created Weekly Learning Plans to be taught across all Year 7 English classes to a cohort of approximately 170 students
- Collaborated with Principal Class to design, develop and model school-wide programs for teaching staff e.g. Learning Support Group initiative.
Leadership Development Program Associate
Teach for Australia
12.2020 - 12.2022
- Developed robust teaching skill set and knowledge base through advanced professional development opportunities, including tailored mentorship from Principal Class, Industry Leaders and Academic Mentors to consistently improve my teaching practice.
- Conducted Research Project on the efficacy of Essential Assessment in engaging and supporting student growth in Year 7 English. Findings resulted in a reassessment of the use of Essential Assessment for the group.
Education
Master of Teaching - Secondary (Leading Learning)
Australian Catholic University
Online12.2022
Bachelor of Arts - English
The University of Sydney
Sydney, NSW12.2020
Skills
- Data-driven decision-making, including conducting interviews with clients post-delivery, as well as harnessing social media analytics to improve brand-building strategy,
- Conducting long-term research projects to improve classroom learning, including data-gathering and critically analysing qualitative and quantitative data
- Design thinking: including ideating, testing, reflecting, and iterating products to continually enhance the product
- Utilising and deploying digital administration interfaces like Compass, Xuno, Daymap and Google Classroom to track and manage academic data
- Deploying ICT to assess and enhance student learning by using applications such as Essential Assessment, Vivi, Google Classrooms, ClickView and other online tools
- Communicating clearly and eloquently, in writing and speech
- Collaborating within and across teams to achieve prioritized goals
- High attention to detail and intrinsic insight into how to improve creative projects
- Expert in evidence-backed teaching methodologies and instructional design
Certification
- Product Launches Micro-Certification, Product School
- HLTAID011 Provide First Aid, Reviva, 2024
- Protecting Children - Reporting and Other Legal Obligations (Mandatory Reporting), Victoria State Government, 2021
- WWCC Number: WWC1724315E
- Community Coaching General Principles, Sport Australia, 2020
Timeline
Business Studies and Commerce Teacher
Penrith Christian School
12.2023 - Current
English Teacher, Project Lead: Poetry Slam Project
Sydney Catholic Schools
01.2023 - 12.2023
Assistant House Leader
Victorian Department of Education
11.2021 - 12.2022
English and Humanities Teacher
Victorian Department Of Education
01.2021 - 12.2022
Leadership Development Program Associate
Teach for Australia
12.2020 - 12.2022
Founder and Head Poet
Pola Fanous Poetry
10.2015 - Current
Master of Teaching - Secondary (Leading Learning)
Australian Catholic University
Bachelor of Arts - English
The University of Sydney
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