Inclusive and kind approach to teaching recognised with Higher Education Academy Fellowship
Monash Rural Health senior lecturer, Associate Professor Margaret Simmons, has recently been awarded Senior Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy (HEA). This internationally recognised achievement acknowledges her extensive experience and innovative approach to delivering inclusive education.
A consistent thread throughout Associate Professor Simmons’ career is drawing on authenticity and lived experience, as well as showcasing the integration of other areas of medicine alongside the social determinants of health. She has delivered an interactive LGBTQIA+ workshop involving those with expertise and lived experience, to over 1000 Monash medical students. To introduce first-year medical students to family violence, Associate Professor ran a well-received workshop featuring family violence workers, clinicians and Victoria Police. Her dedication and commitment to sustainability and climate change is also exemplified by her delivery of sessions on the topic to graduate entry medical students for over 10 years, developing this in collaboration with fellow lecturer Dr David Reser, into an exciting gamified activity.
Associate Professor Simmons was also previously recognised with the Vice-Chancellor’s Educational Excellence Award for Inclusion and Diversity in 2020.
Associate Professor Simmons felt that the highlights of her career were working with such willing and informed colleagues and keen community members from the local area, showing what can be achieved educationally within a rural environment.
“Rural educators can be at the forefront of innovative and cutting-edge learning experiences for students. I have not been fearful of trialling new approaches, particularly with the support of a strong professional and academic teaching and leadership team. At the same time, I also do an incredible amount of research and planning to (hopefully) ensure success! I also strongly resist the notion that ‘rural’ is somehow inferior, recognising that we have to continually work for parity and equity for our rural patient and student cohorts.”
Applying for the fellowship allowed Assoc. Prof Simmons to reflect on her formative and contemporary teaching experiences and frame them in terms of educational literature.
“Finding the Pedagogy of Kindness was a huge bonus as it allowed me to name the approach that I had intuitively been using in my teaching for years, but now I had a theory that unequivocally supports its use. Who would have thought that being nice was supported with evidence as a way for students to learn and better appreciate the teaching relationship with educators? Who would have thought that being nice is a thing and that it is okay – indeed, more than okay?!”
Dr Tammy Smith, Director of Education at Monash Rural Health, congratulated Associate Professor Simmons on achieving Senior Fellowship.
"Marg has been instrumental in so many areas of teaching and learning at Churchill and across MRH and the University more broadly. I’d like to once again congratulate her on becoming a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. It is a wonderful recognition of her influence and impact.“