Jessica teaches and convenes in a range of units in the early childhood education courses, working across units that focus on the creative arts, philosophy, languages and literacy.
Jessica is a teaching-focused academic with the College of Arts, Education, Business, Law and IT in the early childhood education degree courses. She has been working at Victoria University since 2019 as a sessional lecturer and a mentor for pre-service teachers. Jessica is currently the Course Chair of the Graduate Diploma in Early Childhood Education and teaches and convenes early childhood units.
Jessica completed her MEd in 2016 with a focus on the International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme, examining the concept of ‘international mindedness’ through intercultural understanding, global engagement and multilingualism.
Her current areas of interest are the creative arts, philosophy and social justice in early childhood. She is currently contributing to research on play in urban environments, and the creative arts and philosophy in early childhood teacher education.
Portfolios
Early Childhood Education, College of Arts, Business, Law, Education & IT
Areas of expertise
- Philosophy and ethics
- Social Justice
- Creativity & the arts
- International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme (IB PYP)
- Inquiry-based learning
Contact details
Teaching responsibilities
Conference presentations
Grimes, J., McLaren, M., Walsh, J., Jobson, S., & Maskiell, A. (2023). The Ethics of Play in Public Spaces. Livable Cities Conference, Architecture, Media, Politics and Society (AMPS), New York 2023.
McLaren, M., Grimes, J., & Jobson, S. & Munari, A., (2022). Extraordinary in the ordinary: Complexities of belonging in the city. Reggio Emilia Australia Information Exchange 2022 Research Symposium.
Grimes, J., Gordon, P., & Jobson, S. (2022). The creative arts in early childhood teacher education as a site of resistance to neoliberalism. Equity, Inclusion and Agency (EIA) Virtual Conventicle.
McLaren, M., Walsh, J., Grimes, J., & Jobson, S. (2022). Pop-up playspaces children’s agency, inclusion and ethics in public places. Equity, Inclusion and Agency (EIA) Virtual Conventicle.
McLaren, M., Grimes, J., & Walsh, J. (2021) Play as a Liberating Pedagogy in an Urban Environment. 3rd International Conference Paulo Freire: The Global Legacy.
McLaren, M., Walsh, J., Scott, C., Jobson, S., Nehma, N., Mascarenhas, P., Chen, J., & Grimes, J. (2021) Playspaces in public places: The ethical and social challenges of a pop up urban playspace in Melbourne, Australia. Publicness: Seminar Series, Public Pedagogies Institute.
Publications
McLaren, M., Grimes, J., & Jobson, S. & Munari, A., (2023). ‘'The response-abiity of a public pop-up playspace: Deep listening at Mini Maddern in inner city Melbourne’'. The Challenge: Journal of the Reggio Emilia Australia Information Exchange. 27 (1). pp. 5-9.
Industry experience
Jessica has worked in primary and early childhood education settings both locally and globally. She has worked in education in Johannesburg, South Africa, as a classroom teacher in primary schools in Melbourne and regional Victoria, and as a kindergarten teacher in Kampot, Cambodia. She has also mentored pre-service early childhood teachers in a range of early childhood education settings.
