Hi, I’m Katrina,

After over two decades in secondary teaching, academic tutoring, and research, I’ve learned that learning works best when people feel safe, seen, and capable. When new ideas are connected to lived experience, broken into achievable steps, and taught within a supportive relationship, learners build confidence, motivation, and genuine understanding.

Effective learning also depends on the educator. Teachers who understand themselves and draw on their own lived experience are better able to connect, adapt, and respond to learners with authenticity and insight.

Through Joy Lab Learning, I support students to strengthen academic skills, build self-efficacy, and restore a love of learning. When students discover they are capable, something shifts — confidence grows, and belief in their own potential begins to take root.

In the Joy Lab, students are guided through an individualised learning program aligned to their specific goals. Whether the focus is writing essays, refining sentence structure and clarity, or strengthening creative and persuasive writing skills, lessons are tailored to individual needs. Students are provided with take-home resources to consolidate learning between sessions.

In a small, low-distraction environment, ongoing support helps students develop and practise essential writing skills at their own pace, supporting both academic tasks and confident communication.