Hi, I’m Dominique!

Inspiraminds Founder

With years of classroom experience and four children of her own, Dominique began to identify how differently children responded to stressful situations. Whether this was from nurture or nature each child has their own unique was of responding to challenges. This was how the concept behind the picture book series was developed. A way to show children, through stories, that these feelings are normal and even though they look different in everyone we are all navigating the same challenges. It is how we learn to deal with them that changes how we feel about ourselves and others. 

Through the years of experience working as a teacher and becoming a parent to four, Dominique began to see a common thread in children. A common battle between behaviour and emotions. Parents would often ask for advice when trying to understand why their child behaved a certain way in a stressful situation. It was often linked to a lack of understanding as to how the brain worked and limited skills or capacity to support behaviour. 

When learning to navigate her own parenting style she realised yelling, arguing and demanding children to behave a certain way was toxic for small children in learning to understand how to respond to big emotions. It also magnified the behaviour which lead to further frustrations and disconnection. 

There is no handbook for parenting and the scope and demand on teachers to support emotional intelligence is forever growing. Our role as teachers and parents is to educate and guide our children to feel safe to learn whilst recognising and managing nig feelings. It is perfectly normal to struggle to regulate emotions when we haven't learnt how.

Building empathy to understand others rather than label and judge creates connections.

Becoming a teacher was something that began with passion and continues to grow.

School was not always an easy place. Dominique didn't learn like everyone else. After leaving school the path was not clear and it took some time unlearn the negative mindset that was embedded throughout the years of formal education, that she was a 'failure'!

It was when Dominique realised her dream was to help other kids who didn't learn the same way as her that she attended University and completed a Bachelor of Education in Special Education. She naturally gravitated towards the area of study where she felt would allow the most growth and learning around students needing extra support.

Teaching has been Dominique's life-long passion. With over 25 years in the industry, she has always worked in the area of Learning Support and behaviour. It is the children that teachers struggle with the most that she loved to teach. Supporting teachers to unlock the areas of need through compassion and connection so that all students have the capacity to learn and reach their full potential was her proudest moments in teaching. 

This lead Dominique to create bigger change through educating the educators, supporting the parents in an attempt to link all stakeholders with one shared vision - creating lifelong learners.

Dominique’s Background

Bachelor Degree in Education majoring in Special Education

  • Over 20 years as a primary school teacher - including 5 years as an mentor and leader to develop beginning teachers and support best practice.

  • Learning Support Team within school - managing and supporting challenging classroom behaviours

  • Providing in-class support strategies for individuals, teachers and whole school.

  • Working closely with the school psychologist to support at-risk students,

  • Written and developed a whole school-led program for well-being and anxiety.

  • Run multiple support groups for students with friendship challenges, regulation concerns and anxiety.

  • Secret Agent Society facilitator - trained and led several groups

  • Author - emotional regulation series for children aged 3-13

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