Melanie is a Brisbane-based high school English and Drama teacher, writer, and illustrator. With over 17 years of experience in diverse school settings around the world, she has honed her skills as an educator who values high expectations, student voice, and teacher agency.

She has a keen interest in educational philosophy, which she explores in her writing that can be read on her blog and which has been published in The Sydney Morning Herald and on the ABC. In addition, she regularly mentors early career and prac teachers, and has worked as a sessional academic at the Queensland University of Technology in English Curriculum design.

Her side hustle, Bare Bones Teaching, offers illustrated character maps and resources that help students to unpack classic literature – from Shakespeare to Austen. Bare Bones is also on YouTube, where Melanie shares helpful videos for students and teachers ranging from curriculum ideas, exam prep, teacher strategies, and text analysis.

Her most recent achievement was writing and directing a short film, Something Wicked This Way Comes, which was submitted to Bell Shakespeare’s annual national short film festival. This production showcased the talent and hard work of students with disabilities and won the Community Spirit Award for 2024.

LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/melanie-ralph-a5aab2270/

YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3ORPIg9_BVvBDfU6-In5-A

Teachers Pay Teachers store:  https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Bare-Bones

Buy me a coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/barebones