Australia’s Best Teachers: Oxley College’s Joe Quilty gives teacher Justin Verco a painting
Student Joe Quilty wanted to give something special as a thank-you gift to his Year 12 teacher. It had to be unique, it had to be memorable.
NSW
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Student Joe Quilty wanted to give something special as a thank-you gift to his inspirational Year 12 teacher Justin Verco.
It had to be unique, it had to be memorable — it had to be an original painting.
Joe, the son of well-known artist Ben Quilty, was so impressed by the dedication of his modern history teacher and football coach at Oxley College in Burradoo he wanted to gift him an everlasting memory of the impact he’d had on his life.
“Mr Vervo really deserved a painting. He was such a meaningful teacher. Not only was he an amazing, supportive teacher, he was cool and relaxed out of school. I really connected with him,” Joe, 18, said.
The oil painting shows a beautifully lit Australian landscape that Joe had captured on his phone near home. It reminded him of the World War II battlefields he’d studied in history and it struck him that it was the perfect scene to paint it for Mr Verco.
To personalise it, he added a rolled-over tank in the bottom right hand corner to reflect the wartime lessons they shared.
“I created my imaginary scene of a beautiful place with a dark history,” he said.
Mr Verco, 42, was astounded when Joe presented the painting to him a week after his HSC year finished and it now hangs proudly on his office wall.
“It’s a real, tangible reminder of why I do this job,” he said. “It faces my desk and if I am ever drowning in administrative stuff, whatever it is — marking reports or on the phone with an angry parent — it’s just a nice little reminder that there’s always good that comes out of these things. And there’s the living proof right in front of you hanging on the wall.”
Mr Verco said he tries to bring passion and zeal to all his history classes and he’s always happy when it touches his students.
“I can probably be a bit over-enthusiastic about some subjects, but I don’t apologise for that,” he said. “I like to think that enthusiasm rubs off on some of the students and it seems to have done that with Joe.”
Mr Verco, who explained he teaches to see kids like Joe fulfil their dreams, said he became emotional when he was presented with the artwork.
“It was really humbling,” he said. “It’s something that clearly took quite a bit of time and thought and effort. It’s really touching.”
Joe, who is now working as a farmhand on a large sheep farm near Tuross, said Mr Verco found fun ways to help the students remember historical events and dates.
“For example, there was this massive timeline behind us in class and whenever a lesson had a specific date, Mr Verco would get one of us to draw a scene of what the date represented and add it to the timeline,” Joe said.
Learning about the world wars has stuck in Joe’s mind.
“Mr Verco was great at putting you in someone else’s shoes, which I think is so important for history because then you have a feeling or emotion about something, which helps you to remember it.”
Joe said Mr Verco’s planning and research ahead of every lesson was impressive and he even predicted much of what the final exams would contain.
“He just really thought of everything,” he said.
NSW TEACHER HELPS BLIND STUDENTS WITH BRAILLE
Leumeah High School music teacher Karen Christophers went to extraordinary lengths to learn braille to help her blind student Kiara Risnes pursue her passion for the piano and singing.
The remarkable journey started when Kiara was in Year 7 and Ms Christophers began devoting her free time to learning music braille code and collaborating with specialist braille teacher Leanne Newhan to help transcribe the sheet music.
“I learned braille music so that I could teach her how to score through music. She really wanted to do music, and I wanted to ensure that nothing impeded her learning,” Ms Christophers said.
Learning braille for music was no small feat for both teacher and student, who studied it together.
“The Year 7 level was relatively manageable, but as the years went on, it got harder and harder, with more technical skills required,” Ms Christophers said.
By the time Kiara reached Year 12 last year, she was proficient in reading braille music.
“I can only read braille visually, but not with my fingers,” said Ms Christophers. “Her fingers are so sensitive; it’s amazing. She was like a sponge, she would soak up all this learning and she was so appreciative.”
Kiara said Ms Christophers went “above and beyond” to help her achieve her best.
“Learning the braille music code is basically like learning a new language so it wasn’t an easy task for Ms Christophers and I still can’t quite believe that she went to all that effort just for me. I’ll always look back on music with Ms Christophers with fond memories and thank her for all her support and everything she’s taught me.”
Kiara’s passion for music, particularly Renaissance and classical music, also clearly resonated with Ms Christophers.
“That’s the style I love, so yes we clicked on that. Her passion for what everybody else calls old-fashioned music really stood out,” she said.
“She also had perfect pitch, which is quite rare. That, combined with her passion, made her a truly remarkable student.”
Kiara was awarded early entry into a Bachelor of Arts, Major in Music at the University of NSW last year.
“You feel like all the effort you put in is worth it when a student gets to where they wanted to be,” Ms Christophers said.
Reflecting on her 20-plus years teaching career, she acknowledged that Kiara’s story was particularly special.
“She’s a combination of really skilful talents and a lot of passion. It’s students like her that make teaching such a rewarding profession.”
TEEN RUNAWAY TO SCHOOL PRINCIPAL
Ken Barwick ran away from home when he was just 11 years old to escape the scourge of domestic violence and ended up couch surfing to stay off the streets. That could have been the start of a formula downward spiral, had it not been for the kindness of a family from his soccer club who took him in until he finished his HSC.
Despite the hardships he endured at this formative age, Ken did not crumble. He is now a valued member of his community as the principal of Bathurst High – the very school he attended as a young runaway.
“I’m very proud of that journey, I’d never change it to be honest. Resilience is built on the back of experiences, and I think kids need to learn how to use the experiences that they have these days in ways to build a path forward,” he said.
“I think it goes back to my long term soccer coach, Joe Judge, who always said to me that you’re going to make mistakes in life, that’s for sure, but it is not the mistake that’s important. It’s what you do after you make that mistake. And I use that in every aspect of what we do in schools. We have to be realistic. The kids will make mistakes. Teachers will make mistakes, but it’s their behaviour and actions after that mistake that is the most important thing. And that’s where the greatest growth comes from.”
More than three decades on, Ken’s determination to rise above his difficult childhood has seen him triumph as a teacher and principal. He was awarded an Order of Australia medal in the King’s Birthday Honours List last year, and received the NSW Government Secretary’s Award for Excellent Service. Perhaps his greatest career honour though, is returning to Bathurst High School to fulfil his childhood prophecy that he would one day be principal there.
“I had a lifelong goal from a very early age that I was going to come back to back as the principal. Coming from a traumatic background, I know that kids’ self-esteem is built on positive reinforcement. And I do everything I can to keep kids positive, even though there’s negatives going on around them we have to highlight the things they’re good at. That’s what some teachers did with me in this school – it was the math teacher, it was the sport teacher and the woodwork teacher who saw a flair that nobody ever recognised … but they did.”
Ken says the greatest gift Bathurst High can give to students is routine and organisation and the support to unlock that bright spark.
“I often say to teachers when they’re down, it is hard work, but it’s hard work for a reason. And you’ve got to love the hard work because it’s those moments when you unlock a passion in a kid. That kid will come back and find you in 20 years and say, thank you.”
TEACHER USES AI TO HELP STUDENTS
Teacher Brenden Davidson is passionate about giving his students a glimpse into their futures.
The industrial technology specialist revels in introducing children to emerging tech tools such as AI knowing they will help shape their careers and livelihoods.
Teaching was not on Mr Davidson’s agenda when he graduated with a Bachelor of Design, but transitioning to a career in education has certainly been a win for St Mary’s Cathedral College.
Mr Davidson has spearheaded initiatives that have propelled the college to become a top-performing school for Industrial Technology in the state in 2018, 2020, 2022, and 2023.
“So initially, teaching wasn’t on my radar at all. After doing some industry experience and discussing it with other classmates who had gone down this path, I decided to pivot and do a Diploma in Education. It sounded like a much more engaging and interesting career option with a lot more variety.”
One of Mr Davidson’s key contributions has been integrating new and emerging technology in both the workshops and computer classes. The result of this effort was a 25 per cent increase in students selecting a technology elective in Years 9 to 10, and a 31 per cent increase in Years 11 and 12.
While some students will be inherently drawn to and excel in the industrial technology classes, all students can benefit from the practical nature of the subjects.
“I think it’s really exciting for the kids to be getting a look into their future or future careers. It was like the first time I came into contact with Generative AI … you’re giving the students something tangible. We know the world is moving in that direction,” he said.
Mr Davidson’s passion for integrating new technologies into teaching has seen him recognised as part of the Australia’s Best Teachers campaign, which celebrates the nation’s best educators. It also earned him a Premier’s Teachers Scholarship where he explored immersive technologies and presented findings on integrating them into education at various conferences.
“There’s often a risk that as teachers we will continue to use what I consider to be safe technologies, rather than exploring new ideas and leaning into what the students are using out there. So the thing I enjoy the most in teaching is being able to integrate those new and emerging technologies into my teaching, because they’re the things that the students are going to eventually have to use out there.”
As the TAS Instructional Leader, Mr Davidson said he has no regret switching career direction early on and his advice for teachers new to this path is: “Don’t be afraid to try new things”.
“At the beginning, you’re going try things and they’re not going to work. But you’re just going to keep on trying different things and different ideas, and then eventually things will start to click.”
It’s about trying different strategies and just seeing how they go. No one’s going to be a successful teacher from day one. It’s about implementing different things to see what works … and that goes for all teachers, because every class that you get is going to be different. You go through this process every year about what’s going to work for this particular class. You can’t use the same strategies that you used last year because your cohorts are different.”
NSW PRINCIPAL: ‘I WANTED TO SCALE UP THE DIFFERENCE I COULD MAKE’
Like so many in her profession, Belinda Giudice entered teaching driven by a desire to “make a difference in the outcomes of young people”.
With a passion for “equity and excellence” Ms Giudice started her career in 2000 as a personal development, health and physical education teacher.
She is now the proud principal of Western Sydney’s Prairiewood High School, a role she’s held for almost six years.
After almost 25 years in the industry, Ms Giudice said despite the many changes, technological advancements and increased pressures on schools, her motivation remained constant.
“I’ve always been involved in low socio economic school, within the public system, and I have a passion for, equity and excellence,” she said.
“I moved into leadership because I wanted to scale up the difference that I could make.”
Under Ms Giudice’s guidance, Prairiewood HS had significant improvements in Year 7-12 student outcomes, attendance and HSC retention, leading to attending Harvard in the US for the Teachers Mutual Bank Principals Scholarship in 2022.
“The scholarship was absolutely instrumental in continuing my professional learning journey of being able to apply, leadership tools to drive school improvement,” she said.
“You need to absolutely keep up with best practice research and on the strategies that can drive continuous improvement.”
Acknowledging the country’s current teacher shortage crisis and increasing pressures in various facets of the industry, Ms Giudice said it was never more important to share and celebrate the many positive stories in education.
“It’s exceptionally important to celebrate the work of teachers because, I believe they are valuable and instrumental to society,” she said.
“I think everyone can identify traits that they value from their own school experiences.
“When I look at teachers in my school, they do have effective teaching skills to get school improvement, but they’ve also got the human characteristics that make students want to engage with them.
“It’s such an amazing and powerful profession to be involved in. We do absolutely transform life and learning outcomes of the children and young people within our care.”
SUPER SIX TEACHERS ‘MAKE A DIFFERENCE EACH DAY’
“You make a difference every day.”
That’s the message Kincoppal Rose Bay principal Erica Thomas shared to six of the school’s teachers nominated in the Australia’s Best Teachers campaign.
Ms Thomas said Katy Franklin, Grace Bird, Mark Stubley, Danielle Fairthorne, Zarina Williams, and Amanda Carreira were exemplary educators who not only excelled in delivering content but also nurtured character development in their students.
“A great teacher teaches content well but they also encourage their students to be good people and build character,” Ms Thomas said, underscoring the holistic approach these teachers brought to education.
She said the teachers represented a diversity of roles within the school, ranging from Early Learning Centre and Kindergarten educators to those guiding senior students through the HSC and helped them develop critical thinking and analytical skills.
“The impact of the teacher is so significant at all stages of a student’s learning and development,” she said.
Ms Thomas said in the face of increasing demands on Australian teachers, it was important for leaders to stay connected with staff and understand the pressures they faced, particularly concerning workload and wellbeing.
“Since the pandemic, teacher shortages have contributed to this as has a growth in student mental health concerns,” she said.
“To assist teachers, we school leaders need to focus on a multifaceted approach including mentoring of young staff, fostering a positive school culture, ensuring there are opportunities for professional learning and career development.”
The nominations for Australia’s Best Teachers, originating from both students and parents, celebrated the profound impact each teacher had on their lives.
Ms Franklin earned praise for her innovative teaching methods that improved academic outcomes and emotional wellbeing among kindergartners, while Ms Williams was commended for her dedication to engaging parents in the learning process, fostering a love for learning at a young age.
Ms Bird was recognised for her ability to instil a passion for English and provide significant support in learning, while Mr Stubley was lauded for his multifaceted role, from his engaging style as a music teacher to his involvement in organising the school’s production of Legally Blonde.
Ms Fairthorne was acknowledged for her supportive approach and skill in fostering interest and understanding in her subject, while Ms Carreira was celebrated for her unwavering passion for early years education, creating a nurturing environment that inspires growth and confidence in her students.
WHY TEACHING WAS A ‘FAMILY CALLING’ FOR NSW PRINCIPAL
As one of seven children, six girls of whom now work in education, Revesby Public School principal Narelle Nies said the call to teach is evidently strong in her family.
Hailing from Casino, a small town on the NSW North Coast, Narelle said the siblings often relied on each other for help on school assignments, igniting the spark to become educators in their own right.
“My brother is the only one that’s not in education,” said Ms Nies. “I don’t know why, but teaching just became a thing in our family. It was almost like having our own class at home on a Sunday night … it was my older sisters actually starting the trend with having to teach us and now we have all gravitated towards working with children.”
Ms Nies is as passionate about education now as she was as a child in the makeshift family classroom. The principal of the multicultural school in Sydney’s south west said she is proud to be part of this diverse community.
“I actually describe it (the school) as a fabric. And the weave is made up of so many different cultures, different languages, and different religions. But, we also talk about not only what makes us different, but what’s the same, in terms of the fact that we can all present kindness, we can all actually create a harmonious environment,” she said.
“I just think it’s an absolute privilege to be a teacher. You know, you actually get invited to be a part of not only the education of the young people, but almost into their family lives as well.”
In her own hometown in Casino, Ms Nies fondly remembers her own teacher, Mrs King, who made the biggest impact on her just as she was starting on her school journey.
“She was my Kindergarten teacher, and it was just her absolute empathy. It was the way that she built relationships. I just felt like I was genuinely cared for. I’d even go as far as to say, loved by her and actually nurtured. She was someone who was really looking out for me and I’ve never forgotten her,” she said.
It’s these kinds of connections that the teaching staff at Revesby Public School are hoping to foster with their students, and it is a sentiment echoed by Year 2 teacher Ella Lawrence, whose early childhood background made her a natural fit for nurturing young minds.
“One of the most joyous things is watching when the kids get it,” she remarked, describing the satisfaction of witnessing a breakthrough moment in learning.
“When you’re trying to teach a concept that’s quite difficult, and then just watching them as they work it out, and then they go, ‘oh’ I’ve got it’. It sinks in and the happy emotions that come across their face when that happens is beautiful to see. Some kids have a lot of challenges and school is that consistent and safe place for them. So yes, my job is very rewarding.”
Year 3 and 4 composite class teacher Magdalene Ball said it was her own positive school experience that inspired her to follow this career path.
“I think school in general was always a positive place for me. I was blessed with wonderful teachers, and I suppose they made it look like it was the greatest job ever,” she said.
With over two decades experience in the classroom, Ms Ball is well placed to ensure her students have a fighting chance to succeed in and out of the classroom.
When the students make a mistake, she encourages them to shake it off by singing Destiny’s Child’s hit ‘I’m A Survivor.’
“One of the biggest things that we worked on is just not worrying about making mistakes. Unfortunately, some kids worry too much, and I just break that down and say, ‘let’s just have a go,” Ms Ball said.
“And we have a bit of a saying in our class. We’re survivors. I just bring it to their attention and say, I’m your teacher, I make mistakes. Adults make mistakes. Mums and dads make mistakes. We’re not perfect. No one is.”
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