St Mary’s Gina Ker named Bundaberg’s favourite prep teacher of 2024

A beloved Bundaberg early learning teacher has been recognised for her dedication to teaching after more than 20 years in the profession, being named the region’s favourite prep teacher of 2024.

A beloved Bundaberg early learning teacher has been recognised for her dedication to teaching after more than 20 years in the profession, being named the region’s favourite prep teacher of 2024.

St Mary’s Catholic Primary School’s Gina Ker received the most votes in a recent Bundaberg Newsmail poll, from among 56 of the region’s prep teachers.

Born and raised in Bundaberg, Gina Ker recalls her passion for teaching from a young age.

“The decision to follow this career path was influenced by the many inspiring teachers whom I met along my education journey,” she said.

Having taught from prep to year 3, and dedicating a decade of her 23 year-long career to teaching prep, Mrs Ker has found that her secret to being a good teacher is by having high levels of motivation and patience.

“Lots of patience!” she said.

In her love for teaching, Mrs Ker has found that the most rewarding aspects of her career are watching how far her students progress from the beginning of the year to the end of the year.

“To watch all of their a-hah! moments along the way for example when they grasp a new concept or tackle a new challenge independently, is extremely rewarding to see and brings a great sense of joy.”

Federal budget 2024: What it means for Bundaberg, Fraser Coast, Gympie, Burnett

With a deep admiration for the St Mary’s and all that it stands for, Mrs Ker feels privileged to be part of and work with a group of enthusiastic and highly skilled teachers, school officers and principal.

“We build positive relationships, foster a supportive and encouraging learning environment and really take the time to get to know our students – their strengths and the different ways they learn,” she said.

“These are just some of the things great teachers do to be effective and make an impact on the students we teach.”

“At St Mary’s School, we work together as a team to ensure our students get the best and reach their educational goals.”

Mrs Ker would also like to give a shout out to her teacher’s aide, Kyla Wise, who is very dedicated and goes above and beyond for the prep students, as well as all the other teacher aides at St Mary’s School who are wonderful and show great commitment to their role.

With 15 per cent of the votes, there is no doubt Mrs Ker is the crowd favourite, claiming the lead with a whopping 25 votes between her and the runner up, Mrs Gahan from Woongarra State School.

See how each of the amazing teachers ranked in the voting: