Queensland College of Teachers announce 31 TEACHX award winners for 2023
They are trusted with educating our next generation and Queensland’s best teachers have been named for 2023. SEE THE FULL LIST
Education
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A whopping 31 Queensland teachers have been recognised as the outstanding candidates from their profession this year, far more than the six who received awards last year.
The Queensland College of Teachers has expanded the TEACHX Awards and has named five winners each from the six categories, and introduced a new award.
This year’s winners, officially announced on Thursday, are from over 25 schools in Logan, Gold Coast, Ipswich, Brisbane, Rockhampton, North Queensland, and Southern Queensland.
EXCELLENCE IN TEACHER EDUCATION
Adjunct Professor Bruce Burnett – Australian Catholic University
Recognised for his significant work in providing high-quality teachers to Queensland students in disadvantaged communities, with this inaugural TEACHX Award. Bruce has been teaching in various roles since 1982, with his first at East Brisbane Primary School. His research has delivered solutions for supplying high-quality graduate teachers to hard-to-staff Queensland schools through his National Exceptional Teaching for Disadvantaged Schools program. Bruce has collaborating with over 60 hard-to-staff schools.
OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTION TO SCHOOL COMMUNITY
Nyanyiik (Angelina) Chol – Mabel Park State High School, Logan
She leads a multicultural program involving over 300 students from diverse backgrounds where they learn about the 68 cultural backgrounds within the student population at the
school, other than their own. Angelina uses school data to track student attendance, behaviour, and effort, and holds those to account who are falling behind.
Leonard Hopkinson – Edens Landing State School, Logan
Leo has been teaching in South East Queensland for 14 years and is recognised for running the Kokoda Youth Hiking Challenge for students and the school community – giving up his weekends to do so. Participants hike some of the harshest terrain on the East Coast in memory of Australian WWII servicemen and to raise funds for the Kokoda Youth Foundation.
Michael Platt – Elanora State High School, Gold Coast
He runs a skateboard building workshop for nine weeks each term that fosters meaningful conversations with students and their families. Participants may not have ever had a positive interaction with the school, while others are referred to the Soul Sk8 program due to their behaviour. Michael also builds and maintains the school’s community garden.
Sheree Ruri – Marsden State High School, Logan
She began teaching in 2020 as a bilingual teacher with her New Zealand Māori background, before moving to Australia. Sheree has played pivotal roles in establishing a Muslim prayer room at the state’s largest high school, as well as starting Te Reo Māori language classes.
Judith Terkelsen – Goodstart Early Learning Pialba, Hervey Bay
By partnering with Royal Far West’s allied health specialists, Judith has opened up access to
specialist services for 31 children and their families for screening and telehealth services, including speech pathologists, occupational therapists, and clinical psychologists. The teacher of 27 years has also connected with Indigenous elders in southern Queensland and northern NSW to teach her kindy students about their customs, traditions and language.
OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTION TO TEACHING
Amanda Bopf – Mount Alvernia College, Brisbane
With an education career spanning almost 40 years, Amanda has made significant contributions through multiple roles with the Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority and the Queensland Studies Authority. She has also produced or directed 13 Mount Alvernia and Padua school musicals over the past 20 years.
Karen Farrow – Emmanuel College, Gold Coast
Being the daughter of a principal, Karen grew up seeing the difference education made in regional Queensland. During her 41-year teaching career she has worked across regional and metropolitan schools, as well as London. She is also an athlete, winning several gold medals at the Pan Pacific Masters Games and competing for the last 20 years in netball.
Melissa Kempson – Kingaroy State High School, South Burnett
With over 30 years experience in regional schools. Melissa’s career spans the Central Queensland and Darling Downs regions. At Kingaroy, her efforts as Year 9 co-ordinator led to a substantial reduction of problem behaviours among the cohort and the number of students needing intensive support significantly decreased. She also coordinates a School to Work program that allows Year 10 students to complete a TAFE course and work experience.
Dale Morrow – St Rita’s College, Brisbane
The list of accomplishments for outgoing principal of 15 years includes establishing St Rita’s social justice immersion program to Cambodia and India, and reintroducing primary school.
Dale’s career overall spans nearly 40 years, having taught in the ACT, NSW, and Solomon Islands, before settling in Queensland to teach at Marist College Ashgrove and St Rita’s.
Natalie Wells – Heights College, Rockhampton
Her career in regional early childhood education spans 21 years. Natalie has also invested her time and effort in children’s community events like Romp in the Park and Messy Play Days. She will soon embark on a two-year traineeship with Year 10 students completing their early childhood education certificates.
Excellence in Beginning to Teach
Amy Bentley – Beaudesert State High School, Scenic Rim
The professional horse rider volunteered as a supervisor for her school’s show team,
attending local shows on weekends. She mixed with her students outside the classroom and lent a hand by driving the truck or helping a student prepare their cattle for showing.
Heather Crothers – Woree State High School, Cairns
Heather has a passion for better representation of LGBTQIA+ people and young people with diverse learning needs or disabilities. Heather was invited to the 2022 PAX video game conference in Melbourne to host the Art and Science of Teaching and Video Games panel.
Eliza Gordon – Townsville Community Learning Centre (State Special School)
After working as a teacher aide, Eliza completed degrees in Primary Special Education
and Disability Studies over six years, while working full time and raising two children. She teaches Years 7-10 students, all of whom have intellectual disabilities, many also have additional disabilities including physical impairments, autism, and being non-verbal.
Elizabeth McNulty – Bellbird Park State Secondary College, Ipswich
After just two short years in the classroom, Elizabeth has led a team of 14 other year 7 maths teachers in discussions on how to engage and teach students with diverse needs. Her inspiration came from working as a teacher aide where she worked with diverse students.
Chelsea Robers – Ayr State School, North Queensland
She improved the remote school’s yard facilities to reduce behavioural incidents during break times – this included a car track, giant painted chess board, and a DIY STEM room. Chelsea also attends sporting events outside of school hours to support students, and through her involvement in the P&C, she helps with local markets and the tuckshop.
Innovation in Teaching
Anthony Brieschke – Beaudesert State High School, Scenic Rim
A student services specialist. Anthony sets students a task with animals, machinery, or plants in order to find a way to see past any negative behaviours and connect with the student. Anthony is also largely credited with the school recording a 2022 class achievement of 71 per cent of students getting As or Bs in a written exam – a drastic improvement.
Bridgette Bird – Kimberley Park State School, Logan
She works hard to maintain and promote partnerships with UQ, Griffith University, The Queensland Museum, and Queensland’s Trust for Nature. These partnerships saw her students enter the 2022 Curiocity Media Launch and three of them were chosen as a winning team, with their concept built and on display at The Queensland Museum.
Brendan Growden – Marsden State High School, Logan
He is preparing students for the 2032 Brisbane Olympics. eSports are under consideration for inclusion and Brendan wasted no time in developing the South East Queensland eSports League and embedding eSports into the classroom curriculum. He also helped establish a Drone Racing League that sees students learn to design, build, and pilot drones.
Simon Roper – Hervey Bay State High School
In addition to classroom teaching, Simon has worked on wind farm and robotics projects with
students. The school is now home to eight miniature wind turbines through Simon’s coding and engineering expertise. He has also helped develop two robotic programs at the school.
Helen Weston – Loreto College Coorparoo, Brisbane
With 38 years of classroom experience under her belt, Helen has worked across a range of subjects including English, Geography and History, before transitioning from a Head of Department to Teacher Librarian in 1998. She specialises in STEM projects for students with real world implications – for example the Globe at Night project investigating light pollution.
EXCELLENCE IN TEACHING
Diana Backhouse – Nursery Road State Special School, Brisbane
Diana uses her postgraduate research and lived experience as a parent of a child with a disability to get greater support for students with special needs. She uses a range of low-and-high-tech devices and the modelling and embedding of augmentative and
alternative communication to engage students with complex communication needs.
Tara Barron – Rochedale State School, Brisbane
She has led the implementation of a lunchtime coding club which uses animation, coding, and robotics. The club has grown from 20 to 140 students in just four years. Tara collaborated with students, staff, the P&C, and neighbouring schools to develop resources outlining age-specific cyber safety skills, which are explicitly taught each year.
Caitlin Crowe – St George State High School
Despite only being in her fourth year of teaching, the Agriculture Department head has overseen the establishment of multiple show teams, the introduction of iFarm technologies, and a fully computerised and interactive farm science research station.
Gregory Jessep – Marsden State High School, Logan
The maths specialist uses instructional videos to allow students to relearn and review at their own pace, and does afternoon tutorials three times a week for all students – not just his own. He also provides weekly updates to parents regarding their child’s progress.
Rebecca Samios – Barkly Highway State School, Mount Isa
Bec collaborated with students and local Aboriginal elders to co-design a Bush Tucker Garden – an outdoor learning space that aims to not only enhance First Nations’ students but educate all students about diversity.
EXCELLENT LEADERSHIP IN TEACHING AND LEARNING
Allison Elcoate – Trinity College Beenleigh, Logan
Through regular communication, parent workshops, and community events, Allison has engaged students, families, and the broader community in the school’s decisions. She has also pioneered the revitalisation of school spaces, as well as the creation of collaborative spaces and adaptable learning environments.
Elena Finlay – Leichhardt State School, Ipswich
She focuses on working with students needing intensive literacy support, to close the gap in reading data and ensure senior students are high school ready. Elena has also worked to get grants for traditional owners to teach the Yugara language to Years 5 and 6 students.
Elizabeth Foster – Wavell State High School, Brisbane
She has taken a lead role in facilitating the Metropolitan Aspiring Leaders Program, a
decade old program which has seen over 2000 leaders undertake a 12-month research-based leadership program. On a national scale, Elizabeth is a member of the Queensland Executive for the Australian Council of Educational Leaders.
Lissa Gyte – Loreto College Coorparoo, Brisbane
She has been teaching for 28 years at schools across Brisbane in different sectors, both in
coeducation and girls’ education. At Loretto, Lissa created a weekly podcast which has
also connected past pupils, the school community, and teachers with the school’s work.
Preston Parter – Nullu Badi Ngudyubay Academy
He is one of a handful of the state’s First Nations principals. At Eidsvold, Preston re-engaged the area’s Indigenous community members and elders’ group to provide input into the school and language curriculum. He also tackled the high staff turnover rate by creating a sense of belonging. He is also an avid boxing coach and an honorary Ambulance officer.
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