Geelong’s best primary teachers nominated by their schools
Teachers can make or break a child’s primary school experience, and some of the region’s schools have nominated their best. SEE THE LIST
Geelong
Don't miss out on the headlines from Geelong. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Primary school is the first stage of formal education for children.
It’s where friends are made and kids first learn important subjects like maths, English, science, and art.
But for many it’s the teachers they remember most, and some of the Geelong region’s schools have nominated staff they feel go above and beyond for students.
The Geelong Advertiser previously had secondary schools around the region nominated their standout teachers.
Kardinia International College
SARAH STUART
Ms Stuart teaches year 1 in lower primary at the College.
She said her favourite thing about being a teacher was learning from her students.
“They come into school with these curious and inquisitive minds that guide our learning to crazy and wonderful places,” Ms Stuart said.
“There is nothing more rewarding than watching a class of young, shy students enter a new room at the start of the year, to leave that same room with a new set of skills and confidence to take on their next adventure.
“I teach because I want to share my love of learning, when I was their age I was fascinated with the world.
“I hope to grow their curiosity and encourage them to keep asking questions and develop a set of skills to support them in their inquiries.”
Ms Stuart said she was a university student throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, so has a unique ability to empathise with her students.
“Having taught students who have experienced remote learning, I am able to empathise with the confusion and uncertainty they felt because I was right there alongside them,” she said.
“This has enabled me to enter my teaching career with an extra layer of empathy and helped me to enjoy the little things.
“Every learning achievement that these young people are working towards is a huge accomplishment for them and deserves to be celebrated.”
MITCHELL HOUGH
Mr Hough teaches foundation year (prep) to year 2 at the school.
He said his favourite thing about teaching was helping students be the best version of themselves and having lots of fun in the process.
”I absolutely love my job,” he said.
“I can teach the curriculum while ensuring students grow and learn what it is to be a respectful and caring person.”
Mr Hough said his appreciation for in-person learning grew during the pandemic.
“It has made me enjoy teaching face-to-face even more than pre-pandemic,” he said.
“It has also bolstered my online teaching activities and my activities in limited spaces.”
KATIE STEELE
Ms Steele teaches year 3 students at the College.
She said her favourite thing about being a teacher was working collaboratively with other teachers and helping to empower students to learn and experience success.
“Teaching is a complex profession; no two days or students are the same and I enjoy getting to know students as individuals and helping them to develop their love of learning,” Ms Steele said.
“I teach because I enjoy working with students and seeing the personal satisfaction they get when they can see their own growth.
“You are always learning about new ways of doing things and students can often make you think about things differently.
“It’s a privilege to be a part of students’ lives and have an impact on their development.”
Ms Steele said working throughout the pandemic was challenging because it was more difficult to maintain the connection and rapport with students.
“Thinking of innovative ways to teach the curriculum virtually challenged all of us, but also helped me develop skills and use technology in ways that I hadn’t previously,” she said.
“Focusing on student wellbeing and connection with their peers was important.”
Nazareth Catholic Primary School
CAM PLAPP
Mr Plapp is the visual arts and music teacher at Nazareth Catholic Primary School.
“I am also an artist and musician outside of teaching and enjoy bringing my love of the arts into my art room and school community,” he said.
“My favourite thing about teaching is working with every student from foundation to year 6 and having the opportunity to collaborate on many projects including large scale murals throughout the school.
“Over the past year I have also established several school rock bands and have had the opportunity to play at venues such as the Waurn Ponds shopping centre, the Geelong Music and Movement Festival and have even won a category in last year’s national Rockfest Competition for the most views on YouTube.”
Mr Plapp said online learning became a challenge particularly in his faculties.
“To cater for this challenge, I created a YouTube channel with many online art lessons and demonstrations for students to access and learn from at home,” he said.
“The YouTube channel was (and still is) used by many teachers throughout Australia.
“My approach to teaching the arts is strongly based on student voice, and directed by their needs and interests whilst also making strong links to the wider curriculum.
“I teach the arts because it gives me great joy to share my artistic passions with my students.
“As Pablo Picasso once said ‘The meaning of life is to find your gift. The purpose of life is to give it away’.”
Bannockburn P-12 College
BERNADETTE HAWKINS
Ms Hawkins teaches year 3 and 4 at Bannockburn College.
“I enjoy building a relationship with each student and watching their pride when they succeed at something that they initially find challenging,” she said.
“And students say some very funny things at times, which gives me a good laugh!
“Being able to help a student work to the best of their ability and watch them develop in confidence and maturity along the way gives me a lot of satisfaction.”
Ms Hawkins said she taught prep and year 1 during the pandemic.
“It was a great opportunity to help new parents learn about how we teach and give them guidance to be able to work with their child with confidence,” she said.
ALEXANDRA SMITH
Ms Smith is a year 3/4 classroom teacher at the school.
She said she loved the relationship she builds with students throughout the year and fostering relationships between the kids to create a “little family” within the classroom.
“Getting to know the kids, finding different ways to reach them and help them is what it’s all about,” Ms Smith said.
“Everyday I get to see them learn new skills and help them succeed.
“To see a student overcome a challenge, no matter how big or small, will always be special.”
Ms Smith said for her, the pandemic and remote learning placed a real emphasis on ensuring all students had a strong connectedness to the school community.
“I think for students as well, they are loving having that connection back,” she said.
“I certainly find myself conscious of making sure every student has the opportunity to feel a sense of belonging at school.”
BRIDGETTE MALONE
Ms Malone is a prep teacher this year, teaching a range of subjects including reading, writing, spelling, maths, science and humanities.
“My favourite thing about teaching is the excitement my students get when they have learnt something new, particularly when they have worked hard and persisted with it,” Ms Malone said.
“Seeing them so happy and proud of themselves is one of the most rewarding parts about being a teacher.”
Ms Malone said she taught because she wanted to support her students in any way she can, academically, socially or emotionally.
“I want them to have the knowledge and skills to go through life being happy, confident and kind people,” she said.
“Each day there is a moment (no matter how small) when I feel like I have made a positive impact on a student and that makes it all worth it!
“On days that are more challenging my students make me laugh with their funny comments and stories!
“I am continually learning from them, and it is refreshing to see how they view the world.”
Ms Malone said a positive that came from the pandemic was an increase in communication with families through online platforms.
“We have continued using these apps and I feel like that has allowed our families to be more involved in their child’s learning and see what we are doing at school,” she said.
Woodline Primary
SHAE TWEEDDALE
Ms Tweeddale teaches the foundation group at Woodline Primary.
She said her favourite thing about being a teacher was her relationships with the children.
“I love being a part of the daily joy, learning and curiosity they have about the world and it’s such a privilege to be able to experience that with them,” she said.
“It has to be one of the most rewarding jobs in the world!
“I get to not only learn from the children, but with them and for them, too.
“I teach to support children to be themselves, see the world through whichever lens they choose and to create learning opportunities that they want to remember.
“Learning is something we do our whole lives, so why not make it fun?”
Ms Tweeddale said through “riding the waves” of online learning, it became clear that nurturing the childrens’ emotional wellbeing is the single most important consideration for their learning.
“The more I taught ‘at’ the children on the screen, the more disconnected I felt and no doubt they did, too.
“Returning into our learning spaces together, I learned to trust that when connection and the children’s emotional wellbeing is the priority, the learning will naturally follow – not the other way around.
“I’m grateful to now be at a part of a beautiful school that wholeheartedly prioritises just that.”
The Geelong College
CHARLOTTE GOSS
Ms Goss teaches the foundation level at Geelong College.
She said her favourite thing about being a teacher was the “weird and wonderful” things her students teach her.
“Be it the complicated name of a dinosaur and its specific diet to the somewhat questionable facts about the origins of a certain rock, children take such joy in sharing the way they view the world,” Ms Goss said.
“It’s their little anecdotes across the day that truly make teaching the best job.
“I simply love teaching.
“I love working with young people, and I am passionate about enabling every child to love learning.
“It is an incredible privilege to observe a child develop their understandings of the world, to join them in their learning journey, celebrate all their successes big and small, and get to know them as an ever-evolving person.”
Ms Goss said what the pandemic emphasised most for her was how important play and the social side of learning is.
“Children learn so much from each other and through play, and school is so much more than a place for academic learning,” she said.
“We certainly feel grateful for all the interactions the children are able to have again now, with each other, with us and with the wider community.
“It has also been so wonderful to be able to invite our families back into the learning spaces this year.”
ANDREW SCHUYLER
Mr Schuyler is a year 3 classroom teacher.
“(My favourite thing about teaching is) working with the children and parents of Campbell House (Geelong College Junior School) to bring out the personal best in each child, it is such a rewarding job!” he said.
“The children at Campbell House are the reason and motivation to why I teach.
“I loved my time at boarding school, and fondly remember the impact that a handful of teachers who I had admired had on me.
“Many of these teachers shared how rewarding and invigorating education is and it influenced me to study education at university.”
Mr Schuyler said the pandemic highlighted the importance of having the student at the centre of everything.
“The wellbeing of the child is at the centre of what we do and is more important than ever,” he said.
“Making sure I leave room in a busy day for implicit or explicit social emotional themes such as emotional literacy, positive coping, personal strengths, resilience and problem solving.”
Northern Bay College
ELIZA NOLAN
Ms Nolan teaches a class of 18 prep students.
“I love the relationships I have built with students, parents and colleagues over my career,” she said.
“That … and the fact that no day is ever the same.
“I came to teaching after having my children.
“Through them, I garnered a huge appreciation of how students learn and the importance of helping children become the best versions of themselves.
“After working in education support for a few years, I decided to bite the bullet and get my teaching qualification.
“Honestly, I couldn’t imagine doing anything else.”
Ms Nolan said teaching was a wonderful profession, but “certainly not for the faint hearted”. “Every day presents new experiences and challenges, but to me, it really is the best job in the world,” she said.
“We get to impact young people’s lives and be a part of their learning journey and that is a pretty special position to be in.”
GORDANA KRSUL
Ms Krsul is the P-6 physical education co-ordinator and she teaches all year 3-8 students on campus.
She said being a PE teacher can be a lot of fun.
“You spend most of your days in a gym or outdoors, and you have the flexibility to hold classes in a variety of different spaces,” Ms Krsul said.
“As you work directly with your students, you can connect with them in a meaningful way.
“Through physical activity we can promote mental health, such as reduced stress, improved mood, better self- esteem, and increased mental alertness.
“Physical activity benefits both the body and mind.
“It also emphasises on achieving social qualities, such as, empathy, co-operation, friendliness, team spirit, and respect for rules, which are essential for healthy social relations with others.”
Ms Krsul said is the pandemic taught people anything, it was they need to be adaptable, keep the lines of communication open in all aspects of their lives and always try to find the opportunity in life’s challenges.
“Stepping outside our comfort zone and challenging ourselves to try something new,” she said.
“It was important keeping positive, being encouraging.
“By promoting physical activity in a fun, challenging and achievable way in the home setting, where limited equipment was available with a creative and fun approach which was challenging during the pandemic but not impossible.”
Ms Krsul said her motto through 32 years of teaching has been “be firm, but fair and show that you care”.
TARA BENSON
Ms Benson is a prep teacher at Northern Bay.
She said she felt very fortunate as a prep teacher to support student’s discovery and building of new skills.
“It is extremely rewarding to witness the progress and growth the children make over the year, academically, socially and emotionally,” she said.
“I believe every child needs to feel known and supported.
“I love instilling a passion for learning and that school is a great place to be.”
Ms Benson said the pandemic was challenging with prep students as they are not independent learners yet.
“I was providing lessons via a digital format to the students, which was very different to the hands-on approach I previously used at school,” she said.
“My relationships with the families strengthened as I encouraged them throughout as they supported their children in completing learning tasks.
“Face-to-face contact at school is still the most important part of learning and teaching.
“I am grateful to see eyes light up as we discover new things together.”
St Mary’s Catholic Primary School
DEBORAH BOLAND
What do you teach at your school?
Ms Boland is a year 3/4 classroom teacher and level leader at St Mary’s Primary School.
She said she was very passionate about her profession and her favourite thing about being a teacher was using decades of research to inform her practice.
“I believe that every child has the capacity to learn and grow in their knowledge and skills, and it is our job as educators to use these evidence-based practices to provide the best educational opportunities for each child,” Ms Boland said.
“I teach to transform every child’s educational outcomes.
“I believe every student should leave primary school with confident reading and writing abilities and it is my job to make sure this happens.
“Working with students and families is a privilege, and I am responsible for seeing the potential in every child.
“I have been teaching for almost 30 years and every day I still look forward to working with students and celebrating the success they achieve.”
Ms Boland said throughout the pandemic and since returning to the classroom, she had been more aware of the need to use every minute in the act of teaching count.
“Whilst teaching remotely, and now face-to-face I use a very explicit teaching approach where students are fully guided through their learning and then supported to demonstrate what they know,” she said.
“It has always been my approach to be considerate of the support students need socially and emotionally and this has been very important during the pandemic.
“Being in regular contact with parents and being willing to set up structures to cater for different students has been essential during these times.”
RAQUEL BOWMAN
Ms Bowman is a year 1/2 classroom teacher and the current F-2 learning leader at St Mary’s.
She said teaching is not just a job to her.
“It’s such a privilege to be in this profession and I am grateful for what I get to do everyday,” Ms Bowman said.
“I love being able to support a child’s academic progress, but also their social development within a school based setting.
“The positive relationships formed as a teacher with my students would have to be one of my favourite things.
“My class are regularly referred to as ‘my kids’ and being a mum of two primary school aged children also I find I always need to clarify with colleagues or parents ‘my school kids’ or ‘my actual kids?’ when we are having a conversation.
“From seeing a student read a decodable reader for the first time and exclaim “I can read!” to the student who has navigated through their difficult emotions and entered the classroom with a smile and eagerness, rather than tears.
“These little moments everyday make me love what I do.”
Ms Bowman said one of the “driving forces” behind why she taught was the academic progress and achievements she saw in each student every year.
“A child’s level of readiness to enter their first year of formal education varies, but to see a child enter school not confident in writing their names and little understanding of the sounds that letters make, to being able to leave the year being able to read and write a sentence – what a thrill!” she said.
Ms Bowman said despite the business of teaching during the pandemic, she took time to continue researching and developing her understanding of evidence-based best practice teaching methods within the classroom.
“Once I went down the rabbit hole of research and professional readings I could not do anything but apply the changes learned to my teaching practices,” she said.
“Fortunately, I was not alone on this journey and along with leadership at St Mary’s we began to make positive changes to our curriculum design and teaching methods, even during the pandemic!
“This has seen an incredibly positive change to our whole school data and I have seen a confidence within the students in my classroom unlike anything I have witnessed in my last 16 years of teaching.”
BERNADETTE HELLARD
Ms Hellard has been a teacher for over 30 years, and has taught a range of subject and held many roles in schools.
She is currently the student wellbeing and diversity leader, and teaches students in year 3/4.
“I am passionate about helping students with diverse needs being able to achieve,” Ms Hellard said.
“I love working with staff and families in developing ways that we can help those students with additional needs learn without being disadvantaged.
“Every student can achieve given the right supports.
“We just have to find the way they learn best and celebrate the small successes along the way.
“Seeing these students progress makes the job so worthwhile.”
Ms Hellard said as a teacher, she had always wanted to be the ‘good story’ in a student’s life.
“I have often told my students, ‘I may be your teacher for one year but I am really your teacher for life!’
“I get a thrill when I see them years later and hear all about what they have achieved – knowing that I played a very small part in it.
“As a teacher, we should always remember to be ‘KIND’ – use kind words, be interesting, do what is necessary and always make a difference.”
Community nominations
DONNA QUAYLE - KARDINIA INTERNATIONAL COLLEGE
Geelong mum Lisa Iannelli nominated Ms Quayle as one of Geelong's best teachers.
“Donna has taught my child twice; once through Covid and now, this year,” Ms Iannelli said.
“I honestly cannot fault her.
“During Covid-19, Donna taught my child to read remotely, in Foundation Year, with little preparation of what was to come.
“She ensured her students were cared for, even though it was a virtual setting.
“Donna was able to make connections with each and every student and their families, and was understanding and empathetic. All the while, having her own children and family to care for!
“Her endearing nature has not changed, when two years later my child is fortunate to have Donna again.
“Her communication with parents is next level, making me feel like I am following my child’s learning journey through my child’s eyes.
“Her connection and encouragement with my child is one of the reasons my child loves going to school. She even sent my child a personalised birthday message on the class Seesaw page.
“Donna is firm, but fair; kind and caring, but not a pushover; she sets her boundaries and the children love her.
“Donna’s curriculum knowledge and understanding how children learn is what makes her teaching unique.
“She is well read, and can put theory into practice.
“Donna doesn’t look for accolades, but she sure deserves them!”
Do you have a teacher you’d like to nominate for this list? Send a short bio on them to michaela.meade1@news.com.au
More Coverage
Originally published as Geelong’s best primary teachers nominated by their schools
Racehorse strapper learns fate over sex act with animal
A man was caught on CCTV performing a sex act with a horse after breaking into a stable. A court has heard the horse’s owner can’t get the footage from her mind.
Social housing project stalls, future uncertain
The site of a large-scale social housing project in Geelong’s inner-south sits vacant and details have been pulled from the web, but its proponent says construction will commence soon.